North Carolina has clarified a long-standing rule banning non-service animals from restaurants by adding a caveat to exclude outdoor seating areas from the restriction.
Animals in restaurants are regulated as part of health inspections, said Larry Michael, head of the food protection branch of the state's Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Enforcement, however, has not been consistent due to varying interpretations of the rule. The clarification states that restaurants can choose whether to allow pets in their outdoor seating areas. Pets must be leashed, can't enter the restaurant and can't come in contact with employees preparing food or food service items.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Honest Kitchen promotes variety for pet diets
The Honest Kitchen is working to dispel the idea that table scraps—and variety—are off the menu for pets with its line of natural, human-grade petfood.
"There is nothing wrong with table scraps as long as they are healthy and given in moderation," said Honest Kitchen CEO Lucy Postins. "Pets, like people, need dietary variety and seasonal foods to get a semblance of balance over the week for healthful benefits and to eliminate boredom from a monotonous diet." The Honest Kitchen provides natural petfood that meets American Association of Feed Control Officials standards. Recipes call for human-grade food and are taste-tested by company employees. The dehydrated final products include a protein (chicken, beef or fish) and a range of fruits and vegetables. No fillers, byproducts or artificial preservatives, colors or flavors are used, according to the company.
There are, however, five ingredients that should never be fed to cats or dogs, said Postins: Grapes, raisins, chocolate, macadamia nuts and onions can all be detrimental to pet health.
"There is nothing wrong with table scraps as long as they are healthy and given in moderation," said Honest Kitchen CEO Lucy Postins. "Pets, like people, need dietary variety and seasonal foods to get a semblance of balance over the week for healthful benefits and to eliminate boredom from a monotonous diet." The Honest Kitchen provides natural petfood that meets American Association of Feed Control Officials standards. Recipes call for human-grade food and are taste-tested by company employees. The dehydrated final products include a protein (chicken, beef or fish) and a range of fruits and vegetables. No fillers, byproducts or artificial preservatives, colors or flavors are used, according to the company.
There are, however, five ingredients that should never be fed to cats or dogs, said Postins: Grapes, raisins, chocolate, macadamia nuts and onions can all be detrimental to pet health.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Petco, Natural Balance team up to support National Guide Dog Month
Petco and Natural Balance Pet Foods will team up during September to support National Guide Dog Month.
One dollar for each bag of specially marked Natural Balance dog food purchased in September will be donated to participating guide dog schools, up to $50,000. In addition, monetary donations can be made at any Petco in-store register (through Sept. 18) or online at the checkout page (through Sept. 24).
One dollar for each bag of specially marked Natural Balance dog food purchased in September will be donated to participating guide dog schools, up to $50,000. In addition, monetary donations can be made at any Petco in-store register (through Sept. 18) or online at the checkout page (through Sept. 24).
RECALL: Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs
The Hartz Mountain Corp. is voluntarily recalling one specific lot of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs due to Salmonella concerns.
the petfood company is recalling 74,700 8-oz bags of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs, lot code BZ0969101E, UPC number 32700-11519, which were imported by Hartz from a Brazilian supplier, Bertin S.A., and which were distributed to a number of customers in the United States. While regular testing conducted by Bertin (prior to shipment to the US) did not detect the presence of Salmonella in any packages of this product, random sample testing conducted by FDA did indicate the presence of Salmonella.
Consumers can contact Hartz at 1-800-275-1414 at any time with any questions they may have and for information on how to obtain reimbursement for purchased product.
the petfood company is recalling 74,700 8-oz bags of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs, lot code BZ0969101E, UPC number 32700-11519, which were imported by Hartz from a Brazilian supplier, Bertin S.A., and which were distributed to a number of customers in the United States. While regular testing conducted by Bertin (prior to shipment to the US) did not detect the presence of Salmonella in any packages of this product, random sample testing conducted by FDA did indicate the presence of Salmonella.
