Pet Food Companies

[rainbow]

I found this list on another website:

I do work for a pet food company and thus have great insight on the industry and how and why things are done. I feed my dogs a variety of kibble and canned and encourage others to do the same.I have included a list of some major "natural/holistic" pet food brands with who manufactures their products. Hope this helps with some information for all of you.


Blue Buffalo: Canned foods made by American > > Nutrition in Utah. Dry foods made at CJ Foods in Kansas.

Breeder's Choice: Canned diets made at Menu Foods, but have not been recalled.

Canidae: Canned food packed by Evangers. Kibble made at Pied Piper in Texas.

Canine Caviar: Canned food made by American Nutrition in Utah. Kibble made by Pied Piper in Texas. Canned diets are 100% meat, contain no grains.

Castor & Pollux: Canned diets made by Menu Foods but have not been recalled.

Eagle Pack: Canned diets made at Menu Foods but have not been recalled and do not contain Wheat Gluten. Dry diets made at their own plant in Mishawaka, IN.

Evangers: They have their own cannery.

Go! Natural (Petcurean): Canned diets made at Menu Foods in Canada but have not been recalled.

Merrick: Has their own plant for all products.

Natura (Healthwise, California Naturals, Innova): Canned diets made at the South Dakota Menu Foods Plant but have not been recalled. Dry diets are made at their own plant.

Natural Balance: Canned diets made at American Nutrition in Utah. Dry diets are made in Diamond Plant in Sacramento, CA.

Nature's Variety: Canned diets made at Menu Foods but have not been recalled. The canned diets contain not grains. Kibble is made at Pied Piper in Texas. Raw diets are made in an in house plant in Lincoln, Ne.

Pet Promise: Purina Brand ... canned and kibble made in their plants.

Solid Gold: It is unknown where canned diets were made. Kibble is made in the Diamond Plant in Sacramento, CA.

Timberwolf Organics: Just released one canned diet and working on additions, it is unsure where this is made, but due to the size of Menu Foods I highly doubt it is being done there. Kibble was at one point being co-packed somewhere in PA but I've heard rumors that it is now being made out of the Diamond Plant. I cannot confirm this and the company will not give out information.

Wellness/Old Mother Hubbard: Canned diets made at Menu Foods but have not been recalled.

Wysong: Canned diets made at Menu Foods but have not been recalled. Most of their line of cans are grain free.

[One Beagle Girl]

Rainbow, thanks for posting such a great list!

Ewwwwwww...Diamond

[Prin]

The recall at diamond was for foods with corn...

I got this from Canidae today, about two hours after I emailed and I was quite pleased with it...

Originally Posted by Canidae Customer Support

To reiterate, CANIDAE Pet Foods is in no way is affected by the current can re-call, and we aren't, or have never been, produced at any of the recalled facilities. We do not produce Cuts and Gravy, Pouches, and none of our products contain wheat, or wheat gluten.

With the current cuts and gravy recall by a large co-packer, and all the misleading information, we thought we would help explain the production of canned foods. There are only a hand full of co-packers that are located in the US and they produce most canned foods. A few companies choose to have their cans made outside the US, and may or may not disclose that information to you. The pet food industry co-packers are no different from the human products we ourselves eat or drink on a daily basis. Each formula is different and unique to the specific pet food company in which the formulas are owned. Ingredients, quality grade of meats, grade of carbohydrates, vitamin and mineral formulations, to name a few, are all at the discretion of the pet food company in which the products are produced for, and are apparent by the governmental regulated labels. Our heartfelt concerns go out to all involved and or affected by the re-call.


All Canidae products are produced in the USA. We do not purchase ingredients from any suppliers outside of the US. All Canidae ingredients are grown &/or raised in the USA. In addition, we only purchase the absolute best USDA grade "A" hormone and antibiotic free meats. Our rice is also grade "A" Pesticide free. Our fish is FDA inspected and passed residual free of ethoxiquin.

Our cannery is a small facility located in IL. and able to produce the highest quality products. This small family operated facility only produces products that are of the highest quality human grade ingredients. Our formulations were created by an outside nutritionist that has been developing canned foods for over 35 years. You can feel assured by our quality and product performance that our cannery holds the highest standards in production, and is regulated by AAFCO by (NRC), USDA, FDA, IDA, EU Approved and is Organically Certified.

