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Originally Posted by Ellie May  I am not 107barney, but yes I do believe the new food is as good. |
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Originally Posted by 107barney Well, I AM 107barney and I too believe the food is just as good  |
I am not either of the above, but I would personally believe it because I am a blind, deaf and dumb follower.
Just kidding of course. I think too many of these "holistic" companies and other people trying to make money off of pet owners (example Dog Food Advisor) have pretty much used the only thing they can to compete and I am not at all convinced of the validity especially when I see so many of those companies having recall after recall.
There is another thread where some natural site is bashing AAFCO now...lol of course they are!
Here is part of an email I received from a vet nutritionist when I was trying to decide what to feed my pups. I had specifically asked about Castor and Pollux because I was having some concerns. I will also share it on that thread. I am by NO means an expert and I doubt many here are.....what I will say is that I find Ellie May and 107barney to be very well read on this topic.
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From Castor and Pollux web site: Natural Ultramix Puppy Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth and gestation/lactation.
This food has been formulated according to AAFCO profiles but not feeding trial tested. A statement of feeding trial tested is preferred when you select a product.
I would recommend looking for the following statement on the label of whatever you feed for best assurance of performance of the product. Here is an example:
"Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Brand X Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult dogs." (or "all life stages" which would be in the case of puppies or breeding animals etc.)
Here is some additional info on the difference. Regards, Dr. (left name out as I did not get permission to share)
Nutritional Adequacy Statement or "AAFCO Statement"
Every pet food label must contain a statement and validation of nutritional adequacy. AAFCO regulations allow two basic methods for pet food manufacturers to substantiate claims.
Formulation Method — Requires the manufacturer to formulate the food to meet the AAFCO nutrient profiles for dogs and cats.
This method is less time consuming and less expensive because feeding trials with pets are not required, only a calculation of the nutrient levels.
An example of an AAFCO statement using the formulation method would be: "Brand ABC Cat Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO Cat Food Profiles for maintenance of adult cats."
Feeding Trial Method — Requires the manufacturer perform an AAFCO-protocol feeding trial using the food as the sole source of nutrition.
Gold Standard or preferred method.
Documents the pets' performance when fed the food.
An example of an AAFCO statement using the feeding trial method would be: "Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Brand X Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult dogs."