Garlic question

Not all Wellness canned has garlic. I bought a few cans today, to see if my cats would enjoy an occasional change - they normally eat Innova regular and Evo canned, with a few kibbles of Evo dry mixed in. The Beef and Salmon canned does not list garlic. The beef and chicken, as well as the chicken and herring do contain garlic. I am unsure of their other varieties, though, because I only checked the grainless cans.

Originally Posted by Jpawz

Big 'what to do?' with the CS....they report to manufacture their own dry foods but words are just about nothing now. It's the same old song and dance just a different company, different week.

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Hit the nail on the head there, jpaws...

On the issue of garlic in food -

It appears that Nutro CC has either just recently started putting garlic in their food or they always have and just don't list it on the bag. I bought a bag last weekend based on talking to the rep who was in the store. She assured me they have their own plant, and the grains they use are grown and processed locally, nothing imported from China or anywhere else. I read the bag, didn't like a few of the ingredients, but no garlic listed. Read the list 3 times in the store, and again at home - no garlic.

So anyway, I got onto the web site, read the ingredients listed, and guess what? Garlic is listed. So is this something new and I got an old bag that hasn't been updated? I've already fed some to my cats as treats and they like it, but I really really don't want to give them something with garlic in it.

Originally Posted by Misty8723

On the issue of garlic in food -

It appears that Nutro CC has either just recently started putting garlic in their food or they always have and just don't list it on the bag. I bought a bag last weekend based on talking to the rep who was in the store. She assured me they have their own plant, and the grains they use are grown and processed locally, nothing imported from China or anywhere else. I read the bag, didn't like a few of the ingredients, but no garlic listed. Read the list 3 times in the store, and again at home - no garlic.

So anyway, I got onto the web site, read the ingredients listed, and guess what? Garlic is listed. So is this something new and I got an old bag that hasn't been updated? I've already fed some to my cats as treats and they like it, but I really really don't want to give them something with garlic in it.

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WHICH ONE??? I know one of the max has garlic flavor but NOT complete care... I just checked two bags of kitten purchased in the last 2 months no garlic there...cant get into the site but I should have the defining answer on thur night... I know some of the dog formulas have it

Originally Posted by sharky

WHICH ONE??? I know one of the max has garlic flavor but NOT complete care... I just checked two bags of kitten purchased in the last 2 months no garlic there...cant get into the site but I should have the defining answer on thur night... I know some of the dog formulas have it

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FWIW, something about the canned turkey/giblets MAX came up in a discussion about rice gluten or concentrate, can't recall...but the site listed different (I assume outdated) ingredients than a very fresh can I'd purchased recently.

Originally Posted by sharky

WHICH ONE??? I know one of the max has garlic flavor but NOT complete care... I just checked two bags of kitten purchased in the last 2 months no garlic there...cant get into the site but I should have the defining answer on thur night... I know some of the dog formulas have it

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I can't get on the Nutro web site. Why does that make me very nervous?

It was the Complete Care Indoor, not Max. Unless I was confused at what I was looking at (which with everything that's going on wouldn't surprise me too much).

Originally Posted by Misty8723

I can't get on the Nutro web site. Why does that make me very nervous?

It was the Complete Care Indoor, not Max. Unless I was confused at what I was looking at (which with everything that's going on wouldn't surprise me too much).

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FWIW i can't get into it either? maybe they are updating.. gonna give the benefit of the doubt and say probably not another recall since they have gone over their food and pretty much answered no to all the recent contaminates.

I have a bag of indoor adult but it's not with me right now, otherwise i'd read it.

I got this list of ingredients from the PetFoodDirect site, for Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Indoor Adult Cat, which is what I bought. I added the bold.

Ingredients:
Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Rice Flour, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Flaxseed Meal, Tomato Pomace, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavors, Dried Beet Pulp, Mixed Vegetable Fiber (carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress and spinach), Potassium Chloride, Menhaden Fish Oil, Oat Fiber, Soy Protein Concentrate, Cranberry Powder, Choline Chloride, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, Dried Egg Product, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), L-Carnitine, Inositol, Dried Bacillus Licheniformis Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Lutein, Dried Chicory Root, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin A Supplement, Garlic Flavor, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of Vitamin B-2), Beta-Carotene, Calcium Iodate, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B-1), Lycopene, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite.

The best way to find out what ingredients are in a brand of food is to call (websites are not always up to date, we found this out during the recall) the company and find out what is in the there, effect what date. Pet food companies are in the practice of changing their reciepes but using the old labels on their cans and bags and until they use up their old packages to keep down printing costs. So what is on the label is NOT necessarily what is in the can or bag. See the following post from the About.com Cats Forum

According to the information I got in an email from Natural Balance, it appears that they would use an old bag or can label with new ingredients. However, I don't think they are the only company that does this. In fact, I was talking earlier on in this recall disaster with a friend who is a holistic vet. I mentioned that a pet food company had changed their ingredients without any notice. Her reply was "Yes, they are known for that."

