The Raw Industry
Sent on September 26, 2019
The Raw Industry
If you follow TRUTHaboutpetfood.com with any regularity you probably have heard of the illegal, unethical and quite honestly, heart breaking actions of our government and more specifically those who regulate pet food. Susan Thixton, starter of TRUTHaboutpetfood, has the best interest of all pet owners and if you haven't yet signed up for their newsletter, I would highly recommend it to keep your finger on the pulse.
How does this impact you?
First, let's look back to October 2018 -- here is a snip from RadCat's Blog titled: "The Rad Cat FDA Experience"
"The FDA is an agency that runs unchecked and they govern themselves, so they can essentially do whatever they please." Read more here.
Focusing on FDA's zero tolerance ‘policy’, I could, in my optimistic world, see why they may have started it... Kibble for example, uses rendering processes which has the goal to kill any and all bacteria (both good and bad). When handling kibble, (most) kibble feeders do not expect any risk of handling or include safe handling steps in their due diligence while feeding their pets. Honestly, how many kids do you know that have "tasted" dog food. If the pet owners that fed kibble expected there to be risks of bacteria, they would never leave the food unattended (well I would certainly hope not).
Whether or not the FDA's zero tolerance policy was grounded in this logic, I can't say for sure, but I know many who believe it was simply created to shut down raw pet food manufacturers.
In contrast with kibble, my product labels state:
“Not for human consumption. For intermittent or supplemental feeding only. Species appropriate pet food components. No preservatives.
Some food products may contain bacteria that could cause illness if the product is mishandled or cooked improperly.”
The labeling also contains – “Safe Handling Instructions: Keep refrigerated or frozen. Do not defrost frozen meat and poultry products at room temperature. Keeping the products cold during defrosting is the key to preventing bacteria from growing. Keep raw meat and poultry separate from other foods. Wash all utensils, cutting surfaces, counters and hands with hot soapy water after contact with meat and poultry.“
We do not live in a sterile environment, nor do we want to, and it is important for you to know that we do not use a kill step in our process at Hare Today. This is grounded on the belief of a species’ appropriate diet and raising animals as naturally as possible, knowing that carnivores thrive and can have optimal health on live, minimally processed, raw food.
So the zero tolerance becomes an issue, more specifically that government agencies do not quantify levels (which is required by law) and also that Raw and Kibble are governed by the same policy.
Who doesn't love cookies, so I will use this analogy,
Applying the same zero tolerance policy to both Raw and Kibble is like applying one “cookie cutter policy” to Oreos and Raw Cookie dough, whereas they are different, labeled differently and should be handled differently.
What can you expect from Hare Today?
I have two (2) simple goals for Hare Today as the year is quickly coming to an end, first transparency and second is always improving our food safety.
Transparency
I try to link websites, when possible, to my product descriptions to tell people where our products are sourced. A lot of companies will not provide this information and they will say that it is proprietary information, but I feel as a consumer you have the right to know the sources.
We are also working on a product catalog and hope that will be available in the coming year.
Opening our doors, within our About Us page on the website, more information will be added regarding our facility, storage, employees and more.
Food Safety
I take this topic very seriously and it is the foundation for our quality products.
First, we use Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) which include using USDA and state inspected meats. Good products in, means good products out. Hormone free and humanly raised and handled. Also, as part of our GMP, we handle our raw products at very cold temperatures which minimizes any likelihood of bacteria growth. As a small family business, I am not required to independently test my products, but I have tested for Salmonella, E coli and L Mono with no detection found, and test on going. These are just a few steps used in our preventive controls and I hope to include more details as I expand our About Us.
Also, I wanted to tell you about this petition that I signed:
"Fight for Your Right to Buy Minimally Processed Pet Food"
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fight-for-your-right-to-buy-minimally-processed
I really care about this cause, as the Raw Industry will stand UNITED, and I'd love it if you joined me in supporting it. It's free and takes just a few seconds of your time.
The purpose of this Petition is to respectfully request and encourage the judges, Congress, state legislatures and other oversight authorities to protect consumer rights to buy and feed raw or minimally processed pet food, and to prohibit government agencies from arbitrarily creating, without science, and enforcing Zero Tolerance Policies and Rules. To view the first affiliated lawsuit by ANSWERS™ Pet Food of what is hoped will become several actions to defend your right to buy raw or minimally processed food and to get more involved, please visit www.freedomtofeed.info.
Gesture of our gratitude!!
From October 1-10, 2019 (as supplies last) receive a FREE gift from us.
Pick one of the following FREE items and add it to your cart, with a minimum purchase of $1, and make sure to place your order within the dates listed above.
At checkout enter one of the applicable Coupon codes below and the price will be deducted from your total.
| Product: | Coupon Code: |
|---|---|
| Pawbreakers Catnip Ball | FREE4U |
| Pure Buffalo 6" Bully Bone | FREEGIFT |
*Coupon codes must be applied during checkout only. Please do not email about coupon codes not applied at checkout, no credit will be given after orders are completed.
I am passionate about offering only the BEST for our domesticated carnivores and I thank you for your continued support of our small family business.
Ashlee
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