Consumers can contact Hartz at 1-800-275-1414 at any time with any questions they may have and for information on how to obtain reimbursement for purchased product.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Seasonal Dog Food?
When I first read Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, updated and published by the National Research Council in 2006, my marketing persona wondered (among other things) if someone would pounce on the seasonal aspect of pet nutrition.
To be honest, I laughed it off. The variances are easily covered by a quality diet and clean water, so why bother?Apparently I was wrong, as we now have Seasons Natural, which appears to be based on the information in this publication.The Seasons Natural website states "In the wild, animals forage the seasonal foods presented by nature in preparation for the upcoming season.
A wild animal's diet changes with the seasons. At Seasons Natural®, we have employed the latest advances in pet nutrition to provide your pet a diet that is seasonally appropriate, just as nature intended."We're becoming very focused on what is natural in the wild.
This isn't a new concept in a field I specialize in - aquatic creatures. From environment to food, it's been well researched and discussed to exhaustion. What we've concluded is that we should definitely consider the wild diet when formulating captive diets, but that information must be adjusted to captive conditions.
For example, a livebearing fish in the wild normally has seasonal breeding cycles, diapauses, etc. In captivity, they usually breed all year so their captive diet should be modeled after their breeding season diet in the wild. Fishkeepers have also learned that behavior in the wild is often centered on survival, not because it's the ideal. A good example of that is the well known Betta splendens or 'Fighting Fish', It is a common belief that these fish can be kept in very small bowls because they can be found in shallow puddles in the wild.
However, while Bettas are capable of surviving in mud puddles during dry season, it isn't their ideal environment by a long shot.This is summed up well by Dr. Stephen Dreyer in his book, Feeding Tropical Fishes the Right Way, "What Nature has constructed as aids to survival must never be the rule for aquarists."This makes me wonder if we should be considering the seasonal diet of 'wild animals' when formulating the diet of domestic dogs at all.
Most dogs live in warm homes, so their metabolic changes due to a change of seasons should be nil. Their digestive evolution seems to have little to do with seasonal foraging, other than enabling them to uptake nutrients from various sources so they can survive. I wish this brand well with their idea and it looks like it would be fine to feed the food if it makes pet parents feel better.
They're pushing marketing limits though, and I think they're going to find that even the most 'natural' enthusiast will be a tough sell for this concept. I'm not concerned so much as intrigued by just how necessary it is. It would be interesting to have the experts weigh in on this notion. Is there really a notable difference in seasonal nutritional requirements?
To be honest, I laughed it off. The variances are easily covered by a quality diet and clean water, so why bother?Apparently I was wrong, as we now have Seasons Natural, which appears to be based on the information in this publication.The Seasons Natural website states "In the wild, animals forage the seasonal foods presented by nature in preparation for the upcoming season.
A wild animal's diet changes with the seasons. At Seasons Natural®, we have employed the latest advances in pet nutrition to provide your pet a diet that is seasonally appropriate, just as nature intended."We're becoming very focused on what is natural in the wild.
This isn't a new concept in a field I specialize in - aquatic creatures. From environment to food, it's been well researched and discussed to exhaustion. What we've concluded is that we should definitely consider the wild diet when formulating captive diets, but that information must be adjusted to captive conditions.
For example, a livebearing fish in the wild normally has seasonal breeding cycles, diapauses, etc. In captivity, they usually breed all year so their captive diet should be modeled after their breeding season diet in the wild. Fishkeepers have also learned that behavior in the wild is often centered on survival, not because it's the ideal. A good example of that is the well known Betta splendens or 'Fighting Fish', It is a common belief that these fish can be kept in very small bowls because they can be found in shallow puddles in the wild.
However, while Bettas are capable of surviving in mud puddles during dry season, it isn't their ideal environment by a long shot.This is summed up well by Dr. Stephen Dreyer in his book, Feeding Tropical Fishes the Right Way, "What Nature has constructed as aids to survival must never be the rule for aquarists."This makes me wonder if we should be considering the seasonal diet of 'wild animals' when formulating the diet of domestic dogs at all.