In the email I sent to AAFCO, I did mention that what may be a good, wholesome and beneficial ingredient for some cats and dogs, may be extremely bad for others. That some animals have allergies, IBD and other medical issues and these same ingredients could cause great harm.

Also, in the case of tainted ingredients, with having the correct ingredients on the bag or can, it would be immediately known. And that's what has happened, at least with NB and possibly some other companies -- you just don't know if it's in there or not.

The person at AFFCO agreed with what I said.

I also made a statement that, either the companies don't realize what the changes can do, or they just don't care. (He did not comment on this... ) But, you know and I know, we all do -- they should know and they should care.



However later correspondence from the AFFCO says that this practice of using in appropriate labels is not allowed (from the same poster):

Usually I am a patient person. I emailed NB with some questions and got a reply -- so that was good. Then I said one of our cats was ill, and it very well could be the change made in their food. I heard nothing more -- and that was bad.

So, I became impatient. These are our cats and dog. Our family. If the pet food companies are too busy to respond, it's time to go elsewhere.

Like the AAFCO. I found a name to write to... and email this morning. Interesting answer:

"The AAFCO Model Bill and Rules do not have any provisions for allowing the use of old bags with incorrect information on them. In fact the product would be misbranded under the AAFCO Model Bill.

Although there may be instances where a state regulatory official may allow a product to be distributed until a corrected label can be printed, I am not aware of any state allowing this as a common practice."

The person said that the concerns I had stated in my email are valid...and, while he could not comment on what action would be taken, he would forward the information along to compliance.

Now I need to find the information for the state office I need to contact...

Garlic FLAVOR isnt Garlic ... I asked about this in the one Max that has had it for yrs ... My mgr asked one of the folks at Nutro corp and was told the flavor comes from a veggie NOT RELATED to garlic or onions

Dee

in another thread is your answer .... AFFCO USED to allow six months between formula changes and when it had to be on the bag( ie companies used old bags till they were gone as they are porduces by the MILLIONS) .... That rule has been changed but neither AFFCO or the companies seem to have heard...??? able I know but...

I have had animal get sick in a bag change / ingrediant change... so I would REALLY LIKE to know WHY IT ISNT INFORCED///

Originally Posted by sharky

Garlic FLAVOR isnt Garlic

... I asked about this in the one Max that has had it for yrs

... My mgr asked one of the folks at Nutro corp and was told the flavor comes from a veggie NOT RELATED to garlic or onions

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good to know. Guess it's kinda like butter flavored popcorn LOL

and also nutro's site is working again.

Originally Posted by sharky

Garlic FLAVOR isnt Garlic

... I asked about this in the one Max that has had it for yrs

... My mgr asked one of the folks at Nutro corp and was told the flavor comes from a veggie NOT RELATED to garlic or onions

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Thanks, Sharky, I feel a little better about it. But I'm curious which veggie produces garlic flavor?? Anyone know?

Originally Posted by sharky

Dee

in another thread is your answer .... AFFCO USED to allow six months between formula changes and when it had to be on the bag( ie companies used old bags till they were gone as they are porduces by the MILLIONS) .... That rule has been changed but neither AFFCO or the companies seem to have heard...??? able I know but...

I have had animal get sick in a bag change / ingrediant change... so I would REALLY LIKE to know WHY IT ISNT INFORCED///

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I guess that must be the case for the bag I bought, because it definitely doesn't list garlic flavor. I don't understand why companies can't print up a label with the new formula to attach to the bag or can over the top of the old forumula. I have seen that done, but I don't think it was pet food, and I don't remember where or when. Seems like that would be a better way to handle it than letting us buy a product based on what we think the ingredients are and then having our pet get sick.

Originally Posted by Misty8723

Thanks, Sharky, I feel a little better about it. But I'm curious which veggie produces garlic flavor?? Anyone know?



I guess that must be the case for the bag I bought, because it definitely doesn't list garlic flavor. I don't understand why companies can't print up a label with the new formula to attach to the bag or can over the top of the old forumula. I have seen that done, but I don't think it was pet food, and I don't remember where or when. Seems like that would be a better way to handle it than letting us buy a product based on what we think the ingredients are and then having our pet get sick.

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I beleive it was beets but dont quote me ... Stickers would be great but I am thinking getting them on when one or more plants make something is hard ..

Originally Posted by Misty8723

I don't understand why companies can't print up a label with the new formula to attach to the bag or can over the top of the old forumula. I have seen that done, but I don't think it was pet food, and I don't remember where or when.

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Burt's Bees does that. Occasionally, their formulas change slightly because certain ingredients aren't available, or aren't up to their liking. They attach a small sticker over the top of the old ingredient list with the updated ingredients.

In terms of pet food, I realize that they mass produce their packaging, so it would cost a lot of money to throw out old bags and make more. I really think putting the stickers/labels onto the bags if they change the formula would be a viable alternative. That way, they don't lose as much money, but also we know exactly what's in the food between recipe changes.