[Patricia A]

Anon I subscribe to Susan Thixtons list because she supplies alll the information I am looking for in choosing a food that meets my standard of nutrition for my dog. I’m grateful that someone is doing the hard work of finding Pet food companies that are transparent and supply information of proof of the many conditions required to make her trusted dog food brand list.
She does not endorse or condemn any food. Below is her standard requirements necessary to make her recommended trusted dog food company list:

Human Grade: it means: all ingredients including supplements are human edible, the food is manufactured in a licensed human food facility, and ingredients and final product transported and warehoused to human food safety standards. Unfortunately, most pet foods are “feed grade”. Feed grade means ingredients and supplements are not required to be human edible, and they are not required to be manufactured per human food safety standards. Worse yet, pet foods are not required to disclose feed grade quality on the label. Not all pet foods on the List meet the full requirement of a Human grade pet food, most are ONLY missing the requirement of human food manufacturing.
Manufactured
Under this category, the List explains if the food is manufactured in a human food or pet food facility. When a pet food is manufactured in a licensed human food facility, it is held by regulation to particular safety standards. When a pet food is manufactured in a pet food facility, regulation does not require the same safety standards as human foods. Most of the pet foods on the List have plant established safety standards the same as human food.

Ingredient Quality
Human Grade ingredient quality is priority for me in a pet food. Most pet foods utilize “feed grade” ingredients which means they are allowed by FDA to use extremely inferior quality of ingredients. As example, any food (human or animal) would be considered adulterated/illegal if it contains meat from a diseased or non-slaughtered animal. But the FDA allows exception to this law for feed grade pet foods. Directly stated on the FDA website: “Pet food consisting of material from diseased animals or animals which have died otherwise than by slaughter, which is in violation of 402(a)(5) will not ordinarily be actionable, if it is not otherwise in violation of the law. It will be considered fit for animal consumption.” Pet foods on the List utilize ONLY human edible food ingredients (with one small exception from Open Farm kibble) and provide verification documents to us to assure this quality.

Country of Origin
Country of origin of ingredients is significant information to disclose to the pet owner. Often large manufacturers will not disclose the COO of each ingredient or they give consumers vague responses such as ‘all our ingredients are tested in the US’. The pet foods on the List provided full disclosure to country of origin.

Ingredient Quality
Human Grade ingredient quality is priority for me in a pet food. Most pet foods utilize “feed grade” ingredients which means they are allowed by FDA to use extremely inferior quality of ingredients. As example, any food (human or animal) would be considered adulterated/illegal if it contains meat from a diseased or non-slaughtered animal. But the FDA allows exception to this law for feed grade pet foods. Directly stated on the FDA website: “Pet food consisting of material from diseased animals or animals which have died otherwise than by slaughter, which is in violation of 402(a)(5) will not ordinarily be actionable, if it is not otherwise in violation of the law. It will be considered fit for animal consumption.” Pet foods on the List utilize ONLY human edible food ingredients (with one small exception from Open Farm kibble) and provide verification documents to us to assure this quality.

BPA
BPA is a chemical found in the protective lining of some canned foods and/or found in some pet food packaging. BPA is an “endocrine disruptor chemical”; Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects.
HPP, Bacteriophages

HPP stands for High Pressure Processing is a method used to control common bacteria of raw meat. Bacteriophages are a virus used in raw meat products to control the common bacteria of raw meat. Both processes are deemed safe by FDA, they are mentioned In the List for informational purposes.

Testing
Proper monitoring of pet food ingredients, nutrients, and potential risks are part of how a pet food keeps your pet safe.

Verification
The pet food companies in the List provided documentation to verify their claims of human grade ingredients, human food manufacturing, and/or humanely raised. Each company did not hesitate to provide a wealth of verification documents. The seal below indicates that each pet food ingredients were verified to be human grade quality.

At the end of the day it’s what you feel good about feeding your furbabies, if they enjoy eating it and how their energy and health is with the brand your feeding.

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Patricia A.