My article Pet food Giant Punished for Lying is only one of the many examples of how the pet food industry are poorly regulated (if at all). As Blue Buffalo lied to consumers by deliberately using ingredients that they promised not to use in their products, so are other manufacturers that people (including vets) have held in high regard.
Being that many manufacturers are having their vitamin premix (the long list of supplements on ingredient labels) prepared overseas, the products are not fully made in the USA. The majority of dogs are dying of organ disease. Nowadays, it is almost unheard of for a dog to die of old age.
Merrick Pet Food (recently purchased by Purina) has been hit with a class action lawsuit. Milo’s Kitchen (Good Heart Brands) has also joined the bandwagon. These companies have (allegedly) been using ingredients that are not sourced from the USA which is contrary to their labeling claims. As I had mentioned in my article These Commercial Foods Source From China, many manufacturers are getting their ingredients from China. Merrick Pet Care, Castor & Pollux, Nestle Purina, Fromm, and Wysong are all having legal issues regarding ingredients. Some allegations are made by other companies while others are spawned by consumers.
I have provided many videos about what goes on in the pet food industry. The following video has been removed and re-posted over and over. Hopefully, this link will work. If there are any issues with the video, please let me know so I can fix it.
I am shocked that a veterinary nutritionist recommends kibble. Veterinary nutritionists discourage use of kibble. Veterinary nutritionists focus on using diets that mimic the diet that the species derive in their natural habitat – they understand that deviating from such a diet decrease the quality of food (and the quality of health). Authentic veterinary nutritionists do not treat disease using “prescription diets” because they use real food along with supplementation due to the toxicity of those manufactured foods. That material is studied outside of veterinary school. Veterinary schools have a conflict of interest due to the schools’ relationships with corporations. Therefore, conventional vets who neglect further study have inferior knowledge regarding nutrition, treating, and preventing disease. World renowned Dr. Mary Goldstein is an expert and owns Smith Ridge Veterinary Center in South Salem NY. I use one of the vets on his team. Those people have studied nutrition for years. They do not use veterinary prescription diets there. They know about what is biologically appropriate for various pet species. I am not a nutritionist, but my sources are impeccable and I share critical information with my readers.
Most consumers are unaware of false labeling and false claims by the pet food industry. Unfortunately, this is more common than consumers are led to believe. I have tried to explain these issues about dog food. The only food I would feed my dogs is food that is biologically appropriate for dogs. Raw is what dogs are biologically designed to eat. These manufacturers are selling consumers a bill of goods and dogs are getting sicker. Vets who have no background in biologically correct feeding carry products like Hill’s Science Diet. Feeding dogs food that is species appropriate is expensive, but those dogs are healthier. Could humans live on Lucky Charms cereal day after day over a lifetime? The only nutrients in the synthetic (and/or lab created), highly processed food is the vitamin ingredients. When you see more than 4 or 5 vitamins added, it is an indication that the food itself is void of nutrition.
You can read more about the BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet in my article Why a Raw Diet is Vital. I also include suggestions about two raw foods that I have used and loved.
To read more details about the recent lawsuits, check out the article More phony “Made in the USA” pet food claims under attack; Multiple class action lawsuits filed.
Sources:
Brandy Arnold. “Are We Being Lied To? Merrick, Purina, Fromm, Others Sued Over ‘Made in USA’ Claims – The Dogington Post.” The Dogington Post. 21 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2016. <http://www.dogingtonpost.com/are-we-being-lied-to-merrick-purina-fromm-others-sued-over-made-in-usa-claims/>. Robbie Hargett. “Pet Food Makers Sued over Allegedly Mislabeling Products.” Pet Food Makers Sued over Allegedly Mislabeling Products. Http://legalnewsline.com, 15 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2016. <http://legalnewsline.com/stories/510658198-pet-food-makers-sued-over-allegedly-mislabeling-products>. |