maybe they are guar bean husks?  I saw this picture from a merchant in India (guar is native to India).  Does this look familar?

http://www.indiamart.com/meckoniimpex/tamarind-products.html

Thought that this food was grain free that the pics are from? Since this is canned by Evangers would that have anything to do with my dog refusing to eat the Evangers after a year eating it with no problems? She just up and refused on the premium Evangers chicken, chicken casserole and then the turkey. Since they hired so many people to keep up did they add more to stretch the food batches (like these hulls) to other foods and possibly theirs too to be able to make more to not slow production down to wait for quality ingredients? So glad I pay attention to the my fur daughter - if she won't eat it I return what I have left and use an alternate. Now using wellness grain free and Organix (hate to use it but the brown rice is organic in the Organix) but need supplement to go along with the home cookied.....Sorry if off topic on that but thought it might relate to these problems in the recent food problem with the hulls.

  Seems that Guar gum sourced from India has been shown to contain high levels of dioxin. http://in.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idINIndia-32465120080313

What about products that contain titanium dioxide? Is this also toxic? Its in majority of pills/supplements/vitamins from what I've read on what I have...

Laurie.....you are amazing
Detective Laurie     

Can't wait to see how this plays out...........

Thank you for keeping us on our toes!!!!

 Welcome SharonD.  Good luck in your attempt to actually speak to someone at By Nature. All calls, at least the few times I had called, go to an answering machine. Although about a week later Ray did leave me a message on mine. As I had posted earlier on this thread, I have still not received a response to my second call. You might like to check out the Cat Food Experiences thread and/or the thread on How to Choose A Cat Food. Please let us know any info you get from By Nature.

In addition to leaving a message on extension 111 (since Customer Service extension 112's mailbox was full) I have sent the following email:

 ----- Original Message -----
  From: David and Sharon Daussin
  To: info@bynaturepetfoods.com
  Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 9:32 PM
  Subject: Chicken and Mackeral


  I found out tonight (thru the Yahoo felineibd list/itchmo) that there are
some type of "hulls" in this food along with other canned foods.  I checked
for myself and about 2 tbl of food, stirred in a seive as water ran through
it, left about 1 tsp of small brown hulls. As I think back, my cat stopped
readily eating his food about 3 weeks ago but I didn't think it was anything
other than a change in lot since I had opened a new case.

  I also understand that you do not know what these hulls are.  I hope that
you have some idea of how upsetting this is, particularily after the Menu
Foods (I know, Evangers manufactures your food) snafu of last year.

  I want to know what these are, where they are sourced from and pray that
they are nothing that can possibly harm my cat.  I truly thought I was
purchasing a quality product that I could trust and have several cases here
that I plan on returning.  BTW, the lot number is 24 70E13BM 7.

  Again, I hope you have some idea of how upsetting this is, not that that
will change anything.  I think the worst part of this (besides the worry of
what this may have done to my cat) is apparently very few, if any,
manufacturers of pet food are trustworthy.

  Sharon Daussin