No respect for Diamond

[Davis]

Where do I start?  A couple of weeks ago, my mother was "carefully" buying cat food locally when she ran across a pet food sales representative in the feed store.  He immediately was extremely sympathetic to her concerns and talked at length with her regarding the whole pet food situation.  Diamond is one of the companies he represents.  He told her that he has personally been to the Diamond plant, and that conditions there are impeccable.  He said that the quality of meat is beautiful, and that it is protected with great care.  He said the plant is so clean that you could eat off of the floor, and that the workers wear hair nets and protective gear and must abide by strict standards of production.  He said he was actually shocked and amazed to see such standards in a pet food plant. My mother felt that since he also represents other companies (unless she had this part wrong), he had no reason to favor Diamond so highly unless these things were true.  He was also very upfront and brought up the recall of 2005 himself, explaining that it was a plant that our area was not affected by, and that those issues had been resolved. 

So, in hearing this, I wondered if maybe this company was worth another look.  I had been feeding my cat a sample bag of Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul until I could figure out what to do next.  He seemed to be doing well, although I did not like all of the ingredients, but it was only temporary.  Then Geff and some other posters had been talking about negatives associated with Diamond, so I decided to visit their website.  I looked up the food that I had been feeding my cat, and the ingredients were different than listed on my bag.  This disgusted me to no end, because the quality was much lower and not what I had thought.  So I emailed the company and was answered by one of their veterinarians (the first email was sent right "before" the rice protein situation occurred..what timing huh?). The second email was written right after the rice protein incident had started.  Here are my emails and the reponses I got from the vet:


My first email:

SUBJECT:  Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul - senior, dry
I just finished a sample bag of this food.  When I looked it up on your website, I noticed that the ingredients listed there were different than those on the bag for the exact same food.  Why is this? The bag of food I have was a fresh new bag.  Did the ingredients change since I purchased it just 3 weeks ago, or is the food mislabeled? Is the bag not representing what is actually in the food and at those ratios?  For example, the first and second ingredients on my bag are chicken and salmon.  On the website salmon is way down on the list, and fish meal is higher.  I'd really appreciate an explanation.  Thanks for your time!!

Answer:

Certain of the formulas have been re-done.  Depending on the state, there is a variable length of time from the formula change until the bag has to be changed as well.

Janet L. Rettenmaier, DVM, MS
Veterinary Services
Diamond Pet Foods

My second email in response:

Dear Janet,

Regarding your response, this allowed delay in labeling is exactly what the public is concerned about.  In fact, it is one of our biggest concerns, because we have no way of knowing what we are buying or what is in the food, and that is NOT right or fair.  Don't you yourself feel that, as a consumer, you have a right to know what you are purchasing, whether it is pet food or anything else?  Now we have a serious rice protein issue with a company you pack for and are associated with, and the rice protein was not on their ingredient list for those contaminated products.  They only changed their ingredients on their website to reflect it "after" the problem was discovered. 

You have received a large shipment of a contaminated product, which apparently was not tested or discovered until pets had been reported ill or dying.  No one seems to have learned from this ongoing tragedy.  The same mistakes are still being made.  Chinese food imports need to stop, period.  And for God's sake, why aren't they being tested before they are used, even after all that we have been through?  What in God's name is going on?  I already know that Diamond claims not to use this rice protein in their own food.  That is not the issue.  I'm speaking to the pet food industry as a whole.   

I understand the costs of packaging are part of the reason this ingredient list delay is allowed, but I would like to suggest an easy solution.  Small stick-on labels could inexpensively be attached over the top of the ingredient lists on the outdated packaging, with the correct ingredients listed for that particular package.  Things need to change!  Please consider my suggestions.  It is good customer relations to respond to the public's concerns.  Only the pet food manufacturers who start showing some integrity and caring about these things will have our trust and our business.  Thank you for your time and for responding.

Answer:

There are certain aspects of chemistry, business and government regulations that you are not aware of and/or you are expecting should be without understanding the implications if they were, etc. Yes, I understand your concerns. Important facts that I believe may need consideration: that the imported products were tested- I have not seen anything stating that the import regulations were not followed. You need to realize that "all the harmful substances" are not even known at this very second in time- and hence there are no tests for their detection. That "substances" break down every second and can and do react with other substances every second producing other substances that may indeed be harmful. And that it maybe years before the effects of these "other substances" might be known. Sometimes happenings are beyond the realm of people being able to "think or act" that far ahead to prevent every adverse effect that could ever happen. I know it's not a perfect system. If all the measures we could do were implemented then I'm sure the cost would be pasted along to the consumer and there would be complaints of a different nature. It's a balance. I've gotten politically active to get certain issues changed.  Maybe you should consider something along that line to get the changes that you see necessary.

