Gail
Posted : 3/3/2006 11:48:04 AM
I'm not quite sure how exactly they get away with it - lack of regulatory control on state level for starters. Each state is different, but, most require the label be approved by the dept of agriculture and require only ingredients approved by FDA and AAFCO. This is suppose to be done for each product sold.
I don't remember all the companies that use amaranth, Dyan - you'll just have to watch the labels - yes, Timberwolf was one and I did not receive a response from them. There were a couple of others. I'll see if I can find them again.
For what it's worth, here are Solid Gold's responses - note, in the second response, they referred to amaranth as plant matter, not grain amaranth - in the first response, it was referred to as a grain.
From: [link
http://us.f377.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=dane@solidgoldhealth.com]Solid Gold[/link]
To: [link
http://us.f377.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=Missmiser@comcast.net]'Gail'[/link]
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 3:21 PM
Subject: RE: Amaranth
Thank you for your inquiry,
I have also done quite a bit of research on saponins and amaranth as it applies to dog food safety. First of all, saponins are a large family of compounds (good and bad) and are present in many plants, not just amaranth. Most of them are destroyed by cooking and processing. Further, they are being investigated for their healthful benefits in people such as lowering cholesterol and increasing immune responses. I#%92m not quite sure what you concern is specifically perhaps you can clarify it for me. In my reading, I came across articles in which people suggested that saponins were responsible for bloat in cattle. “Bloat” in cattle is not cause by the same thing that causes it in dogs. In dogs, the medical term for bloat is called gastric dilatation-volvulus. This results from the stomach turning on itself (torsion) and creating a physical barrier so that gas cannot escape. Bloat in cattle is related to the microorganisms which grow in their gut to help them digest the roughage that they eat.
Amaranth is a good alternative to traditional grains and is a good source of fiber. It is arguably less allergenic than other grains used in dog food today such as corn and wheat.
The FDA does not update its approval list for animals as often as it does for humans, but there are allowances made for grains that are similar to those already on the list.
I short, I personally believe the benefits far outweigh the risks and I feed our products to my personal pets.
I hope this answers any concerns you have, please contact me if you are still concerned.
Best regards,
Solid Gold
Second response:
The level of saponins doesn#%92t tell much, since there are both detrimental and beneficial aspects to the compounds. The fact that the food has passed every test that AAFCO tells us we have to perform tells us that its safe. This is why we conduct feeding trials. We also have a veterinarian review our formulas to make sure that they are ok. Be aware that many plants are going to contain saponins, because they are so ubiquitous among plants. Generally, as far as I#%92m aware, allowances are made for plants that are in the same families as those on the list.
Best regards,
Solid Gold
Personally, I wouldn't feed amaranth in any form in large quantities. The amount used in dog food would be a fair amount and I wouldn't be comfortable with that.