Most dogs live in warm homes, so their metabolic changes due to a change of seasons should be nil. Their digestive evolution seems to have little to do with seasonal foraging, other than enabling them to uptake nutrients from various sources so they can survive. I wish this brand well with their idea and it looks like it would be fine to feed the food if it makes pet parents feel better.
They're pushing marketing limits though, and I think they're going to find that even the most 'natural' enthusiast will be a tough sell for this concept. I'm not concerned so much as intrigued by just how necessary it is. It would be interesting to have the experts weigh in on this notion. Is there really a notable difference in seasonal nutritional requirements?
'Pet fest' distributes 70,000 pounds of petfood to struggling families
A "pet fest" held in Louisiana resulted in 70,000 pounds of petfood distributed to help pet owners struggling in the wake of the recent US oil spill.
Local companies and individuals donated time and products to make the event a success, according to organizers. "It was a miracle—putting it all together," said Dennis Breaud, a manager at Petco and one of the event organizers. In addition to the petfood, $15,000 was collected to help pets in need.
Local companies and individuals donated time and products to make the event a success, according to organizers. "It was a miracle—putting it all together," said Dennis Breaud, a manager at Petco and one of the event organizers. In addition to the petfood, $15,000 was collected to help pets in need.
FTC may crack down on 'greenwashing'
For the first time in 12 years, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will reportedly soon release a new set of "Green Guides," environmental marketing guidelines for how companies market and label their products, packaging and corporate initiatives as "green."
According to AdAge.com, which consulted advertising law specialist Christopher Cole, the guides could make many of the 300+ environmental seals of approval now being used on packaging and products "largely useless and possibly in violation of FTC standards." The Ad Age article also said the guides could affect initiatives by Walmart and other large retailers to establish sustainability ratings for products.
And besides tightening standards and possibly even regulating how companies use claims such as recyclable, biodegradable and carbon neutral, the guides "may also attempt to define such legally and linguistically squishy terms as 'sustainability' or tackle the central issue of many 'greenwashing' controversies," the article says. (Greenwashing, in case you're not familiar with the term, is when marketers try to paint their products or practices as environmentally friendly when they actually aren't.)
In my view, "legally and linguistically squishy"--besides being a great phrase--really hones in on the issue. No one, whether consumers, marketers or regulators, can really define what sustainability is; everyone has their own definition. (Actually, I see it as more of a continuum of practices, including development and use of specific types of products, but that's still very vague.)
Yet consumers are demanding sustainable products and corporate practices--including from petfood manufacturers--even if they don't know exactly what that means. Perhaps the new FTC guides, expected to be out by the end of this month, will move at least the US market closer to clarity. In any event, they're likely to change the green landscape as we now know it.
According to AdAge.com, which consulted advertising law specialist Christopher Cole, the guides could make many of the 300+ environmental seals of approval now being used on packaging and products "largely useless and possibly in violation of FTC standards." The Ad Age article also said the guides could affect initiatives by Walmart and other large retailers to establish sustainability ratings for products.
And besides tightening standards and possibly even regulating how companies use claims such as recyclable, biodegradable and carbon neutral, the guides "may also attempt to define such legally and linguistically squishy terms as 'sustainability' or tackle the central issue of many 'greenwashing' controversies," the article says. (Greenwashing, in case you're not familiar with the term, is when marketers try to paint their products or practices as environmentally friendly when they actually aren't.)
In my view, "legally and linguistically squishy"--besides being a great phrase--really hones in on the issue. No one, whether consumers, marketers or regulators, can really define what sustainability is; everyone has their own definition. (Actually, I see it as more of a continuum of practices, including development and use of specific types of products, but that's still very vague.)
Yet consumers are demanding sustainable products and corporate practices--including from petfood manufacturers--even if they don't know exactly what that means. Perhaps the new FTC guides, expected to be out by the end of this month, will move at least the US market closer to clarity. In any event, they're likely to change the green landscape as we now know it.
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