Thanks for the update, tuttibella.

Okay, I thought meat was denatured with charcoal when it was unfit for human consumption.  Thought their products contained "human grade/quality" ingredients.

Guess I need to delve into denaturing a little more.

NOTE:  This topic was split off the Natural Balance thread.

http://itchmoforums.com/your-problems-with-pet-food/natural-balance-duck-and-green-pea-formula-mold-t8439.0.html

Justia--Denaturing Processes-meat

http://law.justia.com/us/cfr/title09/9-2.0.2.1.24.0.21.13.html

325.13   Denaturing procedures.

(a) Carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products (other than rendered animal fats) that have been treated in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph shall be considered denatured for the purposes of the regulations in this part, except as otherwise provided in part 314 of this subchapter for articles condemned at official establishments.

(1) The following agents are prescribed for denaturing carcasses, parts thereof, meat or meat food products which are affected with any condition that would result in their condemnation and disposal under part 314 of this subchapter if they were at an official establishment: Crude carbolic acid; cresylic disinfectant; a formula consisting of 1 part FD&C green No. 3 coloring, 40 parts water, 40 parts liquid detergent, and 40 parts oil of citronella, or other proprietary substance approved by the Administrator in specific cases.3

3 Information as to approval of any proprietary denaturing substance may be obtained from the Technical Services, Meat and Poultry Inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.

(2) Except as provided in paragraphs (a)(3), (4), and (5) of this section, the following agents are prescribed for denaturing other carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products, for which denaturing is required by this part: FD&C green No. 3 coloring; FD&C blue No. 1 coloring; FD&C blue No. 2 coloring; finely powdered charcoal; or other proprietary substance approved by the Administrator in specific cases.3

(3) Tripe may be denatured by dipping it in a 6 percent solution of tannic acid for 1 minute followed by immersion in a water bath, then immersing it for 1 minute in a solution of 0.022 percent FD&C yellow No. 5 coloring;

(4) Meat may be denatured by dipping it in a solution of 0.0625 percent tannic acid, followed by immersion in a water bath, then dipping it in a solution of 0.0625 percent ferric acid; and

(5) When meat, meat byproducts, or meat food products are in ground form, 4 percent by weight of coarsely ground hard bone, which shall be in pieces no smaller than the opening size specified for No. 5 mesh in the standards issued by the U.S. Bureau of Standards or 6 percent by weight of coarsely ground hard bone, which shall be in pieces no smaller than the opening size specified for No. 8 mesh in said Standards, uniformly incorporated with the product may be used in lieu of the agents prescribed in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

(6) Before the denaturing agents are applied to articles in pieces more than 4 inches in diameter, the pieces shall be freely slashed or sectioned. (If the articles are in pieces not more than 4 inches in diameter, slashing or sectioning will not be necessary.) The application of any of the denaturing agents listed in paragraph (a)(1) or (2) of this section to the outer surface of molds or blocks of boneless meat, meat byproducts, or meat food products shall not be adequate. The denaturing agent must be mixed intimately with all of the material to be denatured, and must be applied in such quantity and manner that it cannot easily and readily be removed by washing or soaking. A sufficient amount of the appropriate agent shall be used to give the material a distinctive color, odor, or taste so that such material cannot be confused with an article of human food.

(7) Carcasses (other than viscera), parts thereof, cuts of meat, and unground pieces of meat darkened by charcoal or other black dyes shall be deemed to be denatured pursuant to this section only if they contain at least that degree of darkness depicted by diagram 1 of the Meat Denaturing Guide (MP Form 91).1

1 Copies of MP Form 91 may be obtained, without charge, by writing to the Administrative Operations Branch, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 123 East Grant Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403. Diagrams 2 and 3 of the Meat Denaturing Guide are for comparison purposes only. The Meat Denaturing Guide has been approved for incorporation by reference by the Director, Office of the Federal Register, and is on file at the Federal Register library.

(b) Inedible rendered animal fats shall be denatured by thoroughly mixing therein denaturing oil, No. 2 fuel oil, brucine dissolved in a mixture of alcohol and pine oil or oil of rosemary, finely powdered charcoal, or any proprietary denaturing agent approved for the purpose by the Administrator in specific cases. The charcoal shall be used in no less quantity than 100 parts per million and shall be of such character that it will remain suspended indefinitely in the liquid fat. Sufficient of the chosen identifying agents shall be used to give the rendered fat so distinctive a color, odor, or taste that it cannot be confused with an article of human food.

