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You Decide…Is This Misleading Consumers?

Consumers have to look past many different types of marketing tricks. Here are three new types of marketing in pet food. You decide if this is misleading consumers.

Consumers have to look past many different types of marketing tricks. Here are three new types of marketing in pet food. You decide if this is misleading consumers.

The first comes from Merrick.

Nestle Purina purchased Merrick Pet Food in 2015. Many consumers wondered if Purina would change the pet food. Here’s one change Purina made…on the pet food label (provided to me by one of you great pet food consumers). Is this misleading?

The first picture is of the bag of Merrick treats before Purina…

merrickold1

“Quality Assured – Dog Approved”

After the Purina purchase of Merrick, now the same product label says this…

merricknew1

“Quality Assured – With The World’s Best Ingredients”

‘The World’s Best Ingredients’…who determined that?

‘Safely USA Made – with the World’s Best Ingredients’…is Purina trying to make a Made in the USA claim but admitting they use ‘world’ sourced ingredients? (By the way a Made in the USA claim requires all ingredients to be USA sourced and manufactured in USA.)

Misleading?

The next new pet food marketing is a pet food that will be sold only through veterinarians. The brand name is…”Transparent Nutrition”.

transparentnutritionIngredients include multiple organic ingredients…but are they human edible ingredients? What is the country of origin of ingredients? What percentage of the food is carbohydrates? That information (and more) is not shared on the company website.

Misleading pet food name?

And one more. A new pet food from Only Natural Pet called “Wholesome Homemade”. Below is a video advertising the pet food. Look closely at the food and notice the words “cooked meat blend” around the 50 second mark.

What is a “cooked meat blend”? Only Natural Pet told me it is “similar to kibble”. It is an extruded meat product (not actual meat). Dehydrated vegetables and kibble pieces = “a nutritious homemade stew”?

And in email advertising of this same pet food, was the following picture…

onlynaturalpetwholesomehomemade

Phone conversation with Only Natural Pet told me the ‘cooked meat blend’ is “similar to kibble”. But in email advertising the company tells consumers “chunks of meat” is included in the pet food. Misleading?

 

Personal Opinion: Made in the USA claims should be enforced, law is law. It is ridiculous that regulatory authorities allow this. Transparent Nutrition means consumers know everything about a pet food; quality of ingredients, country of origin, carbs, the manufacturing doors should be open to the public 24/7. And a fabricated meat blend (“similar to kibble”) is not “homemade”; something I’d never use in a stew for myself or my pets.

Be careful out there…as pet food consumers learn existing marketing tricks, the marketers are busy adding new tricks.

 

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food

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17 Comments

17 Comments

  1. Clair Borgioli

    October 25, 2016 at 1:13 pm

    Have you ever looked in a brand Tuscan Harvest? Would love to know anything about them

    • Tracey

      October 25, 2016 at 8:38 pm

      Dog Food Advisor . com gives it 4 stars. Look up details details there. 🙂

  2. B Dawson

    October 25, 2016 at 1:43 pm

    As far as the last example of marketing hocus pocus (meat chunks?) all I can say is humans eat American Cheese (processed cheese food), although the government won’t allow it to be called simply “cheese” as it is processed. That is why you often see “American slices” or “American Singles” on the wrapper.

    One more glaring example of the regulatory double standard. You can bet your bottom dollar the cheese industry would demand enforcement if a company tried to market American Cheese as “natural cheese”!

  3. Ileana

    October 25, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    Susan,
    I agree with you and also, the Transparent nutrition is a gimmick! It is for vets that want to sell something and make owmers think it is better food. I found out the company that sells Transparent Nutrition offers vets to be reps so vets that sell the food are basically making money for themselves. Very disappointing

    • Tracey

      October 25, 2016 at 8:39 pm

      Thanks for that info, sad as it is….

  4. Paula Bruckner

    October 25, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    Regarding the “Made in USA”, it does not require all ingredients to be USA sourced and manufactured in USA. Their are loopholes in this just as in any other government standard.

    “…the Commission announced in December 1997 that it would retain the “all or virtually all” standard.”

    https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-made-usa-standard

    • Susan Thixton

      October 25, 2016 at 2:06 pm

      That’s the AAFCO requirement too. AAFCO states: “The rule states that: “all or virtually all means” that all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of US origin. That is, the product should contain no – or negligible – foreign content. So just putting together ingredients inside the US is not enough. Additionally, just getting ingredients from a broker within the US is not enough. If ingredients are imported, then it is very difficult to justify the use of the phrase “Made in the USA.”

  5. june lay

    October 25, 2016 at 4:15 pm

    Wow, I was almost fooled by the Natural Pet Wholesome Food Stew. I was thinking of looking into it as a once in awhile alternative when needed ti my home cooked food. I started to look for the actual ingredient list, but didn t find it and planned to come back to it. That is until now!
    Thank you for what you do for our beloved furry children.

  6. Laurie Raymond

    October 25, 2016 at 4:56 pm

    I dumped the Merrick brand (I only sold their wet foods, ever) as soon as I learned they were selling to Purina. OF COURSE the quality has taken hits! Susan, I understand the need to hold petfood makers accountable for their illegal corner cutting, but there are only a small handful of commercial kibble makers who deliver a decent product – and given the industry and the pressures on companies to grow, grow, grow, you know they will not be able to maintain high quality and survive for long in today’s market. It’s time for a boycott of most processed foods (human and pet!) and for recovering the skills to feed our families from whole foods, preferably locally sourced and purchased directly. I suggest starting with a boycott on all pet foods advertised on TV – they are the most cynical and deceptive.

