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Shopping Tips To Find The Perfect Pet Food |
By:
Susan Thixton |
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Shopping Tips To Find The Perfect Pet Food
Susan Thixton
'The Perfect Pet Food' - is it a myth? Does it exist? The good news is that there are many quality pet foods on the market. Finding them however, might not be how you currently choose a pet food. Take off your 'rose colored glasses' and let's look closely at pet food choices.
I want to examine the marketing techniques used to sell pet food. Finding the perfect pet food often times means ignoring the advertising or marketing. So...as an example, I've made two different pet food labels - seen below. Don't cheat and scroll below the labels! Look at these two labels as if you were considering them for your own pet. Think about what attracts you or doesn't attract you by what is said on the label.
Kirby's Kibble Super Supper
Premium Pet Food for Premium Pets!
Proud to provide your pet with USDA Meat Proteins Freshness is Guaranteed Complete Nutrition for your Pet
Next...
Kirby's Kibble Plain Pet Food
Made from Chicken Feet, Peanut Hulls, And other by-Products
Stays fresh for 3 years with our blend of Chemical Preservatives!
Our Ingredients from Worldwide Suppliers saves you money!
100% Complete Nutrition
Kirby's Kibble is plain pet food for plain 'ol pets!!
OK, I know it's obvious which one you would consider for your pet. That's done for a reason. The scary 'truth' is that these two pet foods contain the EXACT same ingredients.
The pet food label that is being completely honest is Kirby's Plain Pet Food. I can guarantee you however - you will never see a dog food or cat food label being this honest. The manufacturer will not provide you with the information they use chicken feet (yes, some use chicken feet) or share with you they import cheap and possibly dangerous ingredients.
Kirby's Super Supper is how the pet food bags and cans look at the pet store - but keep in mind both foods contain the EXACT same ingredients.
The following is a list of things to look for and possibly ignore on a pet food label...
1. Pictures of Wholesome Ingredients. Often, pictures of ingredients placed on a pet food label is NOT what is inside the bag. Pictures of fresh meat and vegetables are marketing and meant to attract you. Don't trust the pictures.
2. Super Supper. You want to give your dog or cat a 'Super Supper' don't you? And pet food marketers know you do too! This pet food might be super - but it might not be. The only way to know if a dog food or cat food is providing your pet a quality supper is to examine the list of ingredients on the back of the bag.
3. Premium Pet Food for Premium Pets. Of course we feel our pets are premium and deserve premium food! But...just like above, the only way to know if Kirby's Kibble is premium is to look over the ingredients listed on the back of the bag.
4. Made with REAL USDA Protein. Chicken feet come from USDA meat processing facilities. Enough said.
5. strong>Guaranteed Fresh. Pet Food labels do NOT tell you how fresh the food is - they only tell you the 'Best By' date. Unless you know the shelf life per the manufacturer (you have to call and ask them) - you could be purchasing a food that is one or two years old!
6. 100% Complete Nutrition. If a pet food uses approved ingredients of AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) - chicken feet and peanut hulls ARE approved pet food ingredients - they are provided with the 100% Complete Nutrition statement.
The Guaranteed Analysis of both pretend Kirby's Pet Foods is... Crude Protein: 23% Crude Fat: 14% Crude Fiber: 4% Moisture: 10%
Brief ingredient listing for both foods... Corn, Chicken by-Product Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with BHA/BHT), Corn Gluten Meal, Peanut Hulls (source of fiber), Minerals and Vitamins.
Back to the 'REAL USDA Proteins' statement - unfortunately this is a common marketing technique used with many pet foods. It is truthful - just misleading. Luckily for Kirby's Pet Food, the Super Supper brand does NOT have to list Chicken Feet on the label. Rules of the pet food industry allow pet food manufacturers to call chicken feet - by-products. It probably sells more pet food.
How comfortable does it make you to know that Kirby's Kibble purchase ingredients worldwide? Did they purchase corn gluten from China? Did they test the imported ingredients for safety? Testing of pet food ingredients is only recommended by AAFCO - it is not required.
Here is something that's going to shock you...If I were to actually produce Kirby's Kibble pet food - I could receive AAFCO approval for this food using chicken feet and peanut hulls and cheap imported ingredients - AND make the claim 100% Complete Nutrition. I would be allowed to use the same label as the Kirby's Super Supper above. BUT...I would NOT be allowed to use the label of Kirby's Plain Pet Food. Yes, you read that correctly. Rules of the pet food industry would NOT allow me to tell the truth about my pet food and tell potential customers I use chicken feet.
As long as a pet food manufacturer uses AAFCO approved ingredients - and as long as the food provides the required protein, fat, minerals and other nutrients - they are provided with the 100% complete nutrition claim. It does seem impossible that chicken feet and peanut hulls could be 'complete nutrition' - but that is the rules. I'm not kidding.
To wrap this up, even though it's a tough pill to swallow, you need to realize that the pet food industry is set up with very long, broad list of approved ingredients and labeling regulations - but...they all fit nicely into a few methods to present them to petsumers. Quality minded pet food producers as well as profit minded pet food producers all have to follow the same rules. You don't need to read the AAFCO publication or go back to school and study nutrition to pick out a quality pet food. Just learn a few ingredients - and be aware of marketing techniques that are commonly used to sell pet food. It's not difficult - it's basically just changing how you think about pet food. We want to trust what the label says, but unfortunately they are not all telling you the truth. Some that want to tell you the truth legally can't. Take off the rose colored glasses when you are deciding on your perfect pet food.
To learn more about dog food and cat food visit http://www.TruthAboutPetFood.com. Register up for the free newsletter and read from a library of articles in Paws Club.
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Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article67045.html |
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