"Made With All U.S. Ingredients" - the Quality Message You'll Be Seeing Lots More

By B.L. Ochman
Yesterday I bought Benny Bix Ochman Labradoodle Puppy a bag of Charlee Bear Treats and in big letters, in a starburst on the label is the message "Made With All US Ingredients".

That's a message you'll likely be seeing on more and more products from the $35.9 million pet industry. Pet owners are still reeling from the poison Chinese pet food scandal.

Lots of us, including me, are cooking for our pets rather than trusting commercial brands with the health of our furry children. My make your own dog treats recipe is below.

My guess is that you'll see the US ingredients boast on packages from smaller companies rather than the Purinas of the world. Why? Money of course. Big companies are still going to buy the cheapest source materials they can find. And US laws allow "all-natural" to be interpreted in so many different ways that the phrase is meaningless.

So who can you trust? I'll start with Charlee Bear. But I also bake for Benny, and the recipe is below. You'll see how much this vegetarian loves her dog when you see what's in the recipe.

Smaller companies can build premium brands by touting non-Chinese ingredients. And the smart ones will soon grow their market share with this tactic.

I'll pay more for that peace of mind and I'm sure I'm not the only pet owner who will.

Toy companies would be wise to follow their lead. Are you listening, Mattel?

Benny Bix Ochman Labradoodle Dog Cookie Recipe

5 pounds ground beef
10 eggs
5 cups wheat germ
5 cups oatmeal flakes
1/2 cup molasses
I usually add a little honey too.

Mush it all up together in a big bowl. Spoon it onto cookie sheets, flatten it out, place and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or so.

You are basically making meat brownies here. I cut them into squares and freeze them in batches.

I usually add cheese. Be creative. You can alter the recipe anyway you like the most important ingredients are the meat, eggs and oats.

They are high protein and dogs love them. If you don't have wheat germ you can use whole wheat flour. In fact, not just your dog, but every dog in the neighborhood will follow you home with these in your pocket.

Comments

Posted by: Martha Retallick at November 7, 2007 7:32 PM

Posted by: B.L Ochman at November 8, 2007 10:11 AM

Posted by: Peter Troast at November 9, 2007 12:31 PM

Posted by: B.L Ochman at November 9, 2007 1:24 PM

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