[Case]

On June 30th, I contacted Earthborn Holistics with the following inquiry:

On Jun 30, 2014, at 5:48 PM, Case and Nicky Lofton wrote:

Hi,

I see other brands that list the % of meat and plant ingredients that are used in their products. I use your food and I’d like this information on your grain free dog foods.

Thanks,
Case

I received the following reply:

Case,

Thank you for your interest in Earthborn Holistic Natural Food for Pets. I do not have this information. I can see if our nutritionist has it available. Some parts of our formula info is proprietary; we don’t want others to figure out how we make our great food. I’ll check to see if this is available.

Cindy Montgomery
VP, Marketing
Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc.
9634 Hedden Road
Evansville, IN 47725
p 812-867-4504, ext. 107
f 812-867-0424
[email protected]

To which I replied:

Cindy,

The info that I’m seeking is in no way detailed. Many manufacturers print it on their bags. Orijen puppy
food for example is 80% meat ingredients, 20% plant ingredients. There are many other companies that share this info. It doesn’t offer any real insight on the formula.

Thanks for your time,
Case

I never heard anything back so I wrote Cindy again yesterday:

Hi Cindy,

Any word on the percentages?

Here’s a photo of the food that I’m currently feeding to demonstrate that I am an actual customer with a simple inquiry. The Primitive Naturals is for my nine month old APBT, I’d love to feed it to my six month old Great Dane as well, but from what I understand the calcium content is too high, so she gets Meadow Feast.

Thanks again,
Case

I also made the same inquiry on their Facebook page, where my question was basically ignored and then deleted.

Are any of you guys aware of these %s? Is it unreasonable to ask Earthborn for this information?

[Naturella]

I also feed Earthborn, and would be good to know this info – I don’t think it is unreasonable to ask them. As for me, it probably won’t affect me liking the food TOO much… I use additives to bump the animal protein content anyway, so we should be good on that part.

But, for some reason, Primitive Natural makes my Bruno really itchy… He hasn’t been this itchy on the Coastal Catch or on other poultry-based foods, so I’m not sure what it is… He will be finishing his bag though, but I will keep an eye on it.

[Susan]

Hi Naturella, I just looked at all the ingredients to the Natural Grainfree flavours & the Primitive & Weight Control has tomatoe pomace & chicken fat, the Large breed had chicken fat but no tomato pomace, the Coastal Catch, Great Plains & Meadow Feast, has canola oil instead of chicken fat & no tomato pamace..Maybe Bruno has an intolarence to tomato pomace..or maybe something else added to the Primitive isnt in the Costal catch you’ll have to look at all the foods that he’s OK with then look at the ingredients… just a thought.. I always look at all the ingredients, as Patch can’t have potato’s he breaks out in a rash all on his stomach then has diarrhea 8 hours later..I’ll find a real good food, that I think will agree with him, it will be low in fat, then I see POTATO.. Ha Ha its starting to drive me nuts…

[DogFoodie]

I know someone who is a dog food manufacturer and recall him telling me that the information is proprietary. Like Cindy said, when the order of ingredients are listed and then when you’re given percentages on top of it, it’s a big step in replicating a food.

[Case]

If this was the case, why would Acana, Evo, Orijen, Timberwolf, Victor, etc, etc print the info on their bags?

[Case]

I like Earthborn, but they are avoiding a simple question. That also could suggest that they’re not so proud of the information, and it’s certainly reason enough for me to consider not using their products.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I agree Case. Your question was in no way unreasonable. Asking a company to provide you with the amount of meat and plant based ingredients in their food is a simple and straightforward question that they should be able to answer. I personally believe that companies that aren’t willing to disclose this information are deriving a higher percentage of protein from plant-based sources than they wish consumers to know about.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Naturella]

Yeah, I have seen many many foods put that percentage on their packaging – can’t be THAT proprietary after all. Anywho, hope they answer you, Case!

And Sue66b, I will do some research on it. I am not TOO worried, as he doesn’t seem to itch ALL the time, but definitely more than he used to before this food (and that is the only fluctuating variable in his environment). So I will definitely compare ingredients. Other than that, he looks great as usual, coat, skin, everything is fine, stools are great, so are BMs, only the itching is elevated… So we’ll see what that might be due to.

[InkedMarie]

Whether they consider it proprietary or not is one thing but not emailing you back and having your fb post deleted would be enough for me to become suspicious.

[Case]

Well, I still haven’t heard back. I used Earthborn heavily in my rotation. It might finally be time to try Victor and Castor & Pollux.

[Case]

I finally got my answer.

Re: Ingredient percentages
August 29, 2014 at 11:49 AM

Case,

I’m told that this information is proprietary to our formulas. I’m sorry that I am not able to get this information to you.

Cindy Montgomery
VP, Marketing
Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc.
9634 Hedden Road
Evansville, IN 47725
p 812-867-4504, ext. 107
f 812-867-0424
[email protected]

[Author]

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