E-mail from Solid Gold

[Goldens4Ever]

I have been corresponding regularly with a woman who works at Solid Gold about some recent concerns I had regarding the reformulation of their foods (adding different ingredients). Since many people seemed unable to attain specific answers to their questions from SG staff, I thought you all might be interested in reading this. Here is what she said:

"The AAFCO definition of tomato pomace is “the dried mixture of tomato skins, pulp, and crushed seeds”. Tomato pomace is an excellent source of soluble fiber and lycopene. We added it for both these reasons. We first started looking into using tomato pomace because of our interest in adding an antioxidant like lycopene. We then started reading evidence of tomato pomace being a great soluble fiber source. One of the biggest complaints we have had about our foods over the years are large and / or soft stools. Part of the reason for this was due to the lack of soluble fiber in our foods (as we have been told by numerous nutritionists over the years). We have been hesitant about adding a source of soluble fiber because of the choices out there – beet pulp being the most common source of soluble fiber in pet food. We did not add whole tomatoes because of the moisture content. In a dry extruded pet food, moisture content is very important – too much or too little will cause a problem with the formation of the kibble. The added moisture from the tomatoes would cause us to reduce the amount of other ingredients that contain a high moisture content, mainly the fresh meat. This choice was a no-brainer for us. The two things we were looking for when adding tomato pomace, fiber and lycopene, are not as evident in the juice of the tomato, therefore, for our purposes the juice is not necessary.

The natural flavor is spray dried liver. In the case of Hund-N-Flocken, it is spray dried lamb liver.

The pet food industry is always changing due to regulatory changes, new research, manufacturing changes / improvements, etc. Because of this, most pet foods will be reformulated at least once, more likely numerous times. “Hund-N-Flocken” has been around for about three decades, but it is quite different now than it was originally. Imagine the developments that have happened in nutritional research and manufacturing in the past thirty years. Any responsible company is going to adjust their foods based upon new findings.

The total protein, fat, and meat content are the same in the new formula. The lamb and lamb meal sources have not changed.

Personally, I think the new formula is superior to the old formula. We have added a few ingredients other than the ones already discussed that are really beneficial, especially the salmon oil as a source of DHA (an omega 3 fatty acid) and taurine for heart health.

We received a test batch of the new Hund-N-Flocken and I switched my dog over to it. I switched her automatically and she had absolutely no problems. She seems to actually like the new formula better than the old.

The sugar and salt used in the jerky treats are used as humectants to reduce water activity and protect against mold. The problem with semi-moist treats or foods is that they are very susceptible to mold growth without some type of food or chemical preservative to help protect against it. I really don’t think the small amount of sugar and salt in the treats is a big deal because they are treats. We would not put sugar and salt in our foods because they are the dog’s main form of sustenance whereas a treat makes up a small amount of the diet.

On another note: I really want to thank you for keeping an open mind and asking questions instead of being accusatory. We are a very small company, staff wise, and we all sink our heart and soul into the products we produce. We take it very personally and it is very hurtful when customers accuse us of making a change for our own personal gain. You can’t imagine some of the insulting email and phone calls we receive….Anyways, I just wanted to thank you." [/SIZE]

[Prin]

Talk about PR...

The total protein, fat, and meat content are the same in the new formula. The lamb and lamb meal sources have not changed.

So if you have a kg of meat with 2kgs of grain in the original, and then in the new one you have a kg of meat with 5 kgs of grain, is the meat content the same?

We received a test batch of the new Hund-N-Flocken and I switched my dog over to it. I switched her automatically and she had absolutely no problems. She seems to actually like the new formula better than the old.

And her dog is the gold standard of sensitive dogs?

I still maintain that if it was really about the large stools, they would NOT have increased the oat content in the foods. Oats contribute to the large stool.

But thanks for posting that.

[erykah1310]

You can’t imagine some of the insulting email and phone calls we receive….Anyways, I just wanted to thank you.

Prin I think they are talking bout your letters and calls!

[Prin]

lol only one of my letters was rude and that was after getting nothing but bull piled on bull for 6 emails straight (being nice).

[mafiaprincess]

Guess Prin and I were both bumped of the SG Xmas card list, may have t go cry about it.

It's propaganda emails followed by more propaganda emails.

Wonder how many SG bags have been returned in the last month to them.

[Prin]

Yeah, they're just glad to keep any customers they have snowed happy, convinced and loyal.:sad: