National Pet Food Recall Does Not Include Flint River Ranch Products

I
know that the news of yet another pet food recall and the scope of the recall is
disconcerting to us all. No one likes to see this kind of thing happen, not even
to a competitor. We are all aware that somewhere down in this story… families
have lost their beloved pets. It saddens us to think of their unexpected &
shocking loss of a pet, friend, companion… just by feeding these tainted
products.

I wanted everyone to be aware
of the following:

One of the reasons that we have never
had and probably will never have a problem like this is that we don’t buy not
from small independent suppliers, jumping around to get the best price. All of
our products are tested every 15 minutes as produced, samples kept for 6 months
and all ingredients are bought from known producers with many years of a strong
relationship. Chicken from Tyson, grains from General Mills (for example) equals
human grade rating on ingredients and USDA protocol testing of those
ingredients. Everything is tested before we get it and buying from these major
producers’ means that we get a better, safer product. Some manufactures may like
to shop around and go for the best pricing…sometimes that will land you in
trouble. Better to stay assured on the quality of ingredients that you’re
getting without any problems.

You can
always rest assured that Flint River
Ranch is producing the finest quality of canine & feline products
to provide to your beloved pets. Our professional associations are only with
companies who produce or provide products at the same level as we do.

I have no idea as to what has occurred
with this issue, but I know that Flint River Ranch is only affected in the
positive by it. It will help us to redefine to our customers (and new ones) the
love & care that we put into our products.

Thank you for your support & concern
and for being a part of the Flint River Ranch family!

Jay P. Margedant

——————————————————————————

April
4, 2007

Dear Flint River Ranch
Customers,
 
We
appreciate everyone’s concern about the current recall and its unsettling recent
expansion to include some dry foods beyond the canned formulas initially
recalled.
 
Flint
River Ranch would like to reaffirm that all of our formulas and ingredients are
safe. We purchase all of our ingredients from major US suppliers, and our
ingredients are subjected to USDA testing. Our lamb is from
free-range ranchs located in New
Zealand.
 
Flint
River Ranch foods do NOT contain wheat gluten. Wheat is used in some formulas;
however, that wheat is acquired from a USDA-certified provider. The wheat used
in FRR formulas is safe, does not come from China, and is always tested and
certified.
 
Despite
what various reports you read or see on TV may indicate, wheat – and wheat
gluten – is truly NOT the source of the problem.  The presence of a
chemical(s) within a specific batch of wheat gluten from one Chinese
company used by the Menu company is the issue.  This is not to
trivalize the problem, but to clarify the issue and assure you
that this recall does not involve Flint River Ranch products or any
ingredients. 
 
Some
imported wheat gluten from China is being recalled by ChemNutra, Inc. as a
result of recent questions and findings surrounding this
recall.  From what we can find, only a particular lot from one of
three Chinese suppliers of wheat gluten to ChemNutra is suspect. Please go
to www.fda.gov
for more information about the recall of imported wheat gluten from China. As
always, Flint River Ranch follows and exceeds guidelines as set forth by AAFCO –
American Association of Feed Control Officials. Flint River Ranch foods are
made using our own fixed formulas under our direction in Southern
California.  We do not “piggy-back” onto lines of mass-produced
foods. 
 
If
you are still concerned about wheat in your pet’s diet despite this information
and would like to feed a wheat-free food, Flint River Ranch offers two excellent
formulas that are 100% wheat-free. Lamb Meal, Millet & Rice (code LMR) and
“Fish N’ Chips” – Trout and Sweet Potato (code FNC) both offer fully balanced
nutrition for dogs, and are available in 10 and 20 pound bags.  
I have fed my dogs our Fish N’ Chips formula for many years now and
continue to be impressed with their health, energy and
appearance. 
 
Thank
you to everyone who has sent letters of support and encouraging
comments these past few weeks.  It is rewarding to lead a
company that continues to make a positive impact on the lives of so many
people and their beloved pets.  Thank you for your stories, comments
and suggestions – I truly appreciate your
participation!
 
Sincerely,
 
Jay
P.