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WHOLE-HEALTH®
NUTRITION YOU CAN TRUST™
Yes, Our Foods Are
Safe
These are sad and stressful times for pet owners. Pet owners want
assurance their pet’s food is safe and nutritious, both today and
tomorrow. Please be assured our dry and canned foods have not been
recalled, they have been tested, they are safe and will continue to
remain safe:
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All meat meals
are tested by NIR analysis to determine protein, fat, fiber and moisture levels.
Grains, such as rice, corn and oatmeal, are tested for mycotoxins. We
have good and trusting relationships with our suppliers.
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We make our own
dry food in our own family-founded plants, in Mishawaka, Indiana, as
we have been doing for over 35 years. Well over half of our
dedicated plant employees have been here over 15 years. While Menu
does make our canned food, none of our foods are on the recall list
nor will they be added, there is no wheat or rice gluten in our
canned or dry formulas and canned product is made using high quality
ingredients specific to that formula, with no alterations. Product
has been tested and results have been negative.
The Other Shoe?
Pet owners keep asking what food is next. To date the contaminated
ingredient has been identified as Wheat Gluten and Rice Protein
Concentrate/Rice Gluten. These are not in any Eagle Pack Dry or Canned
foods, so pet owners can feel safe in feeding our foods for these and
the following reasons:
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We attended a
seminar where an expert stated, “You can’t test your way to
ingredient safety, though you must test. The best way to assure
yourself of ingredient safety is to know your suppliers.” We have
been dealing with many of the same trusted suppliers for 35 years.
EU certification also requires you know your sources.
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Testing is
ongoing. We have an onsite laboratory and also use the industry’s
leading laboratory.
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Our formulas are
fixed formulas using high quality ingredients that remain constant
batch to batch. We don’t switch suppliers based on a supplier coming
to us with a cheaper price.
(1)
One Prism Formula contained Rice Gluten. It was removed some
time ago and prior to the FDA recall. It is made in the U.S. and it
has been tested. Our Holistic Transition uses Rice Protein Concentrate
as a carrier. The Rice Protein is made in the U.S. and has been
tested. In the next production run Stabilized Rice Bran will be
substituted for the Rice Protein Concentrate, so as not to raise a
question with pet owners. Again it is safe.
Background
Eagle Pack Pet Foods, Inc. understands that, while the recalled pet
food has found confinement, consumers might still have a lot of
questions. Be assured that none of our products have been affected by
the recall.
Fortunately, there have been no records indicating that the wheat
gluten meal had been shipped to U.S. human food producers. An import alert has been issued on
wheat gluten and other ingredients from China.
Eagle Pack Pet Foods, Inc. does not use wheat gluten as an ingredient
in our pet food. Wheat gluten, although not as well known, is an
alternative to soy-based meat substitutes such as tofu; some types may
taste even more like meat than tofu due to their chewy or stringy
texture. It is often used in place of meat in Asian, vegetarian/vegan,
Buddhist, and macrobiotic cuisines.
Eagle Pack Pet Foods, Inc. sources most of its approximately 100
ingredients domestically. However Duck Meal originates from Germany,
Anchovy and Sardines Meals from Mexico, Salmon from the Pacific and
Kelp from ocean waters off Nova Scotia.
Due to the global
economy and worldwide outsourcing, some ingredients or supplements are
not made in the U.S. or are not made in sufficient quantity. Most
pet food and human food companies and makers of supplements
most likely source some supplements from China. Most B vitamins
for human and pet consumption come from China. In our supplements,
U.S. vitamin maker BASF sources some vitamins from China. This will be
true of the vitamin content for most pet foods you buy and for
many pet or human vitamins you use. The Glucosamine we humans take as
well as the Glucosamine in your pet’s food most likely is sourced
from
China.
The same is true for human grade Taurine. Some pet food makers seem
unaware that some ingredients of necessity must be sourced from China;
scary they don’t know.
Our China sourced
products are purchased only from suppliers that are on an approved
material list. The list assures that product is only purchased from
companies that have and continue to meet the quality demanded in our
ingredients.
We know the word
China is not welcomed by pet owners, so why are we even mentioning it?
Because pet owners are scared and want the truth. Some companies have
been less than forthright. Consumers are looking for assurance their
pet food is safe, nutritious, natural and holistic and will stay that
way. Eagle Pack Pet Foods wants to be truthful, up front and
transparent with pet owners. Pet owners don’t want surprises later.
And they want the whole truth and they want it now.
If you have fed your pet any of the pet food recalled by other
manufacturers, we urge you to take them to the veterinarian and have
tests performed. Kidney failure can
be a painful and deadly disease that can sometimes be reversed with
early detection and aggressive treatment. Many other consumers
are opting to stay away from products that contain wheat gluten, as
the FDA warns consumers that retailers could still have the recalled
product on their shelves.
Further questions can be answered by our Customer Service department:
Monday thru Friday, 8am-5pm EST. 1-800-255-5959 or 1-574-259-7834.
Visit www.fda.gov
for more details on the pet food recall as they progress.
What some of our
customers are saying:
I must write to you and tell you how happy I am
that I give my dogs and cats your food. After watching all the
information on the pet food recall. I didn't have to worry one bit
that I was giving my pets the tainted food. Its such a relief. My
daughter had worked at a pet care facility some years ago, and had
heard about Eagle Pack and recommended I put all my pets on it. Of
course, I did just that. Thank you for making such healthy
(worry-free) pet food.
Jan W.
I
just wanted to say that I switched my 2 labs to Eagle Pack about 6
months ago because of skin problems. The skin problems are just
about gone and they are healthier then every, more pep in their
step and just all around happy campers.
I
knew when this recall came about that my dogs were safe because of
the products you use in your food. I knew I had nothing to worry
about and that we were good to maintain the food regimen of Eagle
Pack.
I guess in a
short I am thanking you for making a product that can be totally
trusted to be safe and reliable for the health of my dogs. I am
passing on he word to all my friends who are now at a loss as to
what to feed there animals. They didn't want to pay the extra
expense for the health of there animals, but now they are singing
a different tune.
A very
SATISIFIED dog owner.
I switched to Eagle Pack from Purina ONE about a
year ago. I have been annoyed at times about how much more expensive
Eagle Pack is than some of the other pet specialty brand avaiable.
However, my dog does seem to do better on the Duck with how bad his
seasonal allergies can get and his coat looks great. I wish the food
could do even more for him, but I doubt you could add anything that
helps with a dog that's allergic to grass.
Anyway, I just wanted to say that with this whole
pet recall mess that has been going on for over a month now, it has
really made me appreciate Eagle Pack even more and has made the extra
cost feel meaningless to me. I GREATLY appreciate the message on your
website indicating that almost all ingredients are from within the US.
While I know some things can slip through even in our country, I feel
much better standards are in place than for some of the imports.
Although this is a terrible event for the pets in our country, it has
made me feel even better about Eagle Pack and I thought I would share
that with you.
Jennifer B
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