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View Full Version : Why Do Only Two Flavors of Wall Mart Dog Food NOT Contain Meat-By-Products?


Roland Deschain
05-13-2004, 02:22 AM
I am talking about Ol'Roy Hearty Cuts in gravy which sell for about forty five cents per can. Only the "Mixed Grill" and "With Beef & Liver" flavors do not list meat by products on the back label. Indeed, almost every other brand including Alpo, Kibbles&Bits ect have "meat by products" listed in addition to chicken or beef. I assume that "meat by products" means things like rendered horse, road kill, and even possibly euthanized animals from shelters. The reason that I care (other than the fact that it is especially disgusting) is that I believe there might be a slightly lower risk of "prion" contamination from products that do not contain meat by products (not that it's been proven that any food supply in the United States whether for animals or human consumption is tainted with prions, its just I hate to miss an opportunity to worry). In addition, prions such as those associated with vCJD, Scrapie, Kuru, CWD ect. are very difficult to remove from a contaminated surface (indeed most if not all of the proven sporadic CJD cases in the United States that were transmitted between people occured secondary to operations such as corneal transplants or neurosurgery with infected instruments likely being the route of transmission). Thus, if I use a "fork" to scrape "meat by product" dog food out of a can and that meat happens to be "prion tainted" it is far from certain that my dish washer would remove the contamination.

In any case I called the hotline listed on the back of the can 800-342-2114 and the person I spoke with had no idea that this was even an issue (in other words she wasn't even aware that these two flavors didn't have meat by products listed). This made me wonder if this might not be an error of omission on the label. On the other hand this has been an issue that I've noticed for almost three years now. In addition, it seems like these two flavors almost always sell out first on the shelves leading me to believe that I'm not the only person making a buying decision based on this observation.

richardb
05-13-2004, 05:37 AM
I'm not sure this answers your question exactly, but here is some basic info on the legal requirements of pet food labeling:

How to Read a Pet Food Label (http://www.marvistavet.com/html/how_to_read_a_pet_food_label.html)

There are links on the side to several other pages in this pet food series, including how pet food is manufactered.

In case the shockwave graphic dosen't work for you, this is from How to Read a Pet Food Label II:

"Joe's Beef for Dogs": Beef must comprise at least 70% of the total product
"Joe's Beef Dinner for Dogs": Beef must comprise at least 25% of the total product
"Joe's Dog Formula with Beef": Beef must comprise at least 3% of the total product
"Joe's Dog Formula Beef Flavor": There can be less than 3% beef in the total product; manufacturer must show that animals can distinguish it as beef flavor

elf6c
05-13-2004, 07:44 AM
I just use plastic spoons I buy in bulk and paper plates that are coated, and toss them when needed- no contamination worries.

Miabella
05-13-2004, 07:46 AM
I've never heard of "prion" contamination, can't help you there. But honestly, Ol' Roy is probably the worst dog food on the market, your dog could get better nutrition eating from a Dumpster. Alpo and Kibbles&Bits aren't any better. Please don't feed those, at least get something like Purina if you can't afford the premium brands.

whiterabbit
05-13-2004, 09:00 AM
Those two types probably sell out fastest because they're cheapest. Some dogs eat a LOT. I always thought by-products meant various parts of critters that we don't want to know about; it's not like a dog would care about cow anus, even if we would.

Paul in Qatar
05-13-2004, 09:09 AM
Roadkill? Euthanized animals? Nope. Just consider the economics.

If you gotta make (I don't know let's say) 500 tons of dog food a month that amount of bulk cannot be gotten from such casual sources.

Meat by-products are the bits of the moo-cow that people cannot or will not eat. Lungs, other organ meats, sexual organs stuff like that.

Do you really think a chain of guys in trucks collecting raccoons with shovels could get the price lower than Bob's Slaughterhouse? No way.

Jake4
05-13-2004, 12:20 PM
What's the big deal? If a pack of wild dogs take down a big animal, they'll eat all the 'by-product' stuff on their own. Rover likes it too.

The prion problem is valid, but it's valid for the cattle industry, not the dog food industry. If the USDA/ranchers/farmers/etc. got their act straight, one wouldn't need to worry about the dog food.

GargoyleWB
05-13-2004, 01:08 PM
There is a vast variety of dog food brands that you won't ever see at Walmart or major supermarkets. Even chains like Petco only carry a small selection of what is available.

The OP is located in the midwest, so it might be a little more difficult, but there are dog breeders and independent distrubitors everywhere, check the web or some local kennels/breeders to ask about what your needs are. Dog food ships bulk also, so you can even get it shipped to you for pretty cheap.

