Since the food scare of a few years ago when hundreds of dogs died around the world there has been increased focus on the safety of dog and cat food. Regulations were tightened and the result is that there have been an increasing number of recalls of products by companies due to contaminated ingredients. In the last few months alone such well-known companies as Eukanuba, Iams and Nestle One have all had to remove some of their formulas from sale. Most of the problem has been caused by the presence of aflatoxins. These are naturally-occurring fungal substances that are highly toxic to animals, causing liver cancer.
So how do you know if the food you are feeling is really safe? Often these contaminations are only picked up once the food has already been put on the market for sale. And although there is testing, the first sign that there is a problem can be the illness or even death of pets. Losing your pet this way would be a terrible shock to any pet owner, but fortunately there are things to minimize the risks.Firstly, buy a food where the company can guarantee the country of origin for the ingredients. There are few companies who will actually give you this guarantee, but the problem is that they may source ingredients from countries where the cost is lower, but which have low controls on quality. Most of the problems with petfood contamination have come from ingredients from Asian countries that have much lower standards and controls than the US. The highest regulations for quality are the US and Canada so if the ingredients all come from there the risks are minimal.
Secondly, make sure the ingredients are ALL from the US or Canada (avoid Asia). These countries have the most stringent controls on ingredients in the world so foods made from ingredients sourced from these countries will be safer. Beware, though, that just because a food is made in the US or Canada doesn't mean all the ingredients come from there.
Thirdly, go for the best quality food you can (based on the ingredients). Supermarket and other cheap brands are cheap for a reason, containing all sorts of fillers and things that pets are simply not designed to eat. They may not be illegal, but that doesn't mean that they can't be harmful. A better quality food is going to give your pet all sorts of benefits, including better coat, clearer skin, less smell and better energy. You're going to save money in the long run too, because you won't have so many trips to the vet.There is one company that is virtually unique, having NEVER had a food recall in its entire 25 year history. It also guarantees the source of its ingredients, and they all come from the US (apart from the lamb used in those formulas, which comes from Australia and New Zealand). It also has no genetically-modified ingredients, another thing that very few companies can claim. There are no fillers or harmful additives in the food either; it is all made from natural human-grade foods. And it is sold at an economical price.
The company? Pro Pac
We're very pleased to bring one of the safest and healthiest dog and cat food brands to New Zealand and know it is one of the best choices you can make for your pet's health.With the increased tightening of regulations surrounding petfood ingredients the number of food recalls is predicted to increase. But with Pro Pac's stringent quality controls being amongst the highest in the industry, you can be sure it will remain one of the safest foods on the market.