|
Pet Food Field Trip To Walmart |
By:
Susan Thixton |
|
|
Pet Food Field Trip to Walmart
Susan Thixton
I took a pet food field trip to Walmart yesterday. It was a discouraging visit. I won't mention any pet foods by name - but the trip provided me with some valuable pet food sales tricks to share with you.
Here's an interesting sales trick - the exact wording has been changed to protect the identity of this particular pet food - blazoned across one dog food was Crunchy Beefy Nuggets. Did you spot the sales trick? Crunchy Beefy Nuggets is a trademarked name (little TM after the Nuggets) - it is the pet food name, it has nothing to do with the pet food or ingredients. It's just a name.
he most common sales trick I found were pet foods that stated 'flavored'. The actual names of the foods were 'Steak and Vegetable Flavor' or 'Chicken and Fish Flavor' - one pet food even got specific with the product name stating Albacore Tuna and Yellow Fin Tuna Flavor. The trick here is the pet food is just FLAVORED with steak and vegetables or Albacore Tuna - it doesn't actually have steak or Albacore Tuna in it. Most pet owners don't make the connection - they see Albacore Tuna and Yellow Fin Tuna or Steak and Vegetable - they don't see Flavor. Pet food marketing has programmed pet owners to assume that since the front of the pet food bag boldly states Albacore Tuna on it - it's got Albacore Tuna inside the bag. When actually the opposite is true. When you think about it - if it actually contained a human grade piece of steak or Albacore Tuna in the food - it would cost more than $.50 cents a can or $5.00 a bag (Albacore Tuna does cost more than Albacore Tuna Flavor).
One of the Walmart pet foods stated 'No Fillers' on the front of the bag. However in the ingredient list I found Ground Corn, Chicken by-products, Corn Gluten Meal to be the first three ingredients of the pet food. That reads like fillers to me!
Another pet food bragged 'New Shapes and Colors'. Dyes are controversial and provide no nutritional value to the pet.
One pet food stated it contained Protein and Phosphorus for Strong Muscles. Wikipedia provides us with the following definition of Phosphorus - "The most important commercial use of phosphorus-based chemicals is the production of fertilizers. Phosphorus compounds are also widely used in explosives, nerve agents, friction matches, fireworks, pesticides, toothpaste, and detergents. Among other uses these are used to improve the characteristics of processed meat and cheese." I don't think I'd brag about phosphorus.
During my Walmart field trip I found many dog and cat foods with pictures of steak and chicken and fish on the front of the bags or cans, but I did not find many pet foods with steak or chicken or fish inside the bag or can. BHA and BHT (chemical preservatives linked to cancer), Animal Fat (FDA determined to be the pet food ingredient most likely to contain euthanized animals including the euthanizing drug), and Dyes (only benefits the pet owner - has no nutritional benefit to the pet).
I left the pet food aisle just shaking my head - actually more than a little blown away at how many by-products, meat and bone meals, and BHA/BHT pet foods that were there. In the 20 minutes or so I was looking at pet food and pet treat labels, probably five or six pet owners came in and purchased pet food. I kept my mouth shut - but it was very tough to do. To give Walmart a little credit - there were a couple of pet foods that were good (not great, but good). I understand that not everyone can afford to spend $25 for a 20 pound bag of pet food. But in my opinion, no one should spend a dime on pet foods that contain by-products, meat and bone meals, and BHA/BHT (or other chemical preservatives). Read the labels of your pet's food and treats. Learn the Truth About Pet Food.
Before you purchase one more bag or can of http://www.TruthAboutPetFood.com/ pet food learn the Truth About Pet Food. Register for the free newsletter and subscribe to Petsumer Report. http://www.TruthAboutPetFood.com
|
|
Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article75172.html |
|
|
|
|
|