Almost without exception, if you can conceive of a dog food, someone out there makes it. You can find organic, gluten-free, kosher-certified, vegan kibble should you desire. Dog have a craving for avocado? You can find that, too.

Example, we have a dalmation with several food allergies, and can't use anything with rice. Our second dog is simply a very finicky eater and will starve itself rather than eat something it doesn't enjoy. It took a very long time to find a dog food that was veggie/rice-free/tasty.

vetbridge
05-13-2004, 01:43 PM
But honestly, Ol' Roy is probably the worst dog food on the market


Beg to differ. There are worse foods available, but you have to really search to find them. Ol' Roy is crap (IMHO) but it is readilly available crap. You can get bulk dog food from feed stores and it is a small step down from Ol' Roy.

Roland Deschain
05-13-2004, 02:21 PM
Those two types probably sell out fastest because they're cheapest. Some dogs eat a LOT. I always thought by-products meant various parts of critters that we don't want to know about; it's not like a dog would care about cow anus, even if we would.

A couple of points in reply:

a. You may be missing my point. Old Roy has about eight different flavors all priced exactly the same. However, the two "flavors" that I referenced are the only ones that do not list meat- by products on the label.

b. We do use Purina High Performance as the "nugget". We use Old Roy as the "flavor" (along with table scraps). When you have five dogs that consume about fifty pounds of nugget each week (alone), and you are a college student, price is an issue (I agree we shouldn't have so many dogs, but that is another story altogether).

Ivar
05-13-2004, 02:37 PM
OH MY GOD!

I can't believe any of you are feeding that crap to your dogs!

Please please give your loved ones something better to eat than Ol'Roy.

Try some of these brands

Canidae
Eagle
Diamond
Solid Gold
Nutro

35 cents a can? I'm paying $1.29 per can for the stuff I add to Loki's kibble for flavor. I can't imagine what's in a can that only costs 35 cents.

For the record, Loki, my Great Dane, eats Canidae kibble with a dollop of Eagle canned mixed in. No health problems, gorgeous shiny coat, totally worth the few extra bucks.

vetbridge
05-13-2004, 06:13 PM
You may be missing my point.

Why quibble about kibble?

If all "flavors" but one listed ethoxyquin, why would that be meaningful?

IOW why does what you are reading on the label surprise you? The manufacturer of 'Ol Roy brand dog food produces their product to be palatable and inexpensive. If "meat/meat by-products" is not on a varieties' label, the that variety contains no meat/meat by-products. EOS.

DesertDog
05-13-2004, 06:16 PM
But honestly, Ol' Roy is probably the worst dog food on the market, your dog could get better nutrition eating from a Dumpster.Showdog.com (http://www.showdog.com/) is a game site where you can breed dogs and show them in an AKC-style dog show. One of the factors is the grade of food you feed your (simulated) dog, ranging from very cheap to very expensive with some doing special things like increase coat condition. Anyway, a dog on the really cheap stuff will start to deteriorate and even a prime dog will no longer be competitive after only a couple weeks on it. The food's name? Old Boy. I literally laughed out loud when I came across it.

DD

Roland Deschain
05-13-2004, 09:08 PM
In reply:

1. Of the $150.00 or so that we spend on ALL household goods each week about $25.00 of that is on dog food. If we adopted your advice and started feeding our dogs food that cost $1.25 per can our weekly dog food bill would probably be over $50.00. When we owned our own businesses we fed our dogs Science Diet kibble, and Iams meat. Now we are nursing students and they get Purina High Performance Kibble, and Old Roy (plus tables scraps that range from chicken and beans, to Sirloin steak and cheese). My dogs are not show dogs they are Mastiff, Rottweiller mixes or mutts. In addition, to a homeless boxer (that wandered onto our property barely alive) a beagle mutt that renters we evicted left behind, and an old dachshund my mom left when she died. Hardly, a week goes by where my wife doesn't threaten to take my 44magnum or 9mm and shoot them all while I am gone at school or work (with the implied threat that I am next). She hates these dogs and blames them for our not being able to spend a night away from our house for at least the last eight years (she also blames them for her mortgage business failing in part since they would often "bark" while customers were calling our 800 number). They are fortunate to get the food that they do all things considered. Indeed, I often feel like an attorney representing a death row inmate always trying for another "stay" of execution. It's not the life I would like to give them, but then again I'm not much better at being a husband or father.