Janet L. Rettenmaier, DVM, MS
Veterinary Services
Diamond Pet Foods

What a crock!  I have already written a response.  I cannot begin to tell you how her response sickened and disappointed me.  These people are not interested in the well-being of our pets at all. She did not even address the issues that I bought up, and her comments and explanations were entirely condescending.  We are all so ignorant, aren't we?  I will post my response back to her after I hear some comments from you guys, since I don't want this post to get too long.  To say the least, that company has now totally lost my respect.

[Mary K]

What a crock is right! And they don't realize who they are dealing with. She is so far behind us right now that all she has is her attitude!         I guess she feels she is protecting her job, too. And not answering your questions shows she is in defense mode. Substances breaking down-if that is the case, what about human food? What is good for the owner is good for the pet, from here on in!!

[garypen]

The stick-on labels are an excellent idea. I thought the same thing myself. They would cost a penny or so per bag or can, and keep the public informed. There shouldn't have to be a law mandating it. They should just do it. OTOH, it's amazing that there isn't already a law requiring it for pet food as there is for human food.

I'd be curious to see pictures of their plant(s). If they are physically the way that rep claimed to your mom, they obviously aren't as bad as you are making them out to be. Let's remember that theydid not purchase the tainted rice protein. Natural Balance did. They also don't use it in their own formulas. (Nor do they use wheat or wheat gluten.)

The Chicken Soup dry ingredient list looks pretty good to me. I never got a chance to try it because we settled on the CalNat dry. But, they did like their canned food. And, I thought that ingredient list looked ok, other than the contraversial menadione.

All that being said, Diamond has had issues. And, the pigs recently found with Melamine were fed Diamond commercial feed. But, their Chicken Soup brand was never implicated in any previous Diamond recall. So, it's a tough call on whether to continue feeding CS. I would probably consider switching to another brand, just in case.

[Cindy Nevarez]

Hi there, I have not yet read what others have commented to your post here as I've come in late, but it struck me after reading Diamond's responses to you that not only do they condescendingly not have our pets' health in consideration, nor your concerns in consideration, but they are the ones who sold "salvage" pet food to the hog farm in Ceres, CA that is now quarantined for poisoned pigs!

[Davis]

Thanks for the comments everyone.  Gary, I thought that Diamond purchased that rice protein, not NB, and then used it in the NB food, as specified in the recipe.  Every report I've read said it was sold to "Diamond".  Anyway, I see this as no different than Menu.  Diamond is a huge manufacturer and by no means is NB their only contract.  The manufactures of food for other companies bear an equal responsibility for these disasters. 

The ingredients should be tested thoroughly before use, even if that means premixing it to test for changes in chemical composition.  Are they saying they tested it in every way possible for melamine and found none?  It was unclear in the email.  She only said it had been "tested".  Really?  And no melamine found?  Hmmm.  The FDA had no problem finding it, but it had probably broken down or morphed into melamine by then, huh?  Diamond claims they don't use it in their own foods, but they received the major percentage of that rice protein, and who knows if they would or would not have ended up using it in their products had this not come up.  They obviously make changes to their formulas.  Bottom line, they took an imported grain protein product from China under their wings without a second thought.

It's one thing to have a "clean" plant, but other factors are equally important.  And, we do need to remember that it was a sales rep that said this, although that does not mean it wasn't true.  Anyway, aside from that, my disgust comes more from the response I received than these other factors.  FYI, here is the change in ingredients (I'm only listing the first 7 of them, since the list is long), but it will show that the change decreased both the quality and amount of protein, and increased the grains and fillers:

My bag:  Chicken, salmon, chicken meal, cracked pearl barley, white rice, oatmeal, whole grain brown rice  (Looks pretty good)

Website:  Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, ocean fish meal, white rice, powdered cellulose, chicken fat  (This one?  Blah!) 





 

[Geff]

Wow. Their attitude is stunning, especially in light of the current situation. They make the FDA look caring by comparison.

Wow

Davis, I'd like to suggest that you consider also posting this on Itchmo.com & Pet Connection. This needs to get out to people.

[Geff]

One other thought: This makes it even more imperative that we find a list of companies that Diamond manufactures for.

[Davis]

Hey Geff, I think a link to this thread with an explanation regarding what it's about would be a better thing to leave on those websites, because this thread is going to grow and I have more to add to this.  So, if you want to post a link to this thread on those sites, you have my permission.  Go for it.

[Geff]

Done.

[garypen]

Davis - I wasn't necessarily trying to defend bad practices. I was just pointing out that Diamond isn't solely to blame. And, as I said, I think she should definitely consider switching foods from Chicken Soup, or whatever Diamond product she was using.

