They are often sick, and vomit often; I am so upset to find out the corporations are sickening our pets. I have no doubt they are not healthier because of the food I bought since they were born, trusting the name brands. Criminals?

They must have liver or kidneys problems with all the garbage they have consumed over the years. I am very upset; they deserve better. I tried to make them used to organic healthy food and I am suspicious that the corporation use addictive stuff in their yunk food because they do not like the “good food”. I am very upset after reading tonight the garbage/poisons in the market. Augh…

Good luck to everyone.

I *did not* say that every pet food is fine and not to worry. My point was that just because some companies are content to use 4-D meats as “chicken meal” does not mean that is the case for every bag of food that uses chicken meal. My point was, do your research and find a good, reputable company. Foods like Wellness, Blue Buffalo, California Natural, Eagle Pack, Abady, etc, do not subscribe to this practice.

As far as Kiki’s claim that there are no guidelines for organic labeling, you’re just wrong. Yes, Newman’s Own could be considered false labeling by ignorant people who jump to conclusions, because they don’t actually use organic chicken. However, they do meet the standard of being 70% organic, since they use all organic grains and vegetables. A simple scan of the ingredient list will show that. There are rules and guidelines, whether you want to believe it or not.

Any company that is going to go out of its way to produce an organic formula is not going to compromise it by using “rancid fat” and making its customers sick. Even if you think they ‘don’t care’ about your pets, look at it from a business standpoint. If they use rancid, rotting ingredients, the pets that eat the food will get sick, and then they won’t have any customers, and they won’t make any money.

you are seriously misinformed if you think that pet food is made with human grade meat (c’mon - read up on the historical context of pet food - it is a waste repository). Why would perfectly good meat for humans be prepared for pets???? Think about it (from every angle…)!!!

As for organic, there are currently NO regulations about the use of the term organic as it relates to pet food (read up on this too). In addition, 4 D meat, rotting vegetables and rancid fat can still be “organic”.

Finally - if you were a company out to make a buck and you knew there was little to no regulation of any so-called “guidelines” (laws????) and no regulatory authority at any level to do any thing to guard against anything and that less than 1% of all human food was inspected (let alone pet food)…I mean, why are you even invoking this argument - it is dead in the water…your post is SOOOO lame and ignorant.

I beg to state that it is NOT the consumers fault - there have been blatant lies that continue even NOW from the pet food manufacturers as well as blatant lies regarding marketing of those products.

I think you are a either an incompetent troll or so absolutely ignorant of the facts. Please preface your future comments with “my uneducated opinion is …”

translation: you’re stupid and lazy, so it’s ok to poison your pets.

the definition of chicken meal you linked to has ambiguities in it big enough to drive a truck through. as it is now, labeling is simply a game of semantics. and aside from that, do you think anybody with a job and a family has the time to run down every definition on every label of every food product they purchase? then they need a law degree to spot the obvious loopholes in these definitions, and a background in chemistry to know what all the various ingredients are, and a thorough knowledge of the specific nutritional requirements of their pets and themselves. that’s really likely.

as to “strict” guidelines, what’s strict about them? is there any real oversight to determine compliance? and what penalties beyond changing their labeling are “violators” subject to?

all i want is to be able to buy food products that don’t sicken or fatally poison my pets and myself. and i want to look at a label and know who really makes what’s in the container, and where the ingredients come from. believe it or not, there was a time when you didn’t need to spend hundreds of hours figuring out what was and wasn’t safe to eat. frankly, i’m sick of educating myself about every damn thing i touch or ingest. i pay taxes to support federal agencies that are supposed to make at least a cursory effort to keep corporations from lying to me and killing me and my own. if i have to do all the work myself, what in blazes am i paying for?

For example, the definition of ‘chicken meal’ according to AAFCO is “chicken which has been ground or otherwise reduced in particle size.” This does not mean that it ‘comes from a rendering plant that grinds up leftover parts, or diseased or sick animals unfit for human consumption.’ Yes, I understand that it *could*, but statements like this imply that that is the definition, which it is not. In the case of most reputable pet food companies (the ‘holistics’ that are usually recommended and discussed on this board), that is certainly not the case.

As for the use of the term “organic”, there are very strict guidelines that restrict the use of this term. To even use the term “made with organic ingredients” requires the product to be made with at least 70% organic materials (further guidelines can be found here).

The companies have no choice but to follow the laws regarding their labeling. Then, just like in every other industry, they market their product and try to appeal to the consumer. It is not their fault that people assume that because Purina ONE’s packaging is shiny and colorful that is a good food, it’s the consumers fault for not doing their homework.

what’s pathetic is a person who roams the internet looking for groups of people to annoy with their deliberately inflammatory remarks.

what’s pathetic is a person who characterizes the continued mass poisoning of companion animals as “a mistake”.

what’s pathetic is a person who thinks it’s ok to tell you what you ought not to be concerned about, when they’ve obviously done no research whatever.

what’s pathetic is a person who suggests that ingesting illicit drugs is in any way helpful in solving problems.

what’s pathetic is some jumped up, fogged brained little twit presuming to know what the “real issues” are.

somewhere in cyberspace, there’s a place that’s been created especially for jumped up, fog brained little twits to gather and pontificate on subjects about which they know nothing. i suggest that you find that place and go there.