[35 FR 15605, Oct. 3, 1970, as amended at 41 FR 22930, June 8, 1976; 44 FR 67626, Nov. 27, 1979]

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4112126.html

Free patents online

Process for counter-coloring of decharacterized meat products.

"Meats and meat by-products which are considered to be inedible for human consumption but which may be used in the production of animal foods are decharacterized by mixing such products with a U.S. Department of Agriculture approved FD&C decharacterizing color. When such decharacterized meat products are to be used in the production of an animal food, the decharacterized meat is counter-colored by mixing with a color which is complementary to the decharacterizing color to provide the inedible meat product with a substantially natural meat-like color. Approved FD&C colors and blends of approved FD&C colors, which are the complementary color of the FD&C color used in decharacterizing the meat product, are used in counter-coloring the meat product. Lakes of such colors and color blends may also be used.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

"This invention relates to a process for treating meats and meat by-products which are considered to be inedible for human consumption but which may be used in the production of animal foods. More particularly, the invention relates to a process in which inedible meat products which have been decharacterized with a FD&C coloring agent are counter-colored by mixing the decharacterized meat products with a color which is complementary to the decharacterizing color to thereby provide the decharacterized meat with a substantially natural meat-like color.

"Several approved denaturing agents which may be used to decharacterize such inedible meats and meat by-products are listed in 9 CFR 325.13(a) and include finely powdered charcoal, FD&C green No. 3 coloring, FD&C blue No. 1 coloring, and FD&C blue No. 2 coloring. Of these, finely powdered charcoal is most widely used by suppliers of such inedible materials for use in animal foods. However, the black color imparted to the inedible material by the charcoal persists throughout production of the animal food and often results in unacceptable animal food products due to a darkening or graying of the intended color of the finished pet food products. The use of the approved FD&C colors to decharacterize the inedible material has not been generally acceptable heretofor to many animal food manufacturers for the FD&C colors appear to have an affinity for and to concentrate in the cartilagenous tissue of meats and meat by-products and persists throughout production of the animal food. The resulting product is often unacceptable commercially due to the presence of the FD&C coloring agent in portions of the product."

I dunno.  Time will tell.  Seems a knowledgeable person and a microscope could soon tell the difference between charcoal and mold spores.

I remain cynical.

After reading the denaturing posts I am wondering if  it could be dye ? [I am also nauseated !]

Oh me. Denatured 

All of my kids hope it's a pea-gone-bad (pea fusarium) and that they'll never ever put whole peas in pet food again

ICK.

I do agree that NB is responding quite honestly and openly... so far.  I, too, remain cynical.   

I also had the initial impression that it looked like a drop of colour more than topical growth typical of mold in cans.  I'm a little disappointed in myself that I didn't pick through the cans I opened with a fork and knife - and check every single cubic millimeter.  Perhaps I will pick up some more and re-check, to be sure.

Most of all, however, I agree that denatured meat has NO place in my baby's food.  I propose a new list - of PFC's who guarantee their meat ingredients (dry and canned) free from denaturing additives.  ALL of their meat ingredients.  Any denaturing product considered acceptable by AAFCO is considered unacceptable by THIS pet parent.

this is my >?? also

While speaking to Mr Herrick, he did say that it is USDA regulation that all meat that is to be used for the pet food industry must be denatured. I haven't look much into this yet but so far, this is what I found:-

Now that the rendering companies are entities unto their own they can service many slaughterhouses, plus process any other animal remains that can be rendered. But first, to prevent the condemned meat from being rerouted and used for human consumption, government regulations require that the meat must be "denatured" before it is removed from the slaughterhouse. The denatured carcasses and other waste can then be transported to the rendering facility.

In my time as a veterinary meat inspector, we denatured with carbolic acid (phenol, a potentially corrosive disinfectant) and/or creosote (used to preserve wood or as a disinfectant). Phenol is derived from the distillation of coal tar, creosote from the distillation of wood. Both substances are very toxic. Creosote was used for many years as a preservative for wood power poles. Its effect on the environment proved to be so negative that it is no longer used for that purpose. According to federal meat inspection regulations, fuel oil, kerosene, crude carbolic acid, and citronella (an insect repellent made from lemon grass) are the approved denaturing materials.

The condemned livestock carcasses treated with these toxic chemicals can then become meat and bone meal for the pet food industry.

http://www.belfield.com/pet_health_art3.php

So, this calls into question the claims of human grade ingredients in pet food. It all food manufactured by pet food companies must only use meat that has been denatured, ie not fit for human consumption, then how can any company claim their food to be human grade?