2. The reason that this ingredient difference matters should be quite obvious:
a. NOT using meat by products is a characteristic usually reserved for "premium" dog food brands. Thus, one of two things is occuring with the flavors I mentioned. Either, the public is getting an awesome deal with these two varieties (making it by far the cheapest brand of dog food that doesn't use meat by products) or Wall Mart is lying (or just making a mistake) and benefiting from a product attribute that doesn't really exist (it would be like listing that a car you sold had a V-8, when it was really a V-4). I just want an explanation for what I consider to be an obvious and profound anomaly.

Frank
05-13-2004, 11:35 PM
2. The reason that this ingredient difference matters should be quite obvious:
a. NOT using meat by products is a characteristic usually reserved for "premium" dog food brands. Thus, one of two things is occuring with the flavors I mentioned. Either, the public is getting an awesome deal with these two varieties (making it by far the cheapest brand of dog food that doesn't use meat by products) or Wall Mart is lying (or just making a mistake) and benefiting from a product attribute that doesn't really exist (it would be like listing that a car you sold had a V-8, when it was really a V-4). I just want an explanation for what I consider to be an obvious and profound anomaly.
Have you inspected the labels as per richardb's post above? Meat by-products do basically mean the stuff from the animal that the company can't manage to get into a hot dog. Dogs, given their druthers, have no objection to meat by-products, it's the filler components that make the difference between quality and OK food. And, finally, is it possible for you to make a post in GQ without half the content belonging in IMHO or MPSIMS?

Nametag
05-14-2004, 12:13 AM
I can't find the thread where I said this before, but there's nothing wrong with meat by-products. Organ meats and other uncommon cuts are popular with some humans, and if collected responsibly are perfectly safe and highly nutritious. Meat by-products are nothing different. I, personally, am a big pansy when it comes to liver and kidneys and such, but if my dog enjoys it, more power to him.

CrazyCatLady
05-14-2004, 12:24 AM
Feh. Sawdust doesn't contain meat byproducts, either. That doesn't mean it's a good idea to feed it to your dog.

There's a third possibility you're missing here: the flavors in question contain byproducts, but in small enough amounts that they don't have to be listed on the label. There's just enough to give it some flavor. This is a marked contrast with quality feeds, which contain such a high percentage of real meat that they don't need byproducts as an added source of protein. This is the option my money would be on.

As for the economics of feeding Ol' Roy, it's often not a significant difference in total food cost to give 'em the decent stuff. The higher-quality pet foods have fewer fillers in them, so they're more nutrient dense and you wind up feeding a LOT less. The food might cost 3x as much, but it lasts 2-3x as long. It also greatly reduces the amount of shit you have to pick up from the yard.

Oh, and the prion contamination--if you really must get your panties in a bunch over something so ridiculously unlikely, get a plastic spoon that's exclusively for the dog food.

Roland Deschain
05-14-2004, 12:26 AM
I can't find the thread where I said this before, but there's nothing wrong with meat by-products. Organ meats and other uncommon cuts are popular with some humans, and if collected responsibly are perfectly safe and highly nutritious. Meat by-products are nothing different. I, personally, am a big pansy when it comes to liver and kidneys and such, but if my dog enjoys it, more power to him.

Okay, lets focus on the meat by products:

1. Whether you think they or wonderful or not, dog food without "meat" by products generally command a much higher price than those without such by products. Thus, why only these two products (which are priced the same as all the other flavors that do have meat products) is salient. That's because people would generally only expect brands such as IAMS, Eukanuba ect (super premium brands) to not have meat by-products. Also, either Wall Mart is making a marketing error or they are mistaken (or lying). That is because is these two flavors do not have meat by products (as their label indicates) then this is a strong selling point which should be promoted (since they are the same price). On the other hand if they really DO have meat by products then it should be listed just like it is on all of their other varieties (which are the same price).

2. It is my understanding that "meat by-products" doesn't just mean beef or chicken by products. In other words it can include road kill, euthanized animals (such as other dogs) ect. IF this is the case then I think most people would agree that it is less desireable than one hundred percent beef or chicken (organ scraps or otherwise). Indeed, farmers are no longer permitted to feed "cows" other dead "cows" because of concerns that this could facilitate the spread of prion based diseases.

Roland Deschain
05-14-2004, 12:34 AM
Feh. Sawdust doesn't contain meat byproducts, either. That doesn't mean it's a good idea to feed it to your dog.

There's a third possibility you're missing here: the flavors in question contain byproducts, but in small enough amounts that they don't have to be listed on the label. There's just enough to give it some flavor. This is a marked contrast with quality feeds, which contain such a high percentage of real meat that they don't need byproducts as an added source of protein. This is the option my money would be on.

