Now listen to this. China has cornered the market on producing vitamins, supplements and even many of the inert ingredients that our pharmaceuticals are made with. Yes, I have issues with products that come from China, but it is 
really hard to avoid them. The big issue here is that when pet food products have that long list of vitamins and supplements that are added to their products, they are added because the food is processed so much that its nutrients are processed out. Basically, our pets are living off of those supplements only. Our dogs need their nutrients to come from the food itself, NOT from all the synthetic garbage (and/or lab-created vitamins containing “natural” flavoring) that is added to over-processed products which are void of any nutritional value by itself. Pets who are eating commercial diets (kibble and canned food) are getting their nourishment from those vitamins which are acting as an alternative to real food. I am not opposed to supplements. I add some supplements to my dogs’ food because I cannot provide fresh kill for their meals. The best form of nutrition is raw which is most nutritious right after the kill before extended time, exposure to air and the natural elements affect the nutrients.
Being that manufacturers add so many additional nutrients, you would think that they would be careful to provide 
high quality supplements since they are providing inferior food product to make profits high. After all, they care about our pets so why would any corporation or manufacturer do their best to take those profits and purchase ingredients from Germany, France, or Japan? Yeah right… The cost of supplements from those countries are exponentially higher. These manufacturers have a conflict of interest.
To learn more about vitamin premix you can read my articles: What’s REALLY in Dog Food? and Shocking Dog Food Research Study. To learn more about raw feeding, I have many articles, but Dog Food – All About it covers quite a bit and I include information about what I have been feeing my girls.
I called several manufacturers and asked them if ANY of their pet food products contain any ingredients whatsoever that are sourced from China. I listed the label names that the manufacturers produce. I did not ask about each individual product. I wanted to give my readers a general list of foods that manufacturers sneak Chinese ingredients into. I feel that if a manufacturer is ok with putting Chinese ingredients into any of their products, it speaks volumes about the priorities of that manufacturer. There are no ingredients that cannot be sourced outside of China. It is purely a matter of making bigger profits at the expense of the health and wellbeing of our dogs.
I asked if there are any products that have ingredients sourced from China. Getting clear definitive answers was like pulling teeth. Here are some of their responses:
No. They continue by naming their meat sources and where it is imported from and that the food is all made in the USA.
I then asked if any of their vitamins were sourced from China.
The answers included:
Yes, we get all our supplements within the USA.
I asked if they get their vitamins from a third party supplier.
They often replied:
Yes, but they are in the USA
I then asked where those suppliers source their products.
Answers varied:
Some of the supplier’s products come from China.
I don’t know.
That information is proprietary.
The suppliers get their products “globally.”
Of course I couldn’t resist to mention that “global” encompasses China. They reiterated, the products are sourced globally and that they don’t know where.
The suppliers get their products from Asia.
I reminded them that Asia is enormous. Contained in Asia is Australia, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and (believe it or not) China. They reiterated, the products are sourced in Asia and that they don’t know where.
We pay extra money to ensure that the products are NOT sourced from China. Information about their suppliers is proprietary. (Whether or not they were truthful, it is not possible for me to verify that information because it is proprietary).
Many manufacturers decided to interpret my question as they wished. Those manufacturers required the third 
degree from me in order to get a clear answer. Even after the questioning, some of the answers were still not definitive in that they did not provide answers that could be verified. Because they I don’t understand why those people had such difficulty understanding that supplements ARE ingredients and by not acknowledging that, they are lying to the public (let alone their lack of knowledge with regard to geography).
Again, my question was: Are there ANY ingredients in any of their pet food products that contain any ingredients whatsoever that are sourced from China? I did NOT ask about each individual label brand of the manufacturer.
There are manufacturers that produce food that has no sourcing from China, but having dogs consume empty food that has supplements to compensate for its lack of nutritional value is just not right. Dogs are not meant to thrive on supplements as their only form of nourishment.
