How to Choose a Healthful Pet Food
(Provided by Natura Foods)
The recent Pet food recall
has forced many families to look at other products to feed their pet. How do
you choose a safe product when some of the largest pet food manufactures were
vulnerable to potentially tainted products?
How can I choose a food
that is not only formulated for the best health of my pets, but manufactured
with the strictest standards for safety, reliability, and consistency?
The answer is not as daunting
as it seems. Below is a table provided by Natura Foods that breaks down the
main components in pet foods and shows you what you should avoid, regradless
of the manufacture.
Goal
Appropriate
available energy, better muscle tone,
stable immune
system, complete digestion &
wholesome ingredients
|
Seek |
|
Avoid |
Named
meat or fish (chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, herring,etc.)
AND
Concentrated named meat proteins (chicken meal, turkey meal, lamb meal,
herring meal,etc.) |
Proteins
1st Ingredient |
UFI’s:Unnamed
food ingredients
(poultry by-products, meat and bone meal)
AND
Protein fillers
(corn gluten meal, wheat gluten, egg product meal) |
Whole
grains and starches (brown rice, barley, sweet potatoes)
Fresh, whole fruits and vegetables
(whole potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, alfalfa,apples,etc.) |
Carbs
and Veggies |
Carb
overload
(refined flours, wheat, mill runs, brewer’s rice)
Processed fruits and vegetables
(dehydrated potatoes, tomato pumice, alfalfa meal) |
Named fats from quality
sources
(chicken fat, lamb fat, sunflower oil, herring oil, etc.)
Natural preservatives(mixed tocopherols,
Vitamin E) |
Fats,Oils |
Fats
from non-specific sources
(animal fat, poultry fat, vegetable oil)
Synthetic preservatives
(BHA,BHT, ethoxyquin) |
Antioxidants
(Vitamin A, C and E)
Chelated minerals
(iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, etc.) |
Vitamins,
Minerals,
Supplements |
Coloring
(caramel color, FD&C colors) |
Click on How
to Choose a Healthy Pet Food to download PDF Version.
In a recent issue of The
Whole Dog Journal, it states: “we admire manufacturers
that have . . . attained non-compulsory manufacturing certifications.”
Here are current
manufacturing certifications achieved by Natura:
1 American Institute of Bakers (AIB) superior rating certification:
“. . . high AIB ratings confirm a manufacturer’s commitment to excellence,”
– WDJ Feb 06
2 USDA Organic production certification:
A National Organic Program certifier has approved the facility and its procedures
through rigorous inspection and auditing
(Natura’s baking facility is certified by OneCert)
3 USDA APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) registration:
APHIS registry certifies that Natura purchases all of our meats from USDA registered
suppliers who follow all USDA regulations for safe meat handling
4 ISO Quality Management System 9001:2000 compliant:
An internationally recognized and highly respected system of quality management
