Dog Food Recall… Dog owners remain loyal
 The American public remain loyal to the pet food manufacturing giants according to this latest survey carried out by the Pet Food Institute. Pet owners were asked the following questions:
- In general, how confident are you that the pet food you purchase is safe to feed your pet?
- As a result of the recent pet food recalls in the news, are you more or less likely to continuing purchasing your primary brand of pet food in the future?
Surprisingly, 73% of owners are still buying the same brand of pet food even if the particular brand had been on the recall list. Duane Ekedahl, president of the PFI said:
| “Continued, strong confidence in pet food products is a testament to the fact that Americans’ dogs and cats are living longer, healthier lives due in large part to the carefully formulated, safe and nutritious pet foods on the market”. |
The owners of dogs that became seriously ill or died as a result of eating the contaminated pet food may well disagree with Mr Ekedahl.
Commercially produced dog food
The birth of commercial dog food is attributed to a man called James Spratt. In 1860 Spratt was in London selling lightening rods. He was offered some dry ship’s biscuit for his dog to eat. Seeing his dog gobble down the stale biscuit, Spratt saw an excellent opportunity to make money. He devised a “dog cake” that was baked on the premises of Walker, Harrison and Garthwaites premises. The dog cake was made from wheat, vegetables, beetroot and meat. English ‘country gentlemen’ were Spratt’s first customers. They bought the dog cake in large quantities to feed to their sporting and hunting dogs. Spratt’s Patent Ltd. was registered in 1885 followed by Spratt’s Patent (America) Ltd. In 1907, F. H. Bennet Biscuits Company introduced “Milk Bone” dog biscuits aimed at the domestic dog.
The way had been paved for the marketing of a major new dry dog meal pioneered by Gaines Food Co. in 1925. The demand for commercially produced dog food increased as more and more companies began marketing their own brand of food. By 1941 canned food was on sale and represented 91% of the poundage sales with dry food taking the other 9%. 1946 saw a complete change, possibly due to the shortage of tin. Dry food dominated the market by 85%. In the 1960’s total sales of commercially produced dog food passed the billion dollar mark. Food manufacturing giants massed their economic, political and financial power to push sales of pet food across the United States and abroad. The dog being fed table scraps disappeared as owners were informed or misinformed (depending on your point of view) of the ‘nutritional benefits’ of commercial dog food.
The main reason dog owners buy commercial dog food lies in its convenience. Dog food can be purchased at local shops or at large supermarkets or pet shops. It comes in various forms and can be bought in bulk saving the owner time and money. Time is a commodity that the average working dog owner often lacks. To keep up with life’s fast pace of juggling work, home, children and the family pet, leaves people hard pushed to prepare a nutritional home-made meal for the family dog. Is it any wonder that the manufacturing dog food giants have been quick to cash in on a niche created by today’s busy lifestyle! The fact that dog food manufacturers are more concerned about their profits and stock prices than about the interests of the companion animal seems to go unnoticed.
The Pet Food Institute
Pet food manufacturers have yearly profits of $38 Billion in the United States. The Pet Food Institute (PFI) has been the US pet food manufacturers voice since 1957 and represents the companies that make 98% of all cat and dog food in the US. The PFI is the pet food industry’s:
- Public education and media relations resource,
- Representative before the US Congress and state and federal agencies,
- Organisers of seminars and educational programmes
- Organisers of surveys and other related campaigns
One may be forgiven for thinking that the PFI has a vested interest in the public remaining loyal to the pet food industry!
To become a member of the PFI the applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Be a pet food manufacturer
- Be a supplier of ingredients, equipment or services to the pet food industry (affiliate member)
For example; in the state of California, active members of the PFI are Nutro Products and Natura Pet Products. Affiliate members are; Analytical Laboratories in Anaheim Inc. Petaluma Poultry and SRC Milling Company L.L.C. In Ontario, Canada the active member of the PFI is Menu Foods Ltd. (a leading name associated with the pet food recall) Affiliate members include Peel Plastic Products Ltd and Gunther Huettlin Manufacturing Inc.
At a testimony before the Senate Committee on Appropriations on April 12th, the PFI president, Duane Ekedahl said:
| “These recent weeks have been difficult ones for pet owners concerned and confused about the recall. Pet food has one of the highest consumer confidence ratings of any product in the grocery store today. Our recent polling, and that of Gallop, indicates consumers have confidence in the industry, even in this time of confusion and concern”. |
Ekedahl went on to address the committee:
| “Mr Chairman, the industry is dedicated to supporting the health of dogs and cats, and will continue to cooperate fully as we move forward. There is every reason for consumers to feel confident in the products we produce”. |
The day before Duane Ekedahl addressed the Senate Committee, April 11th; an online database was reporting as many as 3,600 deaths of cats and dogs from eating contaminated pet food. Many sources speculate that the true number of affected animals may never be known. Ekedahl stood before the Committee and stated that ‘consumers have confidence in the industry’ yet as he spoke the popularity of books on home prepared pet foods on ‘Amazon.com’ rocketed.
If the American public had such confidence in the pet food industry as the pet food recall list grew by the day, why then were newspapers, television companies and the pet food manufacturers inundated with phone calls or emails from a desperate public. Menu Foods experienced their highest number of telephone calls ever from people whose pets were sick and dying. Such is the pet owner’s confidence in the industry that numerous lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers. Menu Foods alone stands to lose $42 million.
An online petition by itchmo.com calls for pet food manufacturers to set higher standards for pet food and raises awareness so that pet owners demand higher grade dog food. American dog owner confidence in the dog food industry has more to do with the convenience of the product than its quality, which is completely non-existent in most cases.
|