As for the economics of feeding Ol' Roy, it's often not a significant difference in total food cost to give 'em the decent stuff. The higher-quality pet foods have fewer fillers in them, so they're more nutrient dense and you wind up feeding a LOT less. The food might cost 3x as much, but it lasts 2-3x as long. It also greatly reduces the amount of shit you have to pick up from the yard.

Oh, and the prion contamination--if you really must get your panties in a bunch over something so ridiculously unlikely, get a plastic spoon that's exclusively for the dog food.

You still may be missing my point the two flavors in question do NOT list any meat by products for "fillers". Let's take the "Beef&Liver" for example. It lists Poultry, Beef, and Liver as it's top three ingredients (and water sufficient for processing). Also, I use four cans a night split between all five of my dogs mixed in with their "kibble". So switching from a brand that costs forty five cents to one which would cost $1.25 per night would equal $16.80 more per week if I stayed with the same kibble. That is as much as we pay for our phone or cable each month. Most of my dog's nutrition comes from the kibble which as I said is Purina's nutritional excellence formula (a midline formula). Also, as I indicated they get leftovers which varies each night depending upon what we eat.

KP
05-14-2004, 12:44 AM
Not only is there little or nothing wrong with "meat by-products", but those are actually likely to be a dog's favorite part of a carcass. The lungs and intestines which are too -er- "packed with flavor" for our civilized tastes, are the first parts wild dogs and canids fight over and eat, afer a kill.

I can understand why a human might question the widsom of consuming liver, whose functions include binding [conjugating] or detoxifying toxins absorbed from the diet [all blood from the stomach and upper intestines actually passes directly to the liver (portal circulation) for treatment before it is allowed ro pass to the rest of the body]. Similarly the intestines often contain -er- 'wastes' and the kidneys... well, you got it.

Yet even we dainty types in the West often eat liver [as liver, foie gras, leberkase, liverwirst, etc.) and intestines (haggis, sausage casings), while avoiding the lungs, whose immense surface/mass ratio makes them merely -er- "highly aromatic to "civilized" tastes.

Tests by pet food companies in post-WWII boom America showed that dogs loved certain by-products, but owners didn't. The the 60s/70s there was an explosion of products that barely catered to dog tastes, but shamelessly pandered to human tastes. Sales soared. Dogs don't buy food; people too. You'll still find many popular brands of wet food on the shelves that look like (and cost as much as) human dishes such as beef stew. (Recipe brand is a classic example.

I believe this resemblance to human dishes was partly what spawned all those ULs about the poor or elderly eating dog food to stay alive (though it isn't actually a cheaper alternative to ordinary human food). It may be a coincidence that I have never seen an urban legend website cite a pre-1950 reference to this UL.

I will confess that my sources of this information includes "Subliminal Seduction" and other advertising exposes and pop-anthropology book of that era. I teally ought to check them, because any of the "facts" of their primary theses have been called into question

Roland Deschain
05-14-2004, 01:05 AM
Not only is there little or nothing wrong with "meat by-products", but those are actually likely to be a dog's favorite part of a carcass. The lungs and intestines which are too -er- "packed with flavor" for our civilized tastes, are the first parts wild dogs and canids fight over and eat, afer a kill.

I can understand why a human might question the widsom of consuming liver, whose functions include binding [conjugating] or detoxifying toxins absorbed from the diet [all blood from the stomach and upper intestines actually passes directly to the liver (portal circulation) for treatment before it is allowed ro pass to the rest of the body]. Similarly the intestines often contain -er- 'wastes' and the kidneys... well, you got it.

Yet even we dainty types in the West often eat liver [as liver, foie gras, leberkase, liverwirst, etc.) and intestines (haggis, sausage casings), while avoiding the lungs, whose immense surface/mass ratio makes them merely -er- "highly aromatic to "civilized" tastes.

Tests by pet food companies in post-WWII boom America showed that dogs loved certain by-products, but owners didn't. The the 60s/70s there was an explosion of products that barely catered to dog tastes, but shamelessly pandered to human tastes. Sales soared. Dogs don't buy food; people too. You'll still find many popular brands of wet food on the shelves that look like (and cost as much as) human dishes such as beef stew. (Recipe brand is a classic example.

I believe this resemblance to human dishes was partly what spawned all those ULs about the poor or elderly eating dog food to stay alive (though it isn't actually a cheaper alternative to ordinary human food). It may be a coincidence that I have never seen an urban legend website cite a pre-1950 reference to this UL.

I will confess that my sources of this information includes "Subliminal Seduction" and other advertising exposes and pop-anthropology book of that era. I teally ought to check them, because any of the "facts" of their primary theses have been called into question

Okay, but this doesn't address my principals questions and points:

1. Meat by products (at least in my understanding) can include euthanized animals, road kill ect. This is a far cry from liver and intestines.

