Probiotic ingredients? Phooey EU!

jcat

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What in the world could be controversial about them? I'm absolutely fuming at the moment, because I've just learned that many of the cat foods I buy, including Innova, Felidae, California Natural, and Solid Gold, will no longer be available in Europe, because the EU has imposed a ban on all foods containing probiotic ingredients, like lactobacillus, effective October 1, 2005. Felidae has already sold out in The Netherlands, and is in short supply in Germany, as suppliers in North America have had enough of the ever-changing import regulations here. Fortunately, Jamie eats a variety of foods, but other people aren't so lucky. I was on three German forums yesterday, and many members are approaching panic, because their cats will only eat a certain imported brand. Is this just part of a trade war, or are there actual health hazards involved?
 
hissy

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Probiotics are good stuff- they eat up the bad bacteria and leave the good. I know one gal who was feeding Fastrac to her horse, and one day she decided to take one tablespoon of fastrac with a glass of water daily- and she lost weight. About a year later, the company came up with a pill for people to lose weight. But she just used the straight powder- which i bet was nasty to have in your mouth all of a sudden.
 
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jcat

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That was my impression, too - otherwise, why would so many probiotic yoghurts be on the market? Okay for human consumption, but not for dogs and cats? That doesn't make sense.
I'm angry because I have to avoid soy and beet pulp, which a lot of European brands contain.
 
kathryn41

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I am not sure of all of the details but it has to do with the regulation of medications and herbs. THere is a campaign going on in the States right now to prevent the FDA from making mandatory testing and labelling of certain 'herbs' and 'healthy 'ingredients on foods that would increase significantly the cost to produce them, as well as limit the ingredients that could be used without medical approval. It appears that the EU has already implemented that same degree of regulation regarding certain ingredients which would formerly have been included as 'food' items but are now considered a ' medical ingredient' and as such falls under stricter regulations.

The pharmaceutical industry is trying to exert a greater control on their share of the market and in many cases object to anything that smacks of 'alternative' medicines. Governments and regulating bodies, leery of lawsuits because some supposedly safe herbal ingredient has caused harm, is using its typical hammer approach and nailing everything that it can hoping by trying to control it 'all', it will also control the ones that can be dangerous.

Talk with your local health food store and they can give you a lot more of the details, or look into magazines that discuss alternative medicines, and you will find a lot more information. The pet food industry is one of those unexpected 'bystanders' caught up in the fear and greed of government and oversized pharmaceutical industries.

Kathryn
(finishing my rant now)
 
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jcat

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Originally Posted by Kathryn41

I am not sure of all of the details but it has to do with the regulation of medications and herbs. THere is a campaign going on in the States right now to prevent the FDA from making mandatory testing and labelling of certain 'herbs' and 'healthy 'ingredients on foods that would increase significantly the cost to produce them, as well as limit the ingredients that could be used without medical approval. It appears that the EU has already implemented that same degree of regulation regarding certain ingredients which would formerly have been included as 'food' items but are now considered a ' medical ingredient' and as such falls under stricter regulations.

The pharmaceutical industry is trying to exert a greater control on their share of the market and in many cases object to anything that smacks of 'alternative' medicines. Governments and regulating bodies, leery of lawsuits because some supposedly safe herbal ingredient has caused harm, is using its typical hammer approach and nailing everything that it can hoping by trying to control it 'all', it will also control the ones that can be dangerous.

Talk with your local health food store and they can give you a lot more of the details, or look into magazines that discuss alternative medicines, and you will find a lot more information. The pet food industry is one of those unexpected 'bystanders' caught up in the fear and greed of government and oversized pharmaceutical industries.

Kathryn
(finishing my rant now)
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Thanks - that throws some light on the subject.
 
hissy

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Interesting sidenot, going along with Kathryn's much appreciated rant.


On the news last night in our area there is a study being done about how black raspberry juice (straight no additives) are being used with certain cancer victims. They drink three glasses of this wonderful beverage a day and it is showing that the tumors are shrinking. What a bust to the pharmaceutical companies if this comes to light that certain cancers will diminish because of a FRUIT!
 
jennyr

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That may explain why, when I was in France recently and trying to buy some decent cat food to bring back here, I couldn't find any, it was all out of stock. My three are having to make do with Whiskas and Friskies, which is the best I can get here!
 
mzjazz2u

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Yeah I thought probiotics were good too. In fact they are some of the ingredients in the stuff I'm using on Jake.
 
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jcat

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Originally Posted by jennyranson

That may explain why, when I was in France recently and trying to buy some decent cat food to bring back here, I couldn't find any, it was all out of stock. My three are having to make do with Whiskas and Friskies, which is the best I can get here!
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Exactly! That's why I thought maybe Whiskas and Friskies, etc., were behind it. Jenny, if you're looking for a premium, European canned food available in France, "almo nature" from Italy is good, but expensive. It's advertised as a "complete cat food", but I don't like the calcium/phosphorus ratios, so I won't feed it exclusively. "Vivaldi" from Austria is also good, but I'm not sure if it's available in France. Royal Canin (dry) is definitely sold in France.
Eastern Europe is "iffy" - the only halfway decent cat foods I've found in Hungary are RC and Iams.
 
jennyr

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In France I can usually get stuff OK through the agricultural co-ops or the vets if necessary. When I move there the cats will be OK I think. But here in Bosnia it's Whiskas, Friskies, KiteKAt, and a cheap something called Darling. And occasionally my vet can get dry IAMS, but hasn't for three months. So we have to make do with what we can get, and what I can carry back on my occasional trips to the UK or France.
 
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jcat

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Originally Posted by jennyranson

In France I can usually get stuff OK through the agricultural co-ops or the vets if necessary. When I move there the cats will be OK I think. But here in Bosnia it's Whiskas, Friskies, KiteKAt, and a cheap something called Darling. And occasionally my vet can get dry IAMS, but hasn't for three months. So we have to make do with what we can get, and what I can carry back on my occasional trips to the UK or France.
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I can sympathize. We spend several weeks a year in Hungary, and try to provide decent food to several feral cat colonies. Friskies is always available, but little else.
 
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