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VERY IMPORTANT - P&G buys more quality food

post #1 of 65
5/5/10 at 10:41am
Thread Starter 
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2...t+food+company

This was posted on a dog related board - but it will also involve cats since P&G is buying Innvo, etc now.

P&G ruined the IAMS years ago by making it cheap and putting in fillers - you know they will do the same for this quality food.

Thought you all might like a heads up!
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post #2 of 65
5/5/10 at 11:14am
Well, carp! We recently switched to EVO and my girl loves it! Will either have to stock up and/or watch the labels carefully.
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post #3 of 65
5/5/10 at 11:33am
Aw, man! I hope they don't RUIN it!!!
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post #4 of 65
5/5/10 at 11:53am
This is unfortunate news. I was feeding Evo for a while, but have since switched to Taste of The Wild. I hope that is not made by Nutra??
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post #5 of 65
5/5/10 at 2:04pm
No, TOTW is made by Diamond.
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post #6 of 65
5/5/10 at 3:03pm
Woo! I had to check my Hi-Tor and make sure Triumph wasn't included in that (Since they also have an "Evolve" brand) I don't think this was included. If it ain't broke don't fix it! Hope they don't ruin the foods.
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post #7 of 65
5/5/10 at 6:12pm
They go cheap and ruin everything. I don't think solid gold is made by them, at least I hope not. Iams was at one point great food, look at it now, it's overpriced crap.

Taryn
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post #8 of 65
5/6/10 at 4:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by stephanietx View Post
Well, carp! We recently switched to EVO and my girl loves it! Will either have to stock up and/or watch the labels carefully.
Unfortunately, I heard that pet food companies are not required to change the labels/ingredients list on their bags until 6 months after the change. In other words, they have up to 6 months to make those changes, so even if a label says something, what's inside could be different.

Sigh. I really liked California Natural for food allergy pets.
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post #9 of 65
5/6/10 at 5:33am
I'm very worried. I'm feeding California Naturals dry food right now. There have been so many changes to Iams/Eukanuba that Nabu wouldn't eat it if he was starving. My other two cats barf like crazy on any Iams/Eukanuba. Nabu ate the Iams "Healthy Naturals" for a while, but I know they changed something. He won't eat it anymore, like the rest of their formulas. Iams is no where near the food it was when I first got Nabu and his brother. Back then it was only available in specialty pet stores or from the vet.

I think we're going to be giving Natural Balance L.I.D. dry foods a try when we need a new bag. Otherwise it's back to sampling everything again.
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post #10 of 65
5/6/10 at 9:57am
This is interesting. I feed california naturals here, i don't have any plans on jumping ship just yet lol

I will take a wait n see approach, i mean nutro and royal canin are owned by Mars aka:whiskas but i have still used their products and i admit to being no fan of whiskas because of their continued use of artificial chemical preservatives..

ie; BHT/BHA and Ethoxyquin.

I am wondering what has prompted this move? although it seems a lot of companies are being mass owned lately. I gather it's a matter of economics?
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post #11 of 65
5/6/10 at 10:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by followedbydolls View Post
it seems a lot of companies are being mass owned lately. I gather it's a matter of economics?
I think so. P&G is the 2nd oldest company on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (almost 78 years on it). I think for many people, starting a company and selling it is the "other" "American dream." (The original being home ownership.)
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post #12 of 65
5/6/10 at 10:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by followedbydolls View Post
This is interesting. I feed california naturals here, i don't have any plans on jumping ship just yet lol

I will take a wait n see approach, i mean nutro and royal canin are owned by Mars aka:whiskas but i have still used their products and i admit to being no fan of whiskas because of their continued use of artificial chemical preservatives..

ie; BHT/BHA and Ethoxyquin.

I am wondering what has prompted this move? although it seems a lot of companies are being mass owned lately. I gather it's a matter of economics?
When Nutro was bought out the food quality declined greatly. The ingredient list was the same, but they don't have to report the quality of the ingredients. My cats reacted to the new batches of Nutro as if I was feeding them poisons.

