The Next Question to ask your Pet Food Manufacturer

Question. I may be jumping to a quick conclusion. Is the NY Post article saying that “whole” (completely intact) chicken carcasses are going to be frozen and shipped to China for “retail processing” – meaning into all finished products, that will only be “packaged” by the US Company brand name? The first being (1) chicken that is completely deboned to produce chicken “nuggets” and fillet meat? And (2) grinding up the poultry meat for all canning purposes (in soup, broth, etc.)? And (3) producing ground poultry meat for human and pet food? And (4) producing boneless chicken breasts? And (5) producing bone-in products (thighs and drumsticks, etc.)?
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So is the real point, the fact that a dead whole chicken is now going from the farm, to be frozen, to be shipped to China, to be “dressed” into all these formats, and then shipped back to the brand manufacturer for packaging, and then shipped to Supermarkets, to be sold retail? Meaning that what we will soon see in plastic packages will NOT have been completely prepared through a USA (for example) Foster Farms manufacturing plant, but that the plant will only be receiving the
RE-frozen “dressed” poultry meat from China, to then be put into packaging?
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Second question. If the definition of “organic” means that nothing artificial is involved with the product, then wouldn’t it be a contradiction (or against regulation) for the application of any chemical preservatives or treatment (formaldhyde or chlorine) to be used, especially any and all required to preserve (quick freeze) for the long delay required to ship poultry overseas back and forth? What could possibly be the very least in turnaround time, given no problems in the pipeline?
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I currently use Coleman’s Organic Chicken from Costco, so how can I find out if it EVER goes overseas to China? Do people realize that soon they can only be assured of product integrity by buying from local ranchers and farmers? Can you imagine what will happen to with all those fast food products handled in China. One mistake and who know how many could get sick.
The reason I go into such detail is because this regulation has an gextraordinary impact on our food processing system, both putting people out of work, introducing new and unnecessary chemicals, and putting a major food ingredient in great danger. None of this for consumer’s benefit. But only to increase profit for mega-corporations. That people aren’t outraged is sad indeed.

If China can’t process safe CHINESE CHICKEN JERKY TREATS, then what in the world would make us believe they can “process” chicken of any type, period?
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Will a USDA Inspector be on foreign soil to certify US Standards of safety and industrial compliance? Will workers be stripping chicken in refrigerated areas? In sterilized areas? Who’s going to certify safe transporation (both in and out of there) at constant temperatures?
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I was taught that you can’t refreeze meat (particularly over and over again). So what has happened to that rule??
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Shouldn’t the media be reporting on this? It’s bad enough buying Made in China goods putting workers out of jobs, but EATING chicken that’s been handled over there, is just insane! We are being set up for a disaster. Because no one is ever going to be made accountable for mistakes.
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I think we should sign a pledge to BOYCOTT all (non-organic) chicken in every form (including Fast Food!) until the “Country of Processing” is at least labeled! Just like the “Country of Origin” is put on fruits and vegetables (at least here in California). Can’t we start a petition to copy every major manufacturing plant as well as our legislators?
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Unless we take a stand here and now, we can’t keep complaining.

Hello Susan,

Once I heard this on the human food side, I knew this would ultimately end up resulting in the same happening for pet food manufacturing.

Here is my problem with this question, and the majority of the questions one can ask a food manufacturer.

What obligates them to give an answer, yet alone a truthful one?

The answer is absolutely nothing. The biggest manufacturers simply WON’T answer, and the smaller and middle size manufacturers have no reason to be truthful if they do answer, as there is virtually no way to find out where they are sourcing their ingredients in the first place. In my experience very few manufacturers will let you know whom they source ingredients from, and I’ve yet to see a manufacturer put their suppliers contact information out into the public or online, so consumers can follow up and question them. And again, EVEN IF we could get a hold of that information, they are not obligated in any way to be truthful.

Personally, the more I see within the pet food industry, the more I’m realizing that we won’t be able to help our pets as far as food goes, until we start fixing our own food first. The fact that our government has sold out our health as a nation (allowing Chinese involvement, lack standards as far as human food production goes, the overwhelming majority of genetically modified, , chemical laden processed food in our supermarkets, a dependance on antibiotics, the promotion of corporate farming etc)shows just how little it cares about our pets, although they could never admit it.