Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay has tossed his chef hat into the pet feed ring, releasing a cat feed named after his cat; Made by Nacho cat foods.
The pet food website states:
“Nacho and Bobby have always been passionate about great food. As best pals and kitchen confidantes, they’d been searching for a cat food that delivers on both taste and nutrition but hadn’t quite found the full package. Then it hit them: why not put their know-how to work on behalf of cats everywhere? And Made by Nacho was born – the world’s first feline only, chef-approved, cat-crafted cat food.”
But…this “chef-approved” pet food is not food. Confirmed by the company:
“Our products are not human grade, therefore they are considered feed grade.“
This is the second celebrity chef that has endorsed a pet feed, chef Rachael Ray’s Nutrish pet food is also feed grade.
What is your opinion?
More than any other type of celebrity endorsing a pet product, is it worse for a chef – someone that makes their living with food – to promote a pet product that is feed grade?
Personal opinion: To me, it is worse.
Talented chefs know their ingredients as well as they know the back of their hand. They go to great lengths to source high quality ingredients, commonly refusing ingredients that are below quality standards. Thus it makes no sense why celebrity chefs are ignoring this basic principle of cooking by sourcing feed grade ingredients for pet products their names are attached to.
It’s time a celebrity come forward with a pet food sourced from food ingredients and manufactured by food safety standards. Wouldn’t that be nice change?
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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Lori
April 14, 2021 at 12:38 pm
Thank you – I follow both Bobby Flay and Nacho Flay on social media and wondered about this exact thing! I am sure he wants to do the best by his pets, and others’ pets, and certainly hope he just doesn’t get it. I would love to see your post shared with him! Perhaps once he knows better, he can do better.
Marjorie W Sovec
April 15, 2021 at 9:37 am
Agree!
Beth Marousek
April 14, 2021 at 12:41 pm
Newman’s Own (paul newman) has some organic offerings which I appreciate but are they human grade? I can’t find his cat food anymore. I’ll write them and ask about the the ingredient issue.
Mary Sue
April 14, 2021 at 12:50 pm
I’ve seen Newman’s in some health food stores and Wegman’s and online.
Mary Sue
April 14, 2021 at 12:47 pm
Thanks for the article. I’m not sure why chefs think they know about cat nutrition. But they should know about quality human grade ingredients which these do not have. I wonder if this will end up on grocery store shelves as Rachel Ray’s has. I also wonder how much money they make from promoting these feeds.
lyn
April 14, 2021 at 12:48 pm
I left my not-so-humble opinion on his pet food website.
jiyaferty
April 21, 2021 at 11:24 am
Thanks for sharing!! but I am sure he wants the best for his pets, and for the pets of others, and certainly hopes he gets it, but I would love it if your post were shared with him too. Maybe then he can do better.
Mark J Savides
June 4, 2021 at 2:22 pm
They are cashing in on their fame. That is all they have done nothing but sell their name.
I see this a devaluing their brand. Most people think of pet food and low Quality. Well Guess what they are correct. Now we relate their name to low quality food.
Are they so Broke that they do not think of this before they sell out their Name.
Jacqueline Elliot
June 8, 2021 at 9:34 pm
I sold out and purchased the Nacho cat food combo. Both cats seem to be excited by the smell/taste of food, but only one cat can stomach it. I introduced as slowly as other foods. The freeze dried treats confused them!
One cat vomits and has bad stomach issues each time. Disappointing, but I’m not sure I understand why. I’d love for someone to do a comparison of foods against other brands.