# Pledge to Quality and Origin



## NewfieAussie (Feb 19, 2013)

I've been studying more about dog food and it's source of origin and came across something interesting and wondered what people thought about this pledge.

On Susan Thixson's website Truth About Dog Food she has a page where dog food manufacturers will provide a pledge to QUALITY and ORIGIN of their ingredients.

It is a list of top quality dogs that provide transparency of their ingredients. On the list are foods like Carna4, Farmina, Honest Kitchen, K9 Natural and many more.

However, I was wondering why some of the foods talked a lot about on DFC are not on there, missing is Fromm, Champion and Earthborn. 

Wonder why Fromm, Champion and Earthborn won't sign this pledge. Hmmmm


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## FarminaND (May 23, 2013)

We were happy to provide the pledge to Ms. Thixton's website as we support her cause. We are preparing to make the two Natural & Delicious lines available to American consumers and thought it would be refreshing to begin this way. We work with a relatively small group of suppliers in Italy, France and Denmark so it is very easy for us to know exactly what goes into our products. We in fact audit our suppliers on a regular basis. Almost all our suppliers are well known to European consumers in the supermarkets, such as Amadori and AIA, which provide all of our chicken products. Our herring products come from the most respected supplier in Scandinavia and our wild boar ingredients come from one supplier in the Tuscan countryside. The potato, spelt and oats in our food come from small cooperative farmers in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

Apart from ingredients harvested in the wild, we source only from the GMO-Free regions of Italy and France. Both countries are at the forefront of eliminating GMO products from the food supply. Italy is a proud sponsor of the Florence Charter and is one of the most vocal anti-GMO countries in the world.

So we say hello to the USA and hope our products become the leading high protein products here as they are in Europe. The foods will offer 30% - 42% protein with very controlled levels of ash, and no vegetable concentrates or legume protein. Consumers will find the lowest amount of animal protein as a percentage of total protein to be 92%. Most will be significantly higher.

The best way to say hello is *"Dalla Nostra Famiglia alla Vostra"*.


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## jaber6 (Feb 21, 2013)

Interesting. I sent it to Dr. Tim's, lets see if they participate 

EDIT:

Just got e-mail back from Dr. Tim's. Once he's settled back from his trip to Alaska, he'll complete the Pledge & Origin form.


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## CrazyZane (Apr 14, 2013)

I don't see a lot of the so called 4 and 5 star kibbles on there.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

jaber6 said:


> Interesting. I sent it to Dr. Tim's, lets see if they participate
> 
> EDIT:
> 
> Just got e-mail back from Dr. Tim's. Once he's settled back from his trip to Alaska, he'll complete the Pledge & Origin form.



Nice, I posted it on Dr. Tim's page too, also put it on Annamaet's and asked them to complete it.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

Nice to hear from Farmia here, Dalla Nostra Famiglia alla Vostra!

I'm not surprised at all that Tim will sign the pledge; he's that kind of man.


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## dog (Feb 23, 2013)

Don't get me wrong. I think this kind of transparency among dog food companies is a good thing. And, I'm not trying to be mean, but, I have never heard of Susan Thixston or her website. I went to the website and read her "about Truth About Dog Food" page. The best I can tell, she ran a boarding and dog training school. There is no mention of a degree or any other credentials except "I am a pet owner who knows that good nutrition makes a huge difference in the quality of a pet’s life." 

Seems to me that she is trying to make her website an authority on dog food, but she does not seem to be an authority on dog food. I'd like to see the same transparency from her that she is requesting from the dog food companies. What exactly makes her an authority? What is her degree. If she has one is it related to animal nutrition? If she has veterinarian involvement, what are their names? How involved are they? Do they actually work for her? Or, does she just ask them an occasional question when she brings her own dogs in for an office visit? 

I just don't know why dog food companies should feel the need to answer to her. They probably don't either which is my guess as to why she hasn't gotten very many responses to her "Pledge to quality". Anytime I have asked Champion a nutrition related question about Orijen they have given me a thorough answer. I'm not always happy that is sometimes takes over 2 weeks to get the answer, but they do answer. So why not just ask your pet food manufacture of choice your questions. Their answers to you will be just as forthcoming as what will be provided to Susan Thixston. She has no authority so they can tell her whatever they want. The shortlist of manufacturers that signed her "pledge" could have told her anything just to make the list hoping it might get them a few more sales.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

You don't have to be an authority in anything in order to recognize good and bad dog food, good & bad practices of manufacturers etc. I'm not saying that she is the end all to beat all but with all the dog food recalls, I find it refreshing that someone is trying to make dog food companies accountable. I personally want transparency. I frequent another forum and it boggles my mind to read about dog food companies that have dog owners who contact them and they never respond. To *me*, that is not acceptable. Some people don't see the big deal, their dogs eat the food with no problems but what happens when you do have a problem, have a sick dog? Waiting weeks, or never, for a response, isn't acceptable.

All JMO of course.


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