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MADE IN THE USA...MAYBE?

January 9, 2018 by Dan Washburn

If you’ve been a fur parent for a while, you’ve probably seen stories in the news which raise concerns about what you’re feeding your dog and the food’s origin.

Lawsuits against pet food manufacturers have been on the rise over the last several years. Allegations of injury and death due to tainted ingredients is the main complaint in many of these lawsuits.

In 2007, a major recall was announced which included 150 major pet food brands. This recall was in response to dozens of deaths and thousands of illnesses resulting from a premix of vitamins and minerals. These premixes are generally manufactured outside of the U.S. in countries that have sub-par standards where food safety is concerned.

The FDA issued 46 recalls on pet products in 2018. 34 of these 46 recalls were due to the discovery of added hormones or harmful bacteria.

It’s no secret that large companies have legal teams which work in coordination with marketing departments. They are aware of the legalities of FDA packaging guidelines and know the loopholes. Let’s look at what it takes for a product to be labeled Made in the USA.

WHAT "MADE IN THE USA" ACTUALLY MEANS


The FDA states that a product advertised as Made in the USA must be “all or virtually all” made in the U.S.

So what exactly does that mean?

According to the FDA, “All or virtually all” means that all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. That is, the products should contain no - or negligible - foreign content. The following is an example from the FDA:
Example: A company produces propane barbecue grills at a plant in Nevada. The product’s major components include the gas valve, burner, and aluminum housing, each of which is made in the U.S. The grill’s knobs and tubing are imported from Mexico.

An unqualified Made in USA claim is not likely to be deceptive because the knobs and tubing make up a negligible portion of the product’s total manufacturing costs and are insignificant parts of the final product.

But what if we used dog food in that example rather than a grill?
Example: A company produces dog food at a plant in Nevada. The product’s major components include corn, cornmeal, wheat, soybean meal and animal fat, each of which is made in the U.S. The dog food’s proteins, vitamins and minerals are imported from China.

An unqualified Made in USA claim is not likely to be deceptive because the proteins, vitamins, and minerals make up a negligible portion of the product’s total manufacturing costs and are insignificant parts of the final product.

See what we did there? Made in the USA can simply mean that some components were sourced from other countries, but the final product itself was technically “made” in the U.S.
So you discover a grill’s knob was made outside the U.S. and may be inferior to one made in the U.S. What is the worst that could happen? The knob may crack or fall off easily. The knob may not work at all. These are inconveniences, but at the end of the day, a broken or dysfunctional knob can be replaced.

Now let’s substitute the knob with the “insignificant part” that is animal proteins, vitamins, and minerals in most commercial dog food.

So you discover a dog food’s animal proteins, vitamins and minerals were made outside the U.S. and may be inferior to those made in the U.S. What is the worst that could happen? Well, we have the massive recall of 2007 to show us just what could happen.
This is exactly why the origin of your dog food and how it is made is vitally important!
During your next trip to the pet store, simply look at the packaging of the top-selling dog foods and you'll probably start seeing what they have in common.

You’ll notice the phrase Made in the USA, many times accompanied by stars and stripes, the U.S. flag or an outline of the U.S., which further enhances the perceived claim. NOW you know what goes into that claim.

As previously mentioned, large companies know the rules and laws regarding claims that their product is Made in the USA. But just because these claims are legal doesn't negate the fact that can be misleading. And short of doing your own research to validate that claim, you can’t just rely on what is stated on the packaging.
This isn’t the case with TruDog®.

Our products are sourced and made in the U.S.A. We use only the highest quality ingredients available. Our meat proteins come from midwest-raised animals processed in USDA certified and inspected facilities. Our vitamins, minerals, and supplements are also acquired from reputable sources within the U.S.

When it comes to TruDog®, you can rest assured that Made in the USA means exactly that.
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Dan Washburn