Our dry foods are produced in TX. Our plant has been involved in animal nutrition for over 75 years. The original pet food extrusion mill was built in 1978. CANIDAE's involvement with the plant sparked the introduction of our own extruder in 1999. Our dry goods facility also regulated by AAFCO by (NRC), USDA, FDA, TDA and EU Approved. We are currently under production with a brand new plant at the same facility to keep up with the growth and demand of our product line.

In order to ensure the highest quality meat based biscuit ever created, we ventured into the biscuit production business in 2003. Our 100 foot oven runs our fresh biscuits daily in a building opposite our extrusion plant in TX. Our biscuit plant is also regulated by AAFCO by (NRC), USDA, FDA, TDA and EU Approved.

I sent the same email to all of my 'favorite' food companies, and of all of them Canidae was first to respond and IMO, responded quite adequately.

btw, their underlining.

[Prin]

Oh, wait! I lied! Champion (Acana, Orijen) was the first to respond by a minute (missed it in my junk).

This is what I sent to all (what I consider to be) the best kibblers:

To all my favorite kibble companies:

I help many, many people on a daily basis find foods for their pets. I also have animals of my own... In light of recent events, I just wanted to ask of you all to PLEASE put our pets first. We choose you because we don't trust the massive commercial dog food companies. We choose you because we believe you are more likely to be in it for our animals than the almighty buck. Please earn the trust we give you and tell us as soon as you THINK there might be an issue. Don't wait for tests to come in. Don't wait for our beloved animals to die. Just be honest and quick about it. I know it's a lot to ask of a kibble company, but my doggies are my world and if you take them away from me, I'll be devastated and broken....

Just don't take them away from me.

And don't take my friends' dogs either.

Please put them first.

Thank you for reading,

Prin

And this is Champion's answer:

Hello Prin – Champion Petfoods agrees with and supports your position. Just like you, dogs are central to our lives. Our relationships with our own companion dogs and cats provide us the perspective needed to fully understand our responsibility as a pet food maker.

Kind Regards,

Peter

www.championpetfoods.com

Sorry for the hijack rainbow... I posted the Canidae one here because it talked about their facilities and things, but then I realized I got this one, and this one didn't make sense without my email.. Should I delete it and post it elsewhere?

[wmarcello]

I found another list while looking online as well. Can anyone verify that it's accurate?

http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210

[Prin]

From the ones we know it looks accurate... Thanks for posting it.

[wmarcello]

Although we might switch at some point, Nutrience is also safe according to their site.

"As you've probably already heard, Menu Foods has recalled millions of 'cuts and gravy' style pet food in cans and pouches due to several pet deaths in the last few days. The problem has been seemingly traced to one specific supplier and one specific ingredient - wheat gluten.

- Nutrience dog and cat canned foods are NOT produced by Menu Foods.
- Our manufacturer has assured us they DON'T use the supplier in question.
- Our foods contain NO wheat gluten and are formulated with human-grade meat only.
- The Nutrience team is confident our foods are safe. "

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by wmarcello

I found another list while looking online as well. Can anyone verify that it's accurate?

http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210

Can't verify the accuracy but it sure includes a lot of crappy foods.

[wmarcello]

Originally Posted by rainbow

Can't verify the accuracy but it sure includes a lot of crappy foods.

Oh definitely, but at the top they also have this disclaimer:

"The following companies have made statements that their food is not affected by the Menu Foods recall. Keep in mind that we are not “recommending” any of these foods. Rather, we’re compiling a list of foods that are reported safe by the manufacturers."

[Prin]

Nutrience is pretty cruddy overall though.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by Prin

And this is Petcurean's answer:


Quote:
Hello Prin – Champion Petfoods agrees with and supports your position. Just like you, dogs are central to our lives. Our relationships with our own companion dogs and cats provide us the perspective needed to fully understand our responsibility as a pet food maker.

Kind Regards,

Peter

www.championpetfoods.com

Ummm....Petcurean is Go Natural and replies are usually answered by Michele. Did you get an answer from them as well?

