Here's some decent advice~
"One of the strongest voices animal lovers have is their pocketbooks. If you suspect your current pet food company is not honest about the products it sells, switch brands -- or better yet cook for your animals -- and write to the CEO of that company (listed below) explaining why you will no longer purchase their brand of dog food. In your letter, ask the pet food company to:
Define their ingredients, especially "by-products," "meal," and other vague terms, clearly.
List ingredients by volume, not weight, for a clearer idea of the composition of the food.
Change the label so that the "nutritional value" panel realistically supplies details on the food's nutritional value.
Explain the true digestibility of the components listed in the "guaranteed analysis."
Stop using the least expensive products available.
List on the label whether their formulation is variable or fixed.
Provide you with data on safety studies of additives, ingredients, processing, and field trial studies.
Read carefully the information they send you (pet food companies are notorious for sending out only what they want you to know). If they have not addressed your questions, write to them again. Then send a copy of all correspondence to: Pet Food Investigator; Animal Protection Institute; P.O. Box 22505; Sacramento, CA 95822. We will review and collate the information to present a stronger case to the government.
Heinz makes 9-Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles 'n Bits, Meaty Bones, Recipe, and Vets. U.S. sales: $1.2 billion.
Write: Anthony J. F. O'Reilly; Chairman, President, and CEO; Heinz; 600 Grant St.; Pittsburgh, PA 15219; Phone: 412-456-5700; Fax: 412-237-7883.
Mars makes Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba, and Whiskas. U.S. sales: $678 million.
Write: Forrest E. Mars, Jr.; Chairman, CEO, and Co-President; Mars; 6885 Elm St.; McLean, VA 22101-3810; Phone: 703-821-4900; Fax: 703-448-9678.
Nestle makes Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, and Mighty Dog. U.S. sales: $1.4 billion.
Write: Joe Weller; President and CEO; Nestle USA, Inc.; 800 N. Brand Blvd.; Glendale, CA 91203; Phone: 818-549-6000; Fax: 818-549-5884.
Ralston-Purina makes Alley Cat, Cat Chow Special Care, CNM Clinical Nutrition Management, Deli-Cat, Dog Chow Senior, Meow Mix, Pro Plan, Purina Cat Chow, Purina Dog Chow, Purina Fit & Trim, Purina Hi Pro, Purina Kibbles, Purina O.N.E., and Purina Puppy Chow. U.S. sales: $1.5 billion.
Write: William P. Stiritz; Chairman, President, and CEO; Ralston Purina; Checkerboard Square; St. Louis, MO 63164; Phone: 314-982-1000; Fax: 314-982-2134" and i took this from an older post, so, not certain if the #'s are current.
and info about AAFCO~
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
Who or what is AAFCO? You see it on nearly every bag or can of food you purchase -- "meets the nutritional standards established by AAFCO."
The Association of American Feed Control Officials is a trade association comprised of state government feed control representatives and federal officials as voting members and feed industry representatives as non-voting delegates. This alliance meets annually to determine recommended feed terms such as meat by-products, to set feed control laws which most states strive to adopt, and to set minimal nutritional standards which pet food companies try to meet.
According to a former chairman of the AAFCO pet food committee, "the primary purpose of these regulations and policy statement is to promote a uniform code for the labeling of pet foods." The goal of AAFCO, then, is to standardize feed regulations to make enforcement of claims easier, and subsequently make it easier for the pet food manufacturing industry to sell their goods nationwide.
Unfortunately, this has come down to the FDA, AAFCO, and state feed control departments sanctioning the dubious labeling practices detailed above.
API is asking for changes in the way pet food products are labeled and other questionable practices that under close scrutiny do not hold up. These changes include:
The period and controls used during feeding trials.
Inclusion of multi-generational test requirements.
Less ambiguous feed definitions.
Establishing a by-product nutritional table for use by any and all pet food companies.
