Spring Break
Protecting your pet: is organic actually better?
Shannon Sanders
Issue date: 10/29/07 Section: Life & Style
Organic pet food goes through all of the same processes as the rest of the organic food market to become certified. Everything from the fields where the ingredients are grown to the manufacturing and labeling of the final products must be highly regulated and monitored to be certified organic. There are no standards in place specific to organic pet food, which is why the industry follows human standards. The National Organics Standards Board of the USDA is developing rules for organic pet food, and the process is nearly complete, Gallagher said.
This growing trend in the pet-food market provides a healthier and safer alternative to traditional formulas.
"If you can do the same job with clean, pure materials, of course we are better off," said Gerald Kelso, a local veterinarian.
Organic formulas contain many of the same ingredients that are popular in organic food markets. Chicken, brown rice, peas, parsley and carrots are just a few of the organic ingredients Newman's Own Organics Premium Pet Food uses. Eliminating chemicals, pesticides and preservatives also eliminates the adverse affects that these products can have on both pets and humans.
After a recent scare in the U.S. with poisoned pet food, organic seems, to many, like the safest choice for their animals. Nearly 100 brands of pet food were recalled last spring after pets that ate the food became sick or died. The scare was linked to a rodent poison found in one of the ingredients.
"You know exactly what's in it," said Shelley Gunton, owner and co-founder of Castor & Pollux, of organic pet food, "and often you can even find out where all the ingredients were grown."
Castor & Pollux, a natural and organic pet-food producer, saw the impact of the recalled pet foods very significantly increase their sales, Gunton said. Although all of the recalled products are back on the market, some owners have made a switch to organic pet food.
The verdict is still out for many, though, about the specific benefits of going organic. Organic foods are cleaner, but there has not been enough time to do extensive research on the results of the diet.
This growing trend in the pet-food market provides a healthier and safer alternative to traditional formulas.
"If you can do the same job with clean, pure materials, of course we are better off," said Gerald Kelso, a local veterinarian.
Organic formulas contain many of the same ingredients that are popular in organic food markets. Chicken, brown rice, peas, parsley and carrots are just a few of the organic ingredients Newman's Own Organics Premium Pet Food uses. Eliminating chemicals, pesticides and preservatives also eliminates the adverse affects that these products can have on both pets and humans.
After a recent scare in the U.S. with poisoned pet food, organic seems, to many, like the safest choice for their animals. Nearly 100 brands of pet food were recalled last spring after pets that ate the food became sick or died. The scare was linked to a rodent poison found in one of the ingredients.
"You know exactly what's in it," said Shelley Gunton, owner and co-founder of Castor & Pollux, of organic pet food, "and often you can even find out where all the ingredients were grown."
Castor & Pollux, a natural and organic pet-food producer, saw the impact of the recalled pet foods very significantly increase their sales, Gunton said. Although all of the recalled products are back on the market, some owners have made a switch to organic pet food.
The verdict is still out for many, though, about the specific benefits of going organic. Organic foods are cleaner, but there has not been enough time to do extensive research on the results of the diet.
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