Is It Really That Good? Read About It Here
These days we hear so much double-talk about "organic" foods, including "free range" chickens, "hormone free" lamb, and "pesticide free" produce crops. What does "organic" really mean and why is it so important--or is it?
Most people are under the assumption that anything "organic" is superior. This is a nice ideal, and certainly organic products may indeed taste better and be healthier for us. However, do we really need organic pet foods? Is there such a thing? Even the government is confused about how to define "organic" and is currently struggling to establish uniform standards to assist consumers in figuring it all out. You might be surprised to learn that many "certified organic" foods still contain "acceptable" levels of pesticides and chemicals. "Naturally raised" livestock may still be fed non-organic feeds, or be given "acceptable" drugs or hormones.
Let's consider the production of poultry, a popular meat for both humans and pets. "Free range" poultry means the chickens were let out of their cages, however briefly, to roam free. "Naturally fed" may mean simply that the feed for these chickens was scattered on the ground, and they were allowed to scratch and peck the ground to ingest their food "naturally." But was that food "organic?" Were the grains and other components of the chicken feed grown organically? And if they were, was the actual production of the feed done in compliance with regulations to maintain organic standards? What if the chickens ate some bugs while they were scratching the ground? Were those bugs previously exposed to chemicals or pesticides prior to being eaten by the chicken? Let's say the farmer has done everything in his or her power to comply with every regulation concerning the production of organic, free-range chickens. Even the best intentioned farmers cannot control environmental pollutants: air pollution, smog, water pollution, acid rain, etc.
Ok, so then what if we feed our pets a meat source that is not commercially produced, like venison? Chances are good that a deer killed by a hunter will not have had any hormone shots. But what and where did that deer eat? Maybe s/he grazed on chemically fertilized fields, or near highways where automobile exhaust tainted the nearby plants. Maybe s/he nibbled on pesticide-sprayed trees, and drank out of polluted streams or ponds.
The USDA and FDA regulations concerning what may and may not be labeled as organic are unclear and somewhat confusing, and that's just for individual items, like animals raised for slaughter, and individual vegetables, herbs and fruits. Imagine the difficulty in regulating whether a product like pet food, comprised of several ingredients, may be labeled as organic! Common sense would suggest that as long as each and every ingredient used is "certified organic" then any final product containing those ingredients would also fall into the same category. However, there is no rule on this for pet food (yet)! This means that a pet food manufacturer might use one or two organic items out of several in a recipe, and still be able to call the finished product an organic one. The consumer can't tell, and the manufacturer is not doing anything illegal. And of course the price tag on anything "organic" is much higher than a similar product that does not make the claim.
The majority of us don't seek out organic foods for ourselves and our families to eat. When it comes to feeding our pets, the emphasis should be on fresh, high-quality ingredients. Organic is nice, but not necessary. Grocery store meats and vegetables that are sold for human consumption are far superior to the ingredients contained in most commercially produced pet foods. Switching your pet to a "natural" diet comprised of fresh, raw, human-grade meats and vegetables will provide a multitude of health benefits, regardless of whether or not the individual ingredients you purchase are "certified organic."
Article submitted by: © Jennifer Boniface, MS Animal Nutritionist
Thank you for your inquiry about our Flint River Ranch ingredients.
All of our animals used for our meat ingredients are hormone and chemical free.
Our lamb is from New Zealand and they are range, grass-fed certified.
Our trout is raised in large cold-water ponds, trout farms with special feeding diet.
Chickens are also raised hormone free on ranches in California, Idaho and Utah.
When inspected, we find they have considerable access to an open area activity when the weather is nice;
however, they are primarily raised inside because of weather, heat, and cold.
To be healthy, and for the reason they are not fed chemicals the temperature needs to be closely regulated.
We specifically do not purchase fully range fed chicken for the reason they have too many diseases.
While we try to use as much organic fed chicken as possible
the major is considered human quality, not organic as the grain fed is not 100% organic.
The same with our trout and lamb.
The Menhaden fish come from the North Atlantic ocean.
Our grains are from companies that supply human quality ingredients to human food manufacturers.
We do not purchase grain from the farm because of the possibility of toxic molds.
All meat ingredients are processed for us by USDA approved slaughter houses, except for the lamb.
However, the lamb is USDA inspected and approved.
California, where our food is manufactured has 4-D regulatory laws.
We cannot use Dying, Dead (example an animal that has died in the field), Disabled or Diseased animals in our products.
This is the reason only a few companies, regardless of their address, actually make pet food in California.
The plant is cleaner than most human food quality plants.
We are also certified by the State of California for off-shore shipments, which require the highest certification of quality.
Tamara Jenkins
These days we hear so much double-talk about "organic" foods, including "free range" chickens, "hormone free" lamb, and "pesticide free" produce crops. What does "organic" really mean and why is it so important--or is it?All of our animals used for our meat ingredients are hormone and chemical free.
Our lamb is from New Zealand and they are range, grass-fed certified.
Our trout is raised in large cold-water ponds, trout farms with special feeding diet.
Chickens are also raised hormone free on ranches in California, Idaho and Utah.
When inspected, we find they have considerable access to an open area activity when the weather is nice;
however, they are primarily raised inside because of weather, heat, and cold.
To be healthy, and for the reason they are not fed chemicals the temperature needs to be closely regulated.
We specifically do not purchase fully range fed chicken for the reason they have too many diseases.
While we try to use as much organic fed chicken as possible
the major is considered human quality, not organic as the grain fed is not 100% organic.
The same with our trout and lamb.
The Menhaden fish come from the North Atlantic ocean.
Our grains are from companies that supply human quality ingredients to human food manufacturers.
We do not purchase grain from the farm because of the possibility of toxic molds.
All meat ingredients are processed for us by USDA approved slaughter houses, except for the lamb.
However, the lamb is USDA inspected and approved.
California, where our food is manufactured has 4-D regulatory laws.
We cannot use Dying, Dead (example an animal that has died in the field), Disabled or Diseased animals in our products.
This is the reason only a few companies, regardless of their address, actually make pet food in California.
The plant is cleaner than most human food quality plants.
We are also certified by the State of California for off-shore shipments, which require the highest certification of quality.
Tamara Jenkins
Happy Tales Pets recommends Flint River Ranch All Natural Pet Food Click Here For More Info
Happy Tales Pets also recommends Sojourner Farms Natural Raw Pet Food Mix Click Here For More Info