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by wmarcello

Oh definitely, but at the top they also have this disclaimer:

"The following companies have made statements that their food is not affected by the Menu Foods recall. Keep in mind that we are not “recommending” any of these foods. Rather, we’re compiling a list of foods that are reported safe by the manufacturers."

We've talked about that here already. Any manufacturer can say their food is "safe" ....it's all in the wording.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by Prin

Nutrience is pretty cruddy overall though.

I agree with that.

[Prin]

I just emailed petcurean, not Go! Natural (I was aiming for the bigger guys)... And Peter replied.

[wmarcello]

Originally Posted by Prin

Nutrience is pretty cruddy overall though.

I'd still rather be feeding it to them than something tainted. As much as you guys dump on it, I did do a little research on ingredients before I bought it, and I still consider it a "medium-quality food". I also feed them wet food once in awhile too, and I'm sure that helps make up for some of its deficiencies. It's at least a step up from the grocery store stuff, and I consider the ingredients to be as good or better than brands like Techni-Cal, Medi-Cal, Pro Plan, etc... and as much as you guys would hate to admit it, there are plenty of healthy animals living off this "medium-quality" stuff, and living well.

[Prin]

I thought that too when my dogs were doing "well" on Eukanuba.

[rainbow]

Also, it's made by Del Monte and that just doesn't sit well with me.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by Prin

I just emailed petcurean, not Go! Natural (I was aiming for the bigger guys)... And Peter replied.

I'm confused.

Petcurean = Go Natural and Michele replies.

Champion Foods = Acana and Orijen and Peter replies.

[wmarcello]

Originally Posted by Prin

I thought that too when my dogs were doing "well" on Eukanuba.

I guess I just have a different state of mind right now since I'm still learning. I can totally see your point of view. This is an educational forum. You guys have a duty to encourage people to feed their pets quality food. It's hard out there as a consumer. It didn't even cross my mind that the "premium" foods advertised out there may be far from it.

That said, I'm glad I picked up Nutrience that day. Why? Well, before that, we were feeding out cats Whiskas. Browsing our pet store was my first step in questioning what we were feeding our cats. "Why is this stuff so much more expensive than the stuff in the grocery store? Is there really any difference?" Since switching I've noticed a big change in the litter box, the cats' coats, and their energy level. Despite that, we weren't even a couple months in before I started questioning the quality of the new stuff. "Is there even better out there?" That question lead me here. It has been a good step for us, and I think that's why I don't look down upon the stuff as much.

I think the worst part of it is that so many people don't even have a chance to be exposed to some potentially better foods. At the chain pet store near us, Nutrience was pretty much top-of-the-line. I know that because I spent an hour that day canvassing the store writing down ingredients. Nutrience had chicken meal as the first ingredient, no meat by-products, and less grain listed in the first few ingredients when compared to other brands there. It's too bad they didn't have brands there like Innova and Felidae there, because I would have seen then and there what some other foods had to offer. Unfortunately, I think this is where many people stop. They make the jump from a food like Friskies to a food like Eukanuba, then never question if there is anything even better. Fortunately I have an inquisitive mind.

Anyways, I'm glad there are places like this out there where further education can take place. I know I sound like I'm being defensive sometimes, but really I am very grateful for all the advice I receive. Thanks.

[Prin]

Waiiiit.. You've confused me. No, wait. I've confused me. I meant Champion, not petcurean.

<-- he's my best friend today I only slept 3 miserable hours last night...

[Prin]

wmarcello, I didn't mean to offend you. I just wanted to make sure you knew that there are still better foods yet to be discovered that will make your pets even better.

I don't really like pressuring people to feed better, but I do pressure you to know what you're feeding. As long as you know what the ingredients are and where it fits in the scale, whether you still choose to feed it is up to you.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by Prin

Waiiiit.. You've confused me. No, wait. I've confused me. I meant Champion, not petcurean.

<-- he's my best friend today I only slept 3 miserable hours last night...

LOL.....I just wanted clarification.

[Prin]

Actually, I'm kinda glad it was champion. I like them better than petcurean anyway.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by Prin

wmarcello, I didn't mean to offend you. I just wanted to make sure you knew that there are still better foods yet to be discovered that will make your pets even better.