I have only just gotten Tolly, my finicky boy, acclimated to Innova Flex Chicken and Brown Rice stew, and California Naturals Venison and Brown Rice. He is thriving on them, has gained weight, and eats with enjoyment. If they make changes, he will know. I won't borrow trouble, but I feel a sense of despair not knowing what to turn to next.

This indeed very distressing news.
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post #13 of 65
5/6/10 at 10:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
When Nutro was bought out the food quality declined greatly. The ingredient list was the same, but they don't have to report the quality of the ingredients. My cats reacted to the new batches of Nutro as if I was feeding them poisons.

I have only just gotten Tolly, my finicky boy, acclimated to Innova Flex Chicken and Brown Rice stew, and California Naturals Venison and Brown Rice. He is thriving on them, has gained weight, and eats with enjoyment. If they make changes, he will know. I won't borrow trouble, but I feel a sense of despair not knowing what to turn to next.

This indeed very distressing news.
That's too bad, oddly enough i have had the opposite reaction here, the redone nutro natural choice has worked well here, whereas the older formula wasn't.

I admit i will be none to pleased to be forced into removing CN from my rotation, it is what my oldest male does best on.
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post #14 of 65
5/6/10 at 10:58am
My experience with Nutro was several years ago, when the first new batch of foods came out after the buy out.

I tried three different bags, it was a no go. When I contacted Nutro about my experience I was told that if my cats wouldn't eat the food they must be sick and I should take them to the vet! I then complained about the quality of the service, and got no joy there either.

So, I will not ever recommend Nutro.

But yes, the struggle to feed a finicky cat on a good quality food, or ANY food for that matter, is never ending.

If I didn't have to work so much, maybe I'd take the time to home cook food, but then, Tolly has never shown any interest in human food either.

Getting him happy and plumped out on the Innova was a two year task of trial and error, it's only been a few months he's started doing so well again.
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post #15 of 65
5/7/10 at 9:46am
I am going to go buy another big bag of California Natural so I can do a "wait and see" while everything settles. Nabu is so picky, I don't want to jump ship unless I have to. I do still have 2 dry foods I know he eats and does ok on, Cat Chow (& CC Naturals). They just aren't as the same as CN as far as how nice his coat is, but he will dig in and eat just as well on those.

As in my other post, I am still very nervous about what this means for CN's quality and formula changes.
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post #16 of 65
5/7/10 at 10:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by KatGoddess View Post
Unfortunately, I heard that pet food companies are not required to change the labels/ingredients list on their bags until 6 months after the change. In other words, they have up to 6 months to make those changes, so even if a label says something, what's inside could be different.
Given how much complaining my DH has done about food being reformulated and not getting enough of the new bags in so that production had to stop entirely on some product until they got more (and how stupid the person responsible for not ordering enough is), I don't think what you heard is correct. Maybe other companies do it differently, I'll update later after asking him.

I have a suggestion. How about instead of writing up a bunch of posts complaining on this thread, why not write the company and get everyone else you know using the foods to do so as well? Maybe it will have some effect, maybe not. But at least P&G will see your complaints.

ETA: I asked. Maybe others will use improperly labeled bags but the rules at the local plant (and the company that owns them) is the the ingredients must be correctly listed and the guaranteed analysis correct.
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post #17 of 65
5/7/10 at 3:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Given how much complaining my DH has done about food being reformulated and not getting enough of the new bags in so that production had to stop entirely on some product until they got more (and how stupid the person responsible for not ordering enough is), I don't think what you heard is correct. Maybe other companies do it differently, I'll update later after asking him.

I have a suggestion. How about instead of writing up a bunch of posts complaining on this thread, why not write the company and get everyone else you know using the foods to do so as well? Maybe it will have some effect, maybe not. But at least P&G will see your complaints.

