Blue Buffalo Admits there were Chicken-by-Products...

[mimimomo]

http://truthaboutpetfood.com/surpris...falo-pet-food/

Surprising Statement from Blue Buffalo Pet Food

October 15, 2014 in Pet Food News 46 Comment

Yesterday (October 14, 2014) Blue Buffalo announced some of their pet foods did contain by-products, with blame pointed towards an ingredient supplier. Blue stated a supplier “mislabeled” some ingredients selling numerous pet food brands including Blue Buffalo a chicken meal that was actually a by-product chicken meal.
In the midst of a major lawsuit (Purina suing Blue Buffalo claiming Blue used by-products in their foods), Blue Buffalo made a surprising statement.

“Blue Buffalo has recently learned from Wilbur-Ellis, a major U.S. Company that supplies ingredients to us and many other well-known brands of pet foods, that a Texas pet food ingredient processing plant they own had mislabeled some of the ingredients they shipped to their customers. So while their customers were ordering and paying for 100% chicken meal, at times they were receiving shipments that contained poultry by-product meal.”
“Since this Wilbur-Ellis plant was the source of some of our chicken meal, we may have received some of these mislabeled shipments, and there likely are numerous other pet food companies who also received these mislabeled ingredients. The FDA has been informed of this situation, and you may rest assured that this mislabeling poses no health, safety or nutrition issue. And while this is comforting, since the health and well-being of our dogs and cats comes before anything else, the fact that any Blue Buffalo food could include a mislabeled ingredient is totally unacceptable. As a result, we have stopped doing business with this plant.”

Purina’s ‘beef’ with Blue has been the company advertised no use of by-products in their foods when Purina’s testing confirmed the use of by-products. With this surprising statement from Blue, it appears Blue is admitting some of their products did indeed contain by-products – though they are declaring it is no fault of their own. Blue is passing ‘the by-product buck’ on to the ingredient supplier Wilbur-Ellis. (Click Here and/or Here to read more about Purina vs Blue lawsuit.)
Wilbur-Ellis has a history of concerns. A search on the FDA website found mention of a 2008 violation of medicated feed. A 2013 recall due to excess drug concentration of a “Dewormer” product. And Wilbur-Ellis is mentioned in FDA testimony to Congress as importing melamine tainted rice protein linked to the deadly 2007 pet food recall.
The recent Blue statement advised that FDA has been notified of the ingredient problem and clearly implicates numerous other pet food manufacturers are involved (purchasing a chicken meal ingredient that is actually a lesser quality by-product meal). Questions have been sent to FDA asking the names of all other pet food involved. And I have contacted the ingredient supplier Wilbur-Ellis requesting more information. When more is learned – it will be posted.
Until then, many questions for consumers…
With an admission of mislabeling, will Blue Buffalo recall these products?
Will the other pet foods involved be recalled?
Should the pet foods involved be recalled? (Consumer perspective.)
Was Blue Buffalo’s statement that “numerous other pet food companies” purchased mislabeled ingredients an attempt to throw other manufacturers under the bus? An attempt to deflect blame from Blue to other manufacturers?
Is one of the other manufacturers that purchased the mislabeled chicken meal from Wilbur-Ellis Purina?
Whose responsibility is it? Where does responsibility lie when purchasing pet food ingredients – the ingredient supplier or the manufacturer (the ingredient purchaser)?
When will this pet food mayhem end? When will federal and state authorities step up and protect pet food consumers?

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients? Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘rest of the story’ on over 2500 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. www.PetsumerReport.com

[sandy simpson]

Sure glad I took my boys off Blue Buffalo. I just did not trust that company. I did some research and finally found one I can trust with recommendations from people who know dog food. Wellness was my choice. I am happy with that food.

[Verbena]

Amazing . . . I am so glad I am feeding Stella and chewy . .and primal

[Nancy1999]

Oh wonderful. I always had the impression that Purina learned about this through some type of whistle blower disgruntled employee situation, so I believed the story to be true. However, with all the denying that BB did, I was beginning to wonder and now to hear of this, it tells me they could care less what goes into their food. Honestly, it so hard to choose a good safe dog food.

[tiffygirl2003]

I just switched last week to Blue Buffalo Wilderness and Freedom for Seniors. I thought I was done with the dog food research. I liked the high protein content of Blue. I will be returning Blue to Petsmart for an exchange. During my research, I also liked Wellness so that may be my next food for my babies. Any recommendations. I have 3 Yorkies ages 11yrs, 3 yrs, and a pregnant 2 yrs old.


Thanks Mimimomo for the info!

[Yorkiemom1]

There is actually nothing wrong with "chicken by products, or "chicken meal"....the real issue is the fact that Blue did not want their customers to know they were incorporating this "horrible stuff" in their glorious food....so they denied using it and did not put it on their labels....did not want those people that read those ingredient labels to see that "horrible stuff" listed on there. They lied to the consumers...either directly or by ommission. That is where Purina has them by the short hairs!