I don't really like pressuring people to feed better, but I do pressure you to know what you're feeding. As long as you know what the ingredients are and where it fits in the scale, whether you still choose to feed it is up to you.

I agree..... me too.

Originally Posted by wmarcello

It didn't even cross my mind that the "premium" foods advertised out there may be far from it.

Just remember.....the better quality foods out there do not advertise in the media. It's all word of mouth.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by Prin

Actually, I'm kinda glad it was champion. I like them better than petcurean anyway.

Do you mean just Orijen? Did we ever get confirmation that Acana no longer has menadione in it? I keep meaning to email Peter but I got CRAFT disease.

[dtbmnec]

Originally Posted by Prin

I don't really like pressuring people to feed better, but I do pressure you to know what you're feeding. As long as you know what the ingredients are and where it fits in the scale, whether you still choose to feed it is up to you.

LOL

I know that I'm feeding my cats stinky piles....unfortunately there are some of us who can't afford better....one of these days I'll win the lottery and never have to worry about it again (or I could get a job....hmmm how about that concept? )

But you already knew all that.....

wmarcello...I have been educated by these wonderful people here...unfortunately when one is a student there are minor issues with money LOL...To be honest I've been feeding my two (and "adopted" third) Whiskas for months now and boy is the poop stinky (but no longer particularly icky just smelly which is a good thing!). So far I haven't had any problems and while I wish that they were on better food (especially stuff that they can both eat) I would be much happier. All that venison and lamb stuff is much too expensive for us right now (since on cat is allergic to beef and hte other chicken...go figure!).

Megan

[wmarcello]

Originally Posted by dtbmnec

wmarcello...I have been educated by these wonderful people here...unfortunately when one is a student there are minor issues with money LOL...To be honest I've been feeding my two (and "adopted" third) Whiskas for months now and boy is the poop stinky (but no longer particularly icky just smelly which is a good thing!). So far I haven't had any problems and while I wish that they were on better food (especially stuff that they can both eat) I would be much happier. All that venison and lamb stuff is much too expensive for us right now (since on cat is allergic to beef and hte other chicken...go figure!).

Actually, my experience in feeding my cats even slightly better food confirms what many sites suggest:

Feeding a food higher in nutrient value will enable your cats to eat less and still get the nutrients they need. Our two kittens were splitting 1 to 1.5 cups of Whiskas every day. With the stuff they are on now, they split 3/4 to 1 cup of food each day. That alone works out to a good chunk of money over the long term. Add to that the fact that they now go through less litter and the savings are even a bit more. Maybe try keeping track of how much you spend on food and litter over a couple months and see how much it goes up/down depending on what you're feeding them.

[dtbmnec]

Originally Posted by wmarcello

Actually, my experience in feeding my cats even slightly better food confirms what many sites suggest:

Feeding a food higher in nutrient value will enable your cats to eat less and still get the nutrients they need. Our two kittens were splitting 1 to 1.5 cups of Whiskas every day. With the stuff they are on now, they split 3/4 to 1 cup of food each day. That alone works out to a good chunk of money over the long term. Add to that the fact that they now go through less litter and the savings are even a bit more. Maybe try keeping track of how much you spend on food and litter over a couple months and see how much it goes up/down depending on what you're feeding them.

I've done it before and I really did notice a difference (mostly in the health...less in the pocketbook) but right now we're struggling to feed ourselves let alone our cats! Sure didn't help that they destroyed like the last three bags of pasta (cuz its crinkly and makes noise and is fun to make skitter across the floors) and we're struggling to find out where to get more and how to get more. We're that bad atm. It sucks.

Megan

[Prin]

Originally Posted by rainbow

Do you mean just Orijen? Did we ever get confirmation that Acana no longer has menadione in it? I keep meaning to email Peter but I got CRAFT disease.

I don't remember... But I looked at the cat food the other day and it didn't have it according to their website.. And with my sleepy eyes, it looks like the dog food doesn't either.. (it's still a little grainy and beet pulpy though)

[rainbow]

LOL.....sleepy eyes is better than CRAFT disease.

I just wrote myself a reminder to check it out.