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Hmmm.Originally Posted by NutroMike
Yes, I agree mschaucer. And quite frankly I have always been suspect of Susan Thixton's continuous fear mongering. I am not a fan of hers and do not consider her an authority on any aspect of pet food manufacturing, labeling, or nutrition. Anytime someone mentions her pay per click site I tend to say uh-huh. Speculation does not hold much water with me, nor does personal opinion when it comes to pet nutrition. I deal with it on a daily basis and the misinformation spread from opining or speculating is phenominal.Originally Posted by mschauer
Oh I understand it is *speculation*. And there is nothing wrong with that as long as it is acknowledged as *speculation*.
I'll say yet again, although it seems hopeless, that all *I* am trying to get at is whether the contents of that study are a justifiable reason to criticism pet food regulation. If the criticism is based solely on speculation then I think any reasonable person has the answer to that question.
I would *really* like to see some effort to understand whether the heavy metal levels in those pet foods is because of something unique to pet food manufacturing or whether it is just because of the levels of those metals that are found in our general food system. *That* would tell me whether that study is anything to get excited about. But I'm not one to just take someone else's opinion on such matters. I want to be given the information so that I can decide for myself. If the information given can't stand up to scrutiny then how valid can it be? And if it can't hold up to scrutiny, those who present it leave themselves open to a justifible charge of fearmongering.
1) Susan Thixton does NOT have a pay per click site. And her book, Buyer Beware, costs less than $14 a copy!
2) Ms. Thixton is recognized by those in her field to be one of the leading experts on the pet food industry's manufacturing processes and ingredients sourcing and labeling practices. The amount of research she has conducted, including interviews with top government, USDA, and AAFCO, and PFI executives is extensive, and the vast majority of her discoveries are publicized for free on her site. As are her frequent notifications of recalls.
3). Ms. Thixton's motivation is no secret to anyone who has spent any time on her site - like me, she's lost a beloved family member to pet food contamination.
4). Ms. Thixton's information is only one of many, many sources being used to explore this topic. A quick scroll through this thread will give you post after post with links directly to AAFCO and other related organizations. In fact, it was the limited nature of AAFCO's feeding trials that prompted the start of this thread.
5) That study you two are referencing in such negative terms is a heavy metals research project conducted by the Spex CertiPrep company, which has absolutely no association with Ms. Thixton. And it is only one of many studies, papers, and documentaries discussed in this thread.
The pet food industry's blithe assurances that all is well, that every one of their products bearing an AAFCO "complete and balanced" stamp of approval is both 100% complete and balanced and perfectly safe to feed to our cats day after day, year after year is blatantly, egregiously false.
Regards.
AC