I just want people to be aware of how common it is for manufactures to provide inferior nutritional supplements. We are trained to avoid products from China, but look at what I found. Our pets are consuming nutrients that come from supplements which are sourced from China. These supplements are often the sole source of nourishment. Something can be MADE in the USA, but it doesn’t mean that the ingredients are from the USA. The following list was compiled in late May 2015. It is possible that there have been changes made since.
| Manufacturer | Label Names | Sourced from China |
| Artemis Company | Artemis | Yes |
| Petsmart Label Brand | Authority | Yes |
| Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods Inc | APD Select Choice AvoDerm Active Care Pinnacle Trader Joe’s Brand |
Proprietary Information |
| Del Monte Foods AKA – Big Heart Pet Brands |
Kibbles ‘n BitsNature’s RecipeNatural Balance Milo’s Kitchen |
Suppliers source globally – not sure |
| Diamond Pet Foods Inc | Chicken Soup for the Doglover’s SoulCountry Value Diamond Premium Edge Professional Taste of the Wild |
Suppliers source globally |
| Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods Inc | Natural Balance | Yes |
| Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc | Hills Science Diet Hills Prescription Diet Hills Ideal Balance Hills Healthy Advantage |
Yes |
| Costco’s Brand | Kirkland | Yes |
| Mars Petcare US Inc | Butcher Selects California Naturals Cesar Eukanuba Evo Goodlife Recipe HealthWise Iams Innova Natura Pet Nutro Pedigree Royal Canin |
Yes |
| Midwestern Pet Foods Inc | Pro Pac SPORTMIX Earthborn |
They THINK their 3rd party suppliers source from Europe |
| Nestlé | Purina Pro Plan Purina ONE Purina Veterinary Diets | Yes |
| Triumph Pet Industries Inc | Evolve Hi-Tor NeoTriumph | Yes |
| Wellpet LLC | Eagle Pack Holistic SelectWellness | Yes |
To read about what I feed my own dogs, check out my articles The BEST Dog Food.
To get a better idea about what raw diets are all about an article of interest (of many on the subject) raw diets check out Why a Raw Diet is Vital.
To read an article about why I stay away from the big commercial manufacturers a great article (of many on the subject) is called commercialarticles about biologically appropriate diets check out What’s REALLY in Dog Food.
31 thoughts on “These Commercial Dog Foods Source From China”
Please give me some advice.
I feed my dog Fromm’s 4Star Nutritionals and am thinking about Nature’s Logic dog kibble.
Even though I’ve been reading a lot about kibble I just found this site and wonder if those foods I feed are just as inferior as the other kibbles. I don’t trust myself to give my dog all he needs by cooking for him and I can’t afford Honest Kitchen, etc.
I am older and set in my thinking and don’t really want to feed him raw. Can you give me some advice, please?
Thanks you so much –
Kathy
Hi Kathy-
Thank you for visiting my website. STAY AWAY FROM KIBBLE. I am all for a biologically appropriate diet.
The reasons for avoiding kibble are too many to name, but check out the following articles to find out about kibble:
What’s REALLY in Dog Food?, Shocking Dog Food Research Study, and also Why a Raw Diet is Vital, and Dog Food – All About it.
Going to a holistic vet who specializes in nutrition is critical because the greater majority of conventional vets do not have the additional education about the subject. Nutrition is a subject that is avoided in vet school because it is a conflict of interest. Most vet programs receive finding from corporations like Hill’s. Conventional vets who do not get this post vet school training are hurting our dogs as a result. If you read my article Problems with Conventional Veterinary Methods.
To find a holistic vet, you may check out the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. Be sure to put a check mark into the nutrition option.
Best of luck to you.
Janie
feed your dog raw diet….make it yourself or buy it from a local pet food maker
Hi Valerie-
Thank you for visiting my website and for your suggestion. It’s a great one. You just need to make sure it’s properly balanced so purchasing a ready made one is much easier if you don’t know the ratios of ingredients. I have my favorite brands though.
All the best,
Janie
Hello.
Natures Logic is expensive but a very good quality kibble (as kibble goes). Natures Logic doesn’t appear on any “bad” lists. And I don’t believe they’ve had any recalls.