[mimimomo]

Yes there is, the quality is of concern. These chickens were not raised cage free, eating insects, living naturally...they're kept in dark warehouse, fed food mixed w/feces & urine, inhumane conditions all their short lives.

That's what goes into dog & cat food, along w/maggots, mold, fur, feather, dead, diseased, dying, disabled animals, even euthanized ones. There is a BIG difference.

[mindy10]

My dog is allergic to chicken. You have to be careful. I was about to by him a salmon and potatoe food today but on the back it said it contained chicken meal. So you really need to read the ingredients. I finally found a food that had no chicken at all in it.

[107barney]

Originally Posted by mimimomo

Yes there is, the quality is of concern. These chickens were not raised cage free, eating insects, living naturally...they're kept in dark warehouse, fed food mixed w/feces & urine, inhumane conditions all their short lives.

That's what goes into dog & cat food, along w/maggots, mold, fur, feather, dead, diseased, dying, disabled animals, even euthanized ones. There is a BIG difference.

These claims never have any proof. I've heard these claims for years....yet no one can substantiate them. I notice most of the websites making said claims have an agenda of their own.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by mimimomo

Yes there is, the quality is of concern. These chickens were not raised cage free, eating insects, living naturally...they're kept in dark warehouse, fed food mixed w/feces & urine, inhumane conditions all their short lives.

That's what goes into dog & cat food, along w/maggots, mold, fur, feather, dead, diseased, dying, disabled animals, even euthanized ones. There is a BIG difference.

That is not in every dog food!

[mimimomo]

Sorry, I should clarify...it's not in every cat/ dog food. The ingredients to look out for are 'meat & bone meal', 'poultry meal/ digest', animal fat/ digest, etc...the unnamed, mystery meats. Those are rendered from the euthanized animals, 4D meats, etc.

There are hidden videos all over utube exposing what really goes into making pet food...there are rendering plants. Link below is how to get a Dead Animal Transport/ Dealer License.
MDARD - Dead Animal Dealer/Renderer License

All the foods that are unfit for human consumption goes into making cat/dog food (again, not all pet food). They're not neatly packaged up & transported in refrigerated trucks.

I would look for a pet food company that says they use organic USDA (grass fed meat, preferably), one that doesn't hide where their ingredients comes from. You can always contact them & ask.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by mimimomo

Sorry, I should clarify...it's not in every cat/ dog food. The ingredients to look out for are 'meat & bone meal', 'poultry meal/ digest', animal fat/ digest, etc...the unnamed, mystery meats. Those are rendered from the euthanized animals, 4D meats, etc.

There are hidden videos all over utube exposing what really goes into making pet food...there are rendering plants. Link below is how to get a Dead Animal Transport/ Dealer License.
MDARD - Dead Animal Dealer/Renderer License

All the foods that are unfit for human consumption goes into making cat/dog food (again, not all pet food). They're not neatly packaged up & transported in refrigerated trucks.

I would look for a pet food company that says they use organic USDA (grass fed meat, preferably), one that doesn't hide where their ingredients comes from. You can always contact them & ask.

Not all of those ingredients mean they are from euthanized animals.

[mimimomo]

I'm not sure what you mean Taylor, all euthanized animals are picked up from shelters, zoos, animal testing facilities & transported to rendering plants.

[107barney]

Sorry but "hidden videos" are simply propaganda. Let's see someone really substantiate this so-called practice. The propaganda around pet food is always self-serving for whoever is marketing something and if you look close they are always selling something.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by mimimomo

Yes there is, the quality is of concern. These chickens were not raised cage free, eating insects, living naturally...they're kept in dark warehouse, fed food mixed w/feces & urine, inhumane conditions all their short lives.

That's what goes into dog & cat food, along w/maggots, mold, fur, feather, dead, diseased, dying, disabled animals, even euthanized ones. There is a BIG difference.

Jenny, I understand your concern about the chickens, and I'm glad that there are people like you who are facing these issues on animal treatment, but this in some ways this clouds the issue. The thing that should be addressed is there is a difference between chicken by-product meal and chicken meal? There is a huge difference and that's why Blue Buffalo wanted to cover it up.

Chicken by-product meal: the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice.

Chicken meal, is the dry rendered product from a combination of clean flesh and skin with and without accompanying bone, derived from whole carcasses of chicken thereof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet and entrails.

Basically the difference is chicken meal contains chicken meat, bones and skin with no intestines, feathers, heads or feet. The by-products contains what is left over. There is little to no muscle meat in chicken by-products and while it's considered "high protein" like chicken meal, it is not considered a high quality protein. Supermarket foods have been using by-products for years, they are much cheaper than the premium products found at pet stores. Dog survive on these diets, but do they thrive? Just like the person who lives on fast food vs. the person who eats a healthy balanced diet, including lean protein, it can take years before you actually see a difference.