  7. Laura Uran

    October 25, 2016 at 10:40 pm

    FYI: I sent several e-mails to Only Natural Pet asking where ingredients (including vitamin/mineral mix) were sourced, the GMO status of the food and if the protein source meats/poultry etc. were antibiotic and hormone free. I have never received an answer.

  8. Christine Mallar

    October 25, 2016 at 11:05 pm

    I also see the nearly identical made inthe USA seal on the wholesome homemade food, though it says “with globally sourced ingredients”.
    And I did find the ingredient list, and it sure reads like a kibble!

  9. Lori S.

    October 26, 2016 at 1:15 am

    I wonder if “Safely USA Made” is legally different than “Made in the USA,” so they can get away with sourcing the ingredients outside the USA.

  10. Eve

    October 26, 2016 at 5:35 am

    YES MISLEADING…..As a studying Pet Holistic Nutritionist with 20 years veterinary care I can assure everybody it is very misleading – in fact it’s ‘magic nonsense’ MAGIC because the ‘real meaning FOOD does NOT apply in ANY processed packaged food and NONSENSE because it makes NO SENSE. For example: the advert: “You love them like family, feed them like family” mmmm the MAJOR PROBLEM with that deliberate ‘hoodwinking’ quote is: for 40 MILLION YEARS cats and dogs have never (here’s the secret word to real health thriving longevity) “COOKED” ANY FOOD…THEIR PREY DOES IT ALL FOR THEM. The prey’s utensils ARE all in the prey’s GUT and BOWEL, PERFECTLY PRESERVED AS NATURE INTENDED. Our cats and dogs WHOLE LIFE depends 100% on RAW MEAT AND BONES ALIVE with pre-and pro- nutrients inside the prey. And what’s the hooharr about “Just add water” OMG folks now they’re treating our pets like ‘astronauts’ DEHYDRATED SO-CALLED VEGGIES. What RUBBISH! Firstly LEGUMES (in my opinion) are unsuitable for our pets. Legumes are a thyroid aggravater and are not digestible proteins for our cats especially and dogs. The dried out GMO veg would also be preserved with high sugars what a good way to damage the dogs and cats pancreas. I just can not understand why today some pet owners boast dam processed pet foods they are victims of social-proofing some vets, friends, marketing and catchy tv tunes. I wonder if they ever really looked inside their pets mouths and find TEETH that are mechanically designed to eat meat not dam dried pellets and sloshy agricultural farmer waste products…

    • Cheryl Mastermake

      May 3, 2017 at 4:44 am

      Hello Eve, you are right. What do we feed our cats?

  11. Terri Christenson Janson

    October 26, 2016 at 12:43 pm

    Very misleading, I agree. I know a lot of people that would see the “Made in the USA” and instantly think…..great! It’s safe!!! We should not have to read between the lines….same for human food.

  12. Kay Henn

    October 26, 2016 at 1:50 pm

    Serendipity: I was chortling along yesterday at a spoof radio show that does “documentaries” on “famous” women. This week’s was about Sam Mann, an ex-pop star turned fraudulent food manufacturer. One if the jokes was that she produced “homemade ready meals”.

    Sometimes you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

    Thank you, Susan, for channelling the emotion into action!

  13. Cheryl Bond

    November 1, 2016 at 8:35 pm

    “Made in the USA claims should be enforced, law is law. It is ridiculous that regulatory authorities allow this. Transparent Nutrition means consumers know everything about a pet food; quality of ingredients, country of origin, carbs, the manufacturing doors should be open to the public 24/7. And a fabricated meat blend (“similar to kibble”) is not “homemade”; something I’d never use in a stew for myself or my pets.”

    Susan, You hit the nail-on-the-head, as well as other commentor’s.. I am so sick & tired of what these damn manufacturers can get away with! It’s even more troubling when a Vet will recommend a food because they are now peddling it for profit for themselves! “Transparent” my ass!

    It’s so frustrating when even companies that have been relied on for Natural health products are now peddling their own food & lying to the public that it’s “just like what you would feed your family!”

    As we all know here, labeling is about as deceptive as it gets! & so confusing to the consumer! even to people that read up on these issues! Every single bit of wording on a label or spoken in advertising a product in a commercial, should be under strict regulatory control, but we all know the issues w/ that! so NOTHING really is fool proof, AAFCO & the FDA will just continue to cow-tow to manufacturers as they have been for forever! Allowing terminology that suits what manufacturers want you to know and not what the exact truth is! So frustrating!!!!!!

    ****The woman that contacted “Only Natural Pet”**** Keep on hounding them! saying you want a response from them, or your going to “out them” all over social media. Maybe consider starting a petition too!

    As a rescuer, adopting out cats & kittens, it is even more frustrating because it is impossible to hold people’s attentions for long periods of time…it’s a LOT of information to cover, as well as changing people’s long held beliefs. I have saved so many articles from T.A.P.F, Dr.Karen Becker, Dr. Jean Hofve etc…& though there are MANY fabulous articles I have accumulated, I have not really found one article that hits on all the major issues with Petfood concisely in say a 1-2 page format. In my experience trying to educate potential adopters or friends, something like that is REALLY NEEDED! because you only have so much of a person’s attention when trying to educate them about Petfood.

    ****SUSAN**** Do you think you would consider, in a group effort with those mentioned above &/or other’s, write a 1-2 page tops article hitting on the most important topics/issues w/ petfood as concisely as possible? If the many of us that are doing our best to help educate people had that as a resource, it would be an invaluable tool!

    Of course, I/we would continue directing them to T.A.P.F for their ongoing knowlege
    about the issue’s with Petfood, but being able to “get a foot in the door” with a handout, like I just mentioned, could really make a big difference in starting someone in opening their minds to The Truth About Petfood, for sure!

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