Hi Audrey-
Thank you for writing and for your comment. I’m not a fan of kibble because they have ingredients that are “meal” ingredients meal is most likely rendered material rendered material contains proteins that are unacceptable for human consumption. For example, animals that have died from disease, already dead, in the process of dying, or down, which means that they are of no use to producers because they are handicapped or there is something else wrong with them.
A raw diet could be made at home. The website http://www.keepthetailswagging.com is excellent. There are recipes there. I’m not comfortable making my own because I feel it’s complicated so I order food that’s already prepared. I always recommend Barfworld. BARF stands for biologically appropriate raw food.
The most important thing of all is that we do our best for our dogs and we give them plenty of love. Love is paramount.
Warmly,
Janie
Great info; thanks for sharing. We feed our cats and dogs an organic raw diet that we prepare. Have been doing this for years so it’s easy but when people ask me about what brands of commercial raw dog foods are best, I have no idea…other than never buy anything that has ingredients from China or another foreign country and any that use high pressure pasteurization. Do you have a list of raw foods that are good and bad? Thank you.
Hey Natural Mom!!!
Thank you so much for visiting my website and for your comment. I recommend two brands that I have used for my own dogs. One is Barfworld and the other is Raw Paws. As a beginner I used Barfworld discussed in my article What I Have Fed My Own Dogs. When I became more advanced I chose Raw Paws in my article TThe BEST Dog Food for the Advanced.
I ask you to please use the links I have in my sidebar or in the articles each time you or your friends order. Please let your friend know. Full disclosure – I receive a small commission for sales. This does NOT affect prices that you pay. There are tons of products out there, but I will only promote products that I feel are worthwhile for me to include on my website and to share with others. I work tirelessly to write informative articles to educate people about health for dogs.
Thank you again for writing. Please spread the word about my website. Also, I feel that it is critical for my readers to read my article about vaccines. Are Vaccines Really Safe is a good one to start with.
All the best
Janie
Does Avance still source there fish from China, Japan and Vietnam
Hi Ralph-
Thanks for visiting my website. You would need to contact the manufacturer directly to get their sourcing information.
All the best
Janie
Do you have articles on the long term results of feeding a raw only diet for pets? Longevity and health? Thanks!
Hi Melissa-
Thanks so much for writing. I do not have any articles about longevity, but feeding real whole foods – BIOLOGICALLY appropriate food DOES improve health and longevity. It is critical to feed dogs what their bodies are biologically developed to eat.If you eat powdered fast food, you will not be as healthy as if you ate actual fruit, veggies, and protein.
All the best
Janie
I need some help. I’m feeding our lab Diamond Naturals dry dog food and she seems to be doing well on it. She’s trim and fit and full of energy. I’m not a raw food fan and despite doing many hours of research about dog food, it’s still confusing to me as I love my dog and want to provide her with the best food I can afford. With so many conflicting articles about pet food, the consumer is totally confused and frustrated as to what to feed and what not to feed their pets. I n the future, I’d like to see much stricter regulations for the pet food industry and plain and simple complete transparency. What dry dog foods, from your research, DO you recommend? Thank you for all your efforts, Chuck
Hi Chuck-
Thank you so much for visiting my website and for commenting.
I am sorry as I cannot recommend any dry dog food. If you read my articles: What’s REALLY in Dog Food and Illegal 4-D Ingredients in Pet Food you will understand why dry kibble is not what I would recommend under any circumstances.
Holistic vets do not recommend commercial kibble and canned food. They receive advanced coursework and training after vet school which is (corporate sponsored so you know where a lot of conventional vets push). Food that is as close to natural and whole is best. In the wild, there are no cans or kibble thrown onto the ground for dogs to eat.
Corn Flakes every day does not make a proper diet for humans. Corn Flakes have lots of synthetic vitamins and nutrients that is never a substitute for natural nutrients that only comes from natural whole food. For humans, the nutrients from eating an orange is far better than the nutrients in a vitamin C pill created synthetically in a lab. Also, the pill doesn’t contain all the other nutrients that work together in that orange to make it a complete fruit.
