Natura knows where to find vitamin pre-mixes that are not from China??

leslie-

Thanks for the tip. I havent been able to get a hold of the vet to ask her if she tested for thyroid. I will see about testing for it.

Am I the only person here that wants to run blood work monthly???
Im telling you, this recall has us all on edge, doesnt it?

Offy,

You asked for this earlier . . .

http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/Feedmanufacturers.htm


Donna

Natura is going to start using vitamins from China?   Is that Veronica person deliberately trying to get a rise from all of us here?  Well, she has succeeded with me!  When the little of what's left in my one bag of Evo dry is gone, that's it!  No more Natura products in this house!  After all the "good work" that PAtkins has done, this PR gal from their own office has done gone and sabotaged it!  Silly rabbit! 

Wow, Natura are a bunch of jerks. How sad. That woman couldn't possibly be paid more than minimum wage, right.

It is truly sad that this thread has spiraled downward the way it has.  It has turned into one that disparages individual workers at companies.  Very sad indeed.  With all the flaming going on here by various posters.  I was hoping to see just the facts here, not personal attacks belittling workers at companies. I may be wrong, but I don't think that was the intention of this thread way back when it started.  I thought it started as an individual reluctantly coming forward into the spotlight and trying to warn other pet parents of a possible problem with a certain brand of food and a fact-finding mission.  Yes, I do rotate my cats on EVO feline canned and my dogs have eaten a few bags of EVO dry and several cans of EVO, and they liked the food.  It's not the primary food they get, but I like the food and am interested in findings and developments as I would like to continue feeding it on a rotating basis.  There aren't many grain-free options at this point and EVO is one of them.  I, too, desperately need to know exactly what is in my pets' food and that the food I feed my fur kids is safe.

I've seen numerous comments, not only on this thread, but others wishing various companies would go out of business.  Isn't that short-sighted?   Obviously, something is drastically wrong with pet food and now we find our own food, and we need to know before more lives are lost.  There aren't supposed to be toxins in our foods.  Let's see.  People want to see Menu closed down, people want to see the big pet food companies out of business, and now this company that was seen as a breath of fresh air.  Ummm, is everybody going to home cook then or what?  Because other than raw, that will be your only option if all these companies go under.  I just want these companies to clean up their act and produce a safe food for my pets.

I thank everybody on these forums for opening my eyes to better food choices for my pets and myself, actually.  However, it takes me a long time to sift through the flames and get to the nitty gritty here.

I've been busy working on the new Cat and Dog Food Forums and haven't had time to catch up on other threads.  When I came and looked at this thread yesterday, I was shocked actually at how it had deteriorated into a flame fest and belittling of people. 

As far as taurine and vitamins, I talked to 2 owners of companies (not the company of this thread) early on when the recalls started.  Both of them were honest with me and said that as far as taurine, something like 90% comes from China.  Used to be Japan, now it's China.  As far as vitamins for our pets and ourselves, mostly China.

Donna,

Thanks for the feed manufacturers link you gave above, and my comments definitely are NOT aimed at you or Don.  I'd just hate to see the way this thread has spiraled downward. 

These are just my opinions as a participant here.  I am NOT a moderator on this board.  So, go ahead, I have my flame retardant suit on.

Just wanted to point out that I did not name any posters, and your post wasn't even yet on the thread I read last night.   


Ciao!

P.S.  Is that a photo of Kayla for your avatar?  She's beautiful.  We have 2 German Sheperd girls, aged 1 and 2.  My favorite breed.

JustMe

I would like to address some of your comments. 

Regarding comments about pet food company employees
I mentioned this recently, hopefully you saw my message, too. 

I think everyone knows that a customer service rep has absolutely no responsibility for the crucial decision making process in any company.  Unfortunately, they are the only person in the company who has to deal with the public on a daily basis.    I can only hope and encourage everyone, callers and company employees alike, to deal with each other in a professional manner and with respect.   

Reference to spiraling downward   (My opinion)

First, there are still a lot people on this topic who have great questions that have yet to be answered and they have maintained the focus of the topic. 

Personally, I believe pet owners are to the point they realize we probably will never have solid, truthful answers to questions regarding important issues in the pet food industry. 

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I have learned about this industry since March and the first recalls.  How many of us ever knew the harsh reality of rendering plants?  How many of us ever realized how much of what we eat is imported and with virtually no inspection or assurance of quality or purity?  How many of us knew how closely pet food and human food issues are linked?  How many of us remember the ad campaigns that focused on “Made in the USA”?   (How long ago was that?)  Have you learned anything about government agencies whose very mission is to protect us and our food supply?  Are you happy with what you have learned?   I am not!

Now back to this topic.  I have spoken to many people since this issue was made public.  The one comment made by each person is they want to be able to trust someone (a company) and they want to know they are being told the truth.   Anyone reading these boards should understand that. 

That said, let’s look at the recent comments regarding vitamins.  First, we’ll assume ingredients came from China.  Then a press release on April 2, we are told “effective immediately” they are going to utilize ingredients from domestic suppliers only and exclude ingredients sourced from China.  On May 2, I received an email response that all ingredients used were all from within the US, with the exception of venison.  Yesterday someone posted they were told some of the supplements come from China, but with a certificate of purity.  Last night someone posted they were told the company would “start” using ingredients from China, but not yet.

So, although I cannot verify any of the comments except the press release and the email, what do you believe? 


From the corporate side it is a much different picture.  A company, any company, is charged with protecting its brands and shareholder value.  Public relations, from a corporate standpoint, may not necessarily be about telling the truth.  It can be about presenting information in the best possible manner to protect the interests of the company.  Next, think of advertising and marketing.  Etc., etc.

Personally, a certificate of purity doesn’t mean much to me, especially after the past few months.

I certainly understand proprietary issues, but there comes a time when you just want to know the truth.  You mentioned truth in your conversation with other companies on the subject of vitamins; it makes a difference.   

As a consumer, you want to be able to make wise, informed decisions in the marketplace that will ensure you provide the best nutrition for the health and well-being of you, your family and your pets.  Consumers really are very smart.  They actually can put the pieces together and read between the lines.  They figure things out.   And they don't like being duped. 

I do believe people have a right to ask questions and get truthful answers. I believe they have the right to expect to be treated with respect.  They also have the right and responsibility to make what can be crucial decisions regarding products.  This is not like buying a pair of jeans that can be one of a hundred shades of blue.  This is about food products that might, can and do harm pets. 
Donna