Unquestionably, USDA certified organic pet foods are healthier than
pet foods made from conventionally produced ingredients. Unlike
cheaper conventional pet foods, USDA certified organic pet foods
contain no residues from pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, or
chemicals accumulated during manufacturing that may include a number
of the toxic chemicals that are associated with conventional pet food
processing.
Organic pet foods contain more nutrients--such as vitamins,
antioxidants, and minerals--than non-organic pet food. This is
especially important, considering the depletion of nutrients that
comes with heavy processing and the consequent need to supplement pet
foods with mostly synthetic, low-grade nutrients in order to provide
some level of nutrition to dogs, cats, or other pets. So, USDA
certified organic pet foods are a great way to provide your animal
friend with safe, nutrient-rich food staples. But bewa currently in
the USA, only organic certification is regulated by law and any claim
of organic status other than that of '(USDA) certified organic' is not
substantiated by an unbiased third party.
Organic dog foods are great if done right. The best organic dog food
is, of course, prepared fresh at home. However, this may be
challenging, given the time constraints of the modern world. Although
USDA certified organic dog foods are a great choice, there are big
differences in quality among the many available choices. Most of these
differences stem from the quality of the ingredients used. Although no
low-grade ingredients, such as byproducts or other indefinable
ingredients, can be included in USDA certified organic dog foods, a
number of important nutritional distinctions arise from manufacturers'
choices of ingredients. Some of these distinctions are highlighted
below.
Organic dog food should not contain grains or flours as first, or
primary, ingredients. Dogs did not evolve to eat grains, whether raw
or cooked. Although cooking will render grains digestible by the dog's
gastrointestinal tract, cooking also destroys many constituent
nutrients; often, the only thing left are empty calories with little
or no substantive nutritional value.
The first ingredient in organic dog food should always be a clearly
defined source of animal protein. Don't choose dog foods that contain
ingredients listed as 'chicken meals' or 'animal protein,' as these
cannot be reliably traced to their origin. Absent any known origin,
it's easy for manufacturers to use low quality sources of animal
protein. Moreover--and tragically, as recent history has taught us--if
any contamination or tainting of unsourcable ingredients occurs, it
becomes difficult to mount a quick and effective pet food recall to
save animal lives if one can't trace the ingredient in question to its
source. In the case of USDA certified organic dog foods, one needn't
worry because the USDA organic standards prohibit the use of obscure
and unsourceable low quality ingredients.
Any choice of organic dog food should contain some fruits and/or
vegetables. However, plant matter should never make up more than 50%
of the total contents of a given dog food product. The percentage of
plant matter in a given dog food should be more in the range of 30-40%
of the contents by weight. And it goes without saying that these
ingredients should be organic as well, both to avoid contamination
with toxins and increase the nutritional value and health benefits of
any given USDA certified organic dog food.
The great thing about feeding your animal with whole food-based USDA
certified organic products is that you shouldn't have to worry about
routinely supplementing whole foods with isolated nutrients because
organic foods are generally much more nutrient-dense than
conventional--or non-organic--pet foods. In the case of a truly
organic diet, you can supplement with nutrients simply on the basis of
your own animal's particular individual needs, and only when
necessary. Such occasional supplementation makes it possible for you
to choose high-quality supplements for your dog instead of the
typically low-grade vitamin-and-mineral mixes added by conventional
pet food manufacturers to enable them legally to call their foods
'balanced' or 'complete.'
Although choosing USDA certified organic pet foods over conventional
varieties is just a first step toward better health and well being for
your animal, it's a very important first step. So, be good to your
animal; take that first step today!

Recipes For Delicious, Economical, Healthful Dog Food - http://foodfdog.key.to/

In article
,
Tamara Hamilton wrote:

Unquestionably, USDA certified organic pet foods are healthier than
pet foods made from conventionally produced ingredients. Unlike
cheaper conventional pet foods, USDA certified organic pet foods
contain no residues from pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, or
chemicals accumulated during manufacturing that may include a number
of the toxic chemicals that are associated with conventional pet food
processing.
Organic pet foods contain more nutrients--such as vitamins,
antioxidants, and minerals--than non-organic pet food. This is
especially important, considering the depletion of nutrients that
comes with heavy processing and the consequent need to supplement pet
foods with mostly synthetic, low-grade nutrients in order to provide
some level of nutrition to dogs, cats, or other pets. So, USDA
certified organic pet foods are a great way to provide your animal
friend with safe, nutrient-rich food staples. But bewa currently in
the USA, only organic certification is regulated by law and any claim
of organic status other than that of '(USDA) certified organic' is not
substantiated by an unbiased third party.
Organic dog foods are great if done right. The best organic dog food
is, of course, prepared fresh at home. However, this may be
challenging, given the time constraints of the modern world. Although
USDA certified organic dog foods are a great choice, there are big
differences in quality among the many available choices. Most of these
differences stem from the quality of the ingredients used. Although no
low-grade ingredients, such as byproducts or other indefinable
ingredients, can be included in USDA certified organic dog foods, a
number of important nutritional distinctions arise from manufacturers'
choices of ingredients. Some of these distinctions are highlighted
below.
Organic dog food should not contain grains or flours as first, or
primary, ingredients. Dogs did not evolve to eat grains, whether raw
or cooked. Although cooking will render grains digestible by the dog's
gastrointestinal tract, cooking also destroys many constituent
nutrients; often, the only thing left are empty calories with little
or no substantive nutritional value.
The first ingredient in organic dog food should always be a clearly
defined source of animal protein. Don't choose dog foods that contain
ingredients listed as 'chicken meals' or 'animal protein,' as these
cannot be reliably traced to their origin. Absent any known origin,
it's easy for manufacturers to use low quality sources of animal
protein. Moreover--and tragically, as recent history has taught us--if
any contamination or tainting of unsourcable ingredients occurs, it
becomes difficult to mount a quick and effective pet food recall to
save animal lives if one can't trace the ingredient in question to its
source. In the case of USDA certified organic dog foods, one needn't
worry because the USDA organic standards prohibit the use of obscure
and unsourceable low quality ingredients.
Any choice of organic dog food should contain some fruits and/or
vegetables. However, plant matter should never make up more than 50%
of the total contents of a given dog food product. The percentage of
plant matter in a given dog food should be more in the range of 30-40%
of the contents by weight. And it goes without saying that these
ingredients should be organic as well, both to avoid contamination
with toxins and increase the nutritional value and health benefits of
any given USDA certified organic dog food.
The great thing about feeding your animal with whole food-based USDA
certified organic products is that you shouldn't have to worry about
routinely supplementing whole foods with isolated nutrients because
organic foods are generally much more nutrient-dense than
conventional--or non-organic--pet foods. In the case of a truly
organic diet, you can supplement with nutrients simply on the basis of
your own animal's particular individual needs, and only when
necessary. Such occasional supplementation makes it possible for you
to choose high-quality supplements for your dog instead of the
typically low-grade vitamin-and-mineral mixes added by conventional
pet food manufacturers to enable them legally to call their foods
'balanced' or 'complete.'
Although choosing USDA certified organic pet foods over conventional
varieties is just a first step toward better health and well being for
your animal, it's a very important first step. So, be good to your
animal; take that first step today!

Recipes For Delicious, Economical, Healthful Dog Food -
http://foodfdog.key.to/

Where did Polly Anna come from?

The USDA is charged with helping farmers sell their crops, period.

I don't have much experience with this but the following non-organic
items may be added to organic products:
Natural sausage casings (processed intestines)
Celery powder
Chia
Colors derived from these 19 extracts, juices and spices: Annatto
extract, beet juice, beta-carotene derived from carrots, black currant
juice, black/Purple carrot juice, blueberry juice, carrot juice, cherry
juice, chokecherry-aronia juice, elderberry juice, grape juice, grape
skin extract, paprika, pumpkin juice, purple potato juice, red cabbage
extract, red radish extract, saffron extract and turmeric extract.
Dillweed oil
Fish oil
Fructooligosaccharides
Frozen Galangal
Gelatin
Hops
Inulin enriched with oligofructose
Konjac flour
Frozen lemongrass
Unbleached orange shellac
Chipotle Chili Peppers
Rice Starch
Sweet Potato Starch
Turkish bay leaves
Wakame seaweed
Whey protein concentrate
Read mo
http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy...#ixzz0ozruRUnP

Fish oil and whey protein would worry me. The oceans are increasingly
polluted and with no control on the quality of fish oil, I can imagine
the companies buying the cheapest. Whey would be a protein source, as
was the adulterated wheat gluten that caused the 2007 recall of pet
foods that killed thousands of pets. With large companies (subsidiaries
of even larger companies) farming out the production of their pet food
lines to companies like "Menu", I think that everyone should be cautious
in what they feed their pets.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html