The good news is that there is an EXCELLENT blogger whose website I love. It’s called Keep the Tail Wagging. I think She is one of the best raw food bloggers out there. She even has a free guide for beginners An Introduction to Raw Feeding for Dogs you can download.
I hope that my response was somewhat helpful.
All the best,
Janie
An animal nutritionist just suggested Stella&Chewy freeze dried rabbit. Can you review this.
Hi Judy-
Thanks for stopping by and for your question.
Although it’s not one of my favorites, it is a great product. Make sure you saturate it with water first because your dog will metabolize it much better.
I strongly prefer raw so that’s a big reason why it’s not on my very short favoriteS list. I’ve written a few articles about the food for beginners and the food for the more advanced that I love. Keep in mind that proteins need to be rotated.
Stay healthy and safe!
Janie
We give Acana and Orijen to our dogs. I hope I am doing things right.0
Hi Rasela-
Thank you for visiting my website and for your question.
I don’t recommend products that are canned or kibble. I only recommend biologically appropriate food which is a balanced raw (or VERY lightly cooked if at all). One of the issues I have with kibble is that it is mostly made from carbs. You see, the weight of the product is taken BEFORE processing so when the ingredients are listed from most to least, the protein source is actually not the main ingredient as it is processed into powder. Another issue is when I see grain-free kibble. It is correct that dogs are not designed to feast on grains (except for those that are in the stomach of a freshly killed animal). However, the cheap ingredients that are used in place of grains (legumes) are extremely bad for dogs as they are not easily processed and causing heart disease. I have an article called, Beware of The Grain-Free Kibble Trend that explains it. Yet another issue is when a protein “meal” is used. These ingredients are typically sourced from rendering plants where they crush 4-D animals and process them. That is actually illegal for manufacturers to use in their food, but there is no enforcement so they continue to do what they want. Here are some articles on the subject if you search in my blog for “4-D” – https://essentiallydogs.com/?s=4-d.
Processed food is not natural to what dogs are designed to eat. However, giving your dog love and doing the best you can do is the most important thing when it comes to raising dogs.
Please feel free to read more about food and health. I am very disappointed “The Dog Food Advisor” as he misleads consumers. I don’t think it is intentional, but I do feel that it is irresponsible to merely advise people about what is on labels without any consideration for biology or ingredient sourcing and quality. I have an article about that website as well.
All the best,
Janie
I always knew something was fishy about that Authority food.
I want to make my own dog food, since the law is are pets are just property,
What suppelments, vitamins and so forth.
Ive been making cooked chicken & beef grounded up boiled in water only, my vet says any nutrients in the meat is gone. Also i add peas,carrots & small amount of rice, and ground dried liver. What else should be added.
Hi Tom-
Thank you for writing and checking out my website.
Yes… Cooking food kills nutrients. If you feel you must cook, keep it as close to raw as possible. Peas are unhealthy for dogs. They are the type of legumes that you want to avoid. Rice and other heavy starches are not biologically appropriate and are not healthy. Starches are inflammatory and they turn into sugars. If you really want to add starch, you can add a tiny bit of sweet potato, but there is no good reason to do so when there are so many other ingredients that are nutritious that can be added.
If you make your own it can be complicated as the meat muscle part should be close to 80%, varied organ meat should be around 10%, crushed bones should be around 10%. You can use eggshells instead of bones, but you need to know how much eggshell equals how much crushed bone. Make sure to rotate proteins. Regarding calcium, a great source is raw poultry necks (but not too small). They are digestible and have cartilage which is great for your dog’s bones. You then add veggies and fruits to it. The reason why I love the Barfworld diet is because it uses the proper proportions, it has crushed bone, and includes fruits and veggies. It is pricey, but it is great for beginners as it is everything in one product.
Personally, I like to add my own whole food supplements, but Barfworld enables you to add only if you wish to. For me, figuring out the balances and ingredients is very tricky so I buy their food already made.
Best of luck!
Janie
China is killing pets in Shanghai…..when you buy these products look at the videos of the pets being killed and stop buying from China……where the people are the animals!
Hi Jose-
Yes!!! So many of those added vitamins, minerals, and chemicals come from China. Raw food products are truly the best. Limiting those added vitamin and mineral ingredients is critical. That is why I strongly recommend the easy diet Barfworld.