ETA: I asked. Maybe others will use improperly labeled bags but the rules at the local plant (and the company that owns them) is the the ingredients must be correctly listed and the guaranteed analysis correct.
I would imagine it happens less now... but for decades there was a loophole of six months that a company could use 'old" bags that content ingredients did not match
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post #18 of 65
5/7/10 at 7:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
I would imagine it happens less now... but for decades there was a loophole of six months that a company could use 'old" bags that content ingredients did not match
Quite a few things have changed since the major pet food recalls. Testing is stricter now - they really flip out of salmonella. At least here, sanitation has majorly increased.
Information as little as three to five years old, even listed formulas, should be consider outdated - both in pet and human food production.

Though, anymore that "loophole" would be pointless if it was still allowed. Pet food production is much higher than than it was years ago. The little plant in town aims (and sometimes exceeds) 500 tons per day. They go through bags very quickly.
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post #19 of 65
5/9/10 at 10:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rang_27 View Post
This is unfortunate news. I was feeding Evo for a while, but have since switched to Taste of The Wild. I hope that is not made by Nutra??
Natura is Innova, California natural, EVO, healthwise, and karma
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post #20 of 65
5/9/10 at 11:31am
Does this mean I'll have some time to stock up on the old stuff until the new P&G ones hit the shelves?
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post #21 of 65
5/9/10 at 1:18pm
Man this really sucks, as I feed several of my animals Natura products. My 10yo dog has been on Innova, or CN practically his whole life. It is the one food that he does really well on and his allergies don't flare up. My other cat Kattie is on CN because of her mega colon and it has the lowest fiber I can find, plus she has skin allergies too. I did email Natura and they "assured" me that the quality of the food will not go down, and the reasoning behind this buyout is so that they can market their food to a wider range of pet owners. Somehow I don't believe that they can keep the quality of the ingredients and sell at places like walmart too aka Iams. My other cat Oscar is on Blue Wilderness and Blue Spa Select. Now that company is really helpful and answers all my emails usually in the same day. I wanted to switch my dog to Blue Buffalo, but the dog food analysis website says it is only a 4 star food when the innova he is on is 5 star. Also I am wondering if the fiber difference in Blue vs CN will affect Kattie's mega colon. The Blue foods are usually around 3% fiber and CN is 1.5% fiber. She eats plenty of canned and drinks plenty of water so maybe I could switch but I am afraid to.
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post #22 of 65
5/9/10 at 5:53pm
I wouldn't be against them making the products more readily available, at the moment it is difficult for me to obtain(CN) and requires a special trip to a store i otherwise do not shop at. I think if better quality foods were made more commonly available they may increase their market base, especially for those of us in more remote areas with limited choices for feeds locally.

I am concerned with an ingredient change however, but i have kept an old package to keep an eye out for changes and i will wait and see what happens.
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post #23 of 65
5/9/10 at 6:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kattiekitty View Post
Man this really sucks, as I feed several of my animals Natura products. My 10yo dog has been on Innova, or CN practically his whole life. It is the one food that he does really well on and his allergies don't flare up. My other cat Kattie is on CN because of her mega colon and it has the lowest fiber I can find, plus she has skin allergies too. I did email Natura and they "assured" me that the quality of the food will not go down, and the reasoning behind this buyout is so that they can market their food to a wider range of pet owners. Somehow I don't believe that they can keep the quality of the ingredients and sell at places like walmart too aka Iams. My other cat Oscar is on Blue Wilderness and Blue Spa Select. Now that company is really helpful and answers all my emails usually in the same day. I wanted to switch my dog to Blue Buffalo, but the dog food analysis website says it is only a 4 star food when the innova he is on is 5 star. Also I am wondering if the fiber difference in Blue vs CN will affect Kattie's mega colon. The Blue foods are usually around 3% fiber and CN is 1.5% fiber. She eats plenty of canned and drinks plenty of water so maybe I could switch but I am afraid to.
I feel exactly the same way. Tolly is THRIVING on the Innova flex chicken and brown rice stew and the CN venison and brown rice. I've never seen him so sleek. He's 11 years old with liver damage, and Has been taking phenobarbital for 8 years, but you'd never know it.