The inclusion of representatives from interested animal welfare organizations at all AAFCO meetings. (API has already been invited.)
The development of a system whereby manufacturers can be allowed to make quality statements on grades of ingredients used.
Setting time lines for states to bring their feed control laws in line with at least AAFCO standards.
V. Immediate Solutions
****Your prime concern is (should be) what you're feeding your companion animal. Your three options, ranked from least to best, are: processed pet food by itself; processed pet food supplemented with whole fresh foods; cooking for your companion animals yourself.
Using Processed Pet Food
If you opt to purchase processed pet food, first and foremost, look for foods that go BEYOND the AAFCO standards.
To be considered a balanced food by AAFCO, pet food must meet certain requirements that can be fulfilled either through chemical analysis of food or through feed trials~which is key! "Because the bioavailability of nutrients in pet foods in not known and the requirements for some metabolic states, such as pregnancy and lactation, have not been determined, the gold standard for evaluating a pet food is the performance of cats or dogs fed that food as the sole source of nutrition," write Morris and Rogers. They further relate, "In companion animal nutrition, there is an increasing awareness that nutrition may play a role in the development of certain diseases, but little sound data have emerged." ****Hence the necessity of long-term feeding trials.**** There are a number of areas of nutrition that impinge directly on the longevity and health of companion animals that are not covered in any protocol test. Check the label of the pet food you choose to make sure it states that the food has undergone feeding trials
Chemical analysis of pet food leaves much to be desired and does not take into account how the various ingredients and processing affect the nutritional value of the pet food. "To underscore this point, one veterinarian reputedly concocted a mixture containing the same proportions of protein, fats, and carbohydrates found in a common brand of dog food, by using old leather shoes, crankcase oil and wood shavings." (scarey...)...
Most of all, evaluate the pet foods you're using. Check the label carefully. Investigate the manufacturer's claims. If in doubt, write to the manufacturer as listed above until you are satisfied that you are buying the best food for your companion animals.
Supplementing the Diet
You can also supplement your animal's diet of processed pet food with fresh (raw) vegetables, fruit, and meat. (Cats ingest taurine from meat; a vegetarian diet can supply taurine only if it has been adequately supplemented.) Favorite raw vegetables include chopped parsley, alfalfa sprouts, finely grated carrots, and finely grated zucchini. Favorite cooked vegetables include carrots, corn, peas, green beans, and broccoli.
and based, from a Federal perspective regarding the use of pet food:
***The federal oversight of pet food is insufficient. The feed laws governing pet food were originally formulated for livestock, even though livestock feed manufacturing practices and ingredients are vastly different. Thus, state feed control officials are primarily concerned with livestock. Little attention is paid, at either the federal or state level, to the use of diseased animals in the processed food we feed our companion animals, and because of this newer, stricter standards are being produced, hence newer andmore brands to choose from today.
A paramount question to the federal regulations is why companion animals are permitted to ingest higher levels of preservatives than humans. The argument that these levels were formulated for livestock is highly suspect, since much livestock -- retaining high levels of preservatives in their tissues -- becomes part of the human food chain. (it all goes around)...
^
yeah, why is that????? i guess imo, it pays to be picky.... that's just me tho.... as mentioned, shop around, but TRY to get the best quality you can for your $, as, it MAY save you some health related problems down the road... and therefore, some $
good luck!
and
not to undermine Purina's study, which basically states:
Less is More and goes on to say:
"The study confirms that being at ideal body condition plays a vital role in our pets' overall health and well being. “What pet owners need to learn from this study is that weight gain – whether slight or considerable – can have an impact on health and may even shorten their pets' lives,” says Dan Christian, DVM, executive director of the Purina Pet Institute".
no offense, it's pretty much common sense that if dogs are fed too much, weight gain will be eminent, as will health related issues.
but
"A" for effort on their behalf. ( i still wouldn't buy their food tho).....
some good reading: http://www.5stardog.com/dog-food.asp