Thank you so much for visiting my website and for your comment.
Warmly,
Janie
Where can I get recipes for raw diets for dogs and cats
Hi Ricki-
Thank you for visiting my website. I personally recommend the simplest diet – Barfworld, but if you have tthe time and patience I would recommend the site Keep the Tail Wagging. Kimberly owns the website. She has great ideas and recipes on her site for diy raw feeding.
Thank you again for stopping by.
Warmly,
Janie
What if you cannot afford to feed raw dog food to your 60 2 lb dog. What would be your next suggestion to get in dog food is not sorced or made outside of USA? I want to do the best for my 10-year-old lab mix but I I’m on a limited income.
Hi Marie-
Thank you for visiting my website and thank you for your question. It’s an excellent question.
What I would highly recommend is that you check out a website called “keep the tails wagging” which is all about making properly balanced raw food for dogs.
Yes, it is a pain in the butt, but if you make large batches and freeze them into portions that would last 3 or 4 days. I actually have a small freezer that I purchased to store my dogs’ food. It is certainly more economical than pre-made and much healthier than commercial products.
Please keep me posted.
Warmly,
Janie
If you want to be as safe as possible, only buy kibble and canned dog food made in New Zealand. They have the cleanest facilities and WAY more stringent food standards than any other country making our pets food. They never have any Chinese ingredients or Chinese vitamin packs.
I combine raw food and “Addiction” dog food from NZ. New Zealand’s “Ziwi” is also absolutely amazing and probably the best dog food you can buy. Most of it is air dried. It’s just SO expensive for large mastiff breeds like mine. I’ve decided to stick with Addiction Kibble and Raw and my dogs have thrived. Never any allergies and virtually no foul smells like they get from everything else I’ve tried through the years. At this point Addiction is one of the few affordable kibbles from NZ I’ve been able to find.
So the moral is, to be safe and stay with NZ brands.
Hi AW-
Thank you for your comment and for visiting my website.
Also, it is very misleading when a manufacturer states that their products are manufactured in a certain place because that information is usually not related to the original source location of the ingredients. For the most part, the components of the vitamin premix originate in China. Many foods contain a whole bunch of additives (vitamins, minerals, preservatives…). The manufacturer Barfworld (stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) has a small list of 8 or 9 added and they do not source from china. That is one of the reasons why I love their food. It is well-balanced and has everything your dog needs in it.
Unfortunately, canned and kibble food are not created in a way that allows dogs consume nutrients as they would do in a natural environment (in the wild) so they are not the most ideal.
Please look further into food that you can feed for your dogs. Consider Barfworld or cooking. They are excellent options. If there are time or financial constraints, you might do canned. I think a balanced fresh food approach is probably the most economical. You can purchase your protein portion when things go on sale in the market. A friend of mine leared how to make raw meals (which can be very lighty cooked if you prefer to do that. She gets things on sale and it turns out to be the least expensive alternative. She has a small cube freezer in her living room which she has a plant on top of. She makes batches and stores each batch in her freezer.
A great source for learning how to make your own dog food is the website http://www.keepthetailswagging.com. I have plenty of articles about how commercial food is made and it is scary. Canned tends to be better than kibble. There are pre-made options like Barfworld which I have in the sidebar in my blog. If it is too expensive (which it is for me as well), I suggest you check out keep the tails wagging and make food in batches. It is sometimes cheaper to make a properly balanced diet than it is to purchase commercial food.
Please keep me posted.
Warmly,
Janie
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Hi there-
Thanks for visiting my website.
I’m sorry, but I don’t recommend commercial kibble and canned food. I only recommend what is referred to as biologically appropriate diets. Those diets are made with raw meat, raw organ meat and crushed bone (or a calcium source. I recommend making food at home or buying freeze-dried or raw diets. If there are more than 9 added vitamins & minerals I stay away from it. I have an article about kibble – https://essentiallydogs.com/whats-really-in-dog-food.
I am sorry I can’t be of more help.
Warmly,
Janie