My Jennie does not have megacolon but she has trouble with constipation. Like your Kattie, I have her on a low fiber food, and grain free. The only diet I have found that keeps her regular is Wellness grain free chicken. If I try to vary it, more than once a week, she has trouble.

I wonder how she would do on the CN, since your Kattie is doing so well on it. Does CN have some grain free flavors?

More variety might help Jennie not feel so crazed for food all the time, plus the CN has fewer calories than the Wellness. (Jennie eats only 1 1/2 of a 3 oz.can of the Wellness grain free chicken a day, but she is over weight on that much. She was a good weight on only ONE 3 oz can, but it just wasn't enough quantity to satisfy her. But any time I try to give her a different food, or even flavor, for variety, she has trouble pooping again.

<edit> The wellness grain free chicken is only 1 % fiber.

What CN flavors does Kattie eat?

I will e mail Natura too.
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post #24 of 65
5/9/10 at 6:56pm
If the ingrediants change ... with Naturas tract record I would expect them Not to notify the customers add the buy out... but I for one will avoid them for at least the next 18 months as that will likely be the change s occur rapidly time frame....
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post #25 of 65
5/9/10 at 9:57pm
I agree this stinks. My cats love their Innova Evo dry. I switched to grain free dry food during the pet food scare. I am not looking forward to having to go through another foood change. One of my cats is 15 and the other one is 4. I have another 15 year old that only eats wet food but he does not do well with the grain free wet foods anyway.

Fortunately the family owned store I get my dry food at is warning their customers about this change. They will probably quit carrying the Evo I use. They will work with there customers to find new foods. You can buy small bags and return them if your pet does not like the food. Anyone have any dry food reccomendations. I currently use Innova Evo weight control as my dry food. I am hoping to be able to stay grain free.

I have to warn a friend of mine who also feeds her cats Evo.
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post #26 of 65
5/9/10 at 10:01pm
I would for the dog suggest the Core wellness in either wt control or reg ( reg has 14% fat..lol I also have dogs)
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post #27 of 65
5/10/10 at 6:58am
I just sent a message to California Natural. I really don't have a lot of options if Nabu stops eating the food. He's very very picky.
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post #28 of 65
5/10/10 at 9:14am
So you feel if they change their ingredients, they will not inform their customers.. ie; bags will remain the same but contents will change.

Can you expand on the statement regarding their track record? as i am unfamiliar with it.

thanks.


Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
If the ingrediants change ... with Naturas tract record I would expect them Not to notify the customers add the buy out... but I for one will avoid them for at least the next 18 months as that will likely be the change s occur rapidly time frame....
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post #29 of 65
5/10/10 at 3:04pm
I was talking to the owner of the feed store where I get my Natura foods today. I told her I wanted to stock up, because of the pending buy out and that I feared the quality of the foods would suffer. She agreed with me that it was likely to happen, though maybe not right away.

As for labels, if they don't make any change in the actual ingredients, but only the quality of the ingredients, they don't have to change a thing on the labels. That is why it is so distressing.

It may still be chicken, for example, but instead of high quality fresh chicken, it may be some nasty chicken coming from who knows where.

Tolly will be able to tell the difference, there is no doubt of that.
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post #30 of 65
5/10/10 at 5:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
It may still be chicken, for example, but instead of high quality fresh chicken, it may be some nasty chicken coming from who knows where.
Plants can't order "nasty chicken", it doesn't come like that. There's chicken by-product, chicken, and chicken meal. All of it has to have certificates of analysis and then the plants will do their own analysis, too.
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