[Davis]

Oh, I know you weren't defending bad practices Gary.  I wasn't speaking exclusively to you.  You are quite right, Diamond is NOT solely to blame.  My issue with them at this moment is much more focused on the response I got when I raised some very legitimate concerns.

Now I'm going to post my next response to the Diamond vet. In order to put this in context, you need to read her response above, since I am specifically addressing the comments she made to me: 

Dear Janet,
Thank you for writing.  In response to your email, please consider the following IMPORTANT points: 

1) We are not all ignorant and uneducated about chemistry, business and government regulations.  You are making an assumption.  Many of us already understand the things you spoke of, or at least know they exist.  We understand that chemical breakdown happens, etc.  That is not the point. It does not change what “should” be done.  The “should” is that food imports from China need to stop.  What pet food companies can do is stop putting it in the food.  It is beyond risky at this point. 

2)  So you think we don’t understand the implications of our expectations?  How do you know what we do and don’t understand, or what we are aware of?  Implications?  There are no greater implications than toxic poisoning or death.  We understand the “business” implications very well, but we are just plain sick and tired of this taking precedence over the health and safety of our pets.  What are the priorities here?  Obviously they are not the same for us as for you.  You are supposed to be in the “business” of maintaining the health of our pets.  When you fail to do this, your “business implications” are far greater than they would be for other reasons.  In terms of public opinion, Diamond has had its share of problems.  The only correct "balance" for you is putting health and safety first.  The current situation is not "balanced".  So, I guess the company's idea of the right "balance" is a bit flawed.   

3)  I never said Diamond did not follow the import regulations.  Following them simply means nothing.  Import regulations do not provide the necessary level of safety.  That has been proven and is part of the problem, just as lax labeling regulations are wrong.  More companies need to start going “above and beyond” the regulations or legal requirements, and start showing some integrity, basic human decency, and compassion.  That is how you build a good business, as well as an ultimately more profitable one.  Political action or changes in the regulations are not the only solution, neither do we have time to wait for them.  We just need companies who are willing to go the extra mile.  This is what we are looking for at this very moment.   

4) We already know that not all toxic substances can be tested because they are not all known.  We are not talking about those.  We are talking about "melamine", which is now very much known.  And we are referring to the insanity of continuing to use food products from a country with very poor, dangerous food safety standards.  This also increases the risk of future unknown toxins that won't be tested for because, again, they are not known.  For us, it’s about minimizing the risks.  For pet food companies, it’s about profit – using these cheap protein sources not fit for carnivores.  We know exactly why these substances are in the food, and we don’t appreciate it.  You are playing Russian roulette with our pets.  Here’s another business practice that serves you well, until we know about it and kiss you goodbye – sell a line of food for the same price, but change the formula to save costs and don’t change the label until you absolutely have to by law.  No one gives us a choice or rights in the matter, do they?  We are not buying what we think we are.  Legal or not, it’s criminal.  As far as I know, there is no law “preventing” a pet food company from having the decency to put an accurate, timely label on pet food.
 
5) ATTENTION!!  There are many who would be happy to pay twice as much for high quality, safe food.  Feel free to pass on the costs.  Many of us place no price on the health, safety, and life of our beloved pets.  Not everything is about money.  You're worried about cost complaints from consumers?  So, you would rather have complaints about toxic contamination as opposed to complaints about higher costs?  Strange choice.  Do you consider poison to be simply another consumer "complaint"?  This is way beyond a consumer issue. 

6)  We don't want your political action as much as we want simple things, like accurate, timely ingredient labeling, and being responsive to our concerns and requests.  What makes you think that myself and many others have not gotten active?  However, some of us believe the best way to get "active" is to take our concerns directly to the pet food companies and manufacturers.  That is how we make our product desires and concerns known.  It's unfortunate when they (you) tell us to get active elsewhere.  I suggest that if you really want to be “active” in the right way, you take what has been said here and make changes within your own company.
Thank you for listening!

[garypen]

Of course, the best way for consumers to be "active" is to refuse to buy from companies that put profit before safety. As such, I have removed Chicken Soup from my list of acceptable backup foods. (For when my primary wet and dry may not be available.)

[Mary K]

Davis, What a superbly written letter.  Thank you for speaking our concerns! Can't wait to see the response you get!

[Geff]

I agree, wonderful letter.

My #1 concern with Diamond is we still don't know just who they manufacture for.

[Davis]

Yes, exactly Gary, and I think my response strongly implies the loss in sales.  But I do think they need to know exactly why they may lose business, which is the reason being active means directly telling them what is wrong and what they need to change.  However, I suspect there is a large percentage of the population that is not "active" and knows very little about what is actually going on.  Unfortunately they will continue to purchase these foods. 

Glad you approved of the letter guys.