2. Dog food without meat by products commands a higher price on average (generally by about 300%). So either Wall-Mart is selling these two "flavors' way below market price (without even touting the fact) or they are over looking or misrepresenting the contents. I just want the truth as to what is really going on here with this dog food. I haven't been this consumed with a question since my Barbecued Baked Lays were mysteriously compromised by the "KC Masterpiece" take over!

SSgtBaloo
05-14-2004, 01:15 AM
A bit of persistent googling resulted in this (http://www.i-pets.com/rpet3.html) link. A relevant quote follows:
Dogs appear to be resistant and, with the exception of cats, no other companion animals are known to be at risk.
And another:
Regardless, Cook said pet food manufacturers will probably be driven by consumer desires. He remembers the strong influence outraged pet owners had years ago when they found out rendering plants had been adding the carcasses of pets picked up at shelters to their mix.

"From a pure product safety standpoint, there was nothing wrong with the material," Cook said. "But the pet food companies saw consumer reaction and made renderers sign contracts" guaranteeing they wouldn't use the carcasses of companion animals. "The shelter pickups stopped."
I must say, it is difficult to find any reference to "industry standards" for pet foods (and if you think it isn't then post some examples).

As far as the OP's initial question (and nearly all the replies fail to address this), I can only speculate why two flavors of Old "Boy" (love that!) do not have meat byproducts on the label. I suspect it is neither the result of fraud nor marketing error. I do suspect that the cost of the contents for each flavor falls well below the price on the can, and probably varies only a little from one flavor to the next.

Old Roy bills itself as (at least) nutritionally adequate, and I'm sure that the actual nutritional value of the food is different to some degree for each flavor. Perhaps Wal-Mart thinks it would be undermining their nutritional claims for Old Roy if they re-labeled (and jacked the price up on) certain flavors, to provide the pet-loving public with "Old Roy Premium, It's way better than that Old Roy crap!"

--SSgtBaloo

DogMom
05-14-2004, 10:04 AM
1. Meat by products (at least in my understanding) can include euthanized animals, road kill ect. This is a far cry from liver and intestines.

Are you reading-impaired? Jeez. You've already been told by Paul in Saudi, several times, that "meat by-products" are the stuff that humans won't eat off animals we do eat. Humorous restaurant names and jokes about various ethnic groups aside, we don't eat roadkill.
It's not cost-effective for the rendering plants and dogfood manufacturers to hope that Cletus and Jethro bring in a new batch of roadkill today for their cheap-o foods. Face it, most dog foods, except for the Premium and specialty stuff, contains some amount of byproducts.
Here's a link to a national rendering plant that tells exactly what animals they use to make "meat by-products". You'll notice that "roadkill" is NOTICEABLY ABSENT. (http://www.nationalby-products.com/?page=feed&prod=protein)

Incidentally, I found that link on the first page of a Google search for "meat by-products". You might want to consider trying that sometime.

vetbridge
05-14-2004, 10:11 AM
2. The reason that this ingredient difference matters should be quite obvious:
a. NOT using meat by products is a characteristic usually reserved for "premium" dog food brands

First, no it is not obvious. Your basic premise is flawed, therefore you will never get a satisfactory answer to your question.

Meat or meat by-products are used as a protein source in producing dog food. There are many non-meat sources that can be used in place of meat. Caseine, whey, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, rice, and egg are all used as protein sources in the production of dog food. (Cite: Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 4th edition Hand, Thatcher, Remillard, Roudebush Copyright 2000).

Roland Deschain
05-14-2004, 02:51 PM
Are you reading-impaired? Jeez. You've already been told by Paul in Saudi, several times, that "meat by-products" are the stuff that humans won't eat off animals we do eat. Humorous restaurant names and jokes about various ethnic groups aside, we don't eat roadkill.
It's not cost-effective for the rendering plants and dogfood manufacturers to hope that Cletus and Jethro bring in a new batch of roadkill today for their cheap-o foods. Face it, most dog foods, except for the Premium and specialty stuff, contains some amount of byproducts.
Here's a link to a national rendering plant that tells exactly what animals they use to make "meat by-products". You'll notice that "roadkill" is NOTICEABLY ABSENT. (http://www.nationalby-products.com/?page=feed&prod=protein)

Incidentally, I found that link on the first page of a Google search for "meat by-products". You might want to consider trying that sometime.


What you are saying may or may not be true. I have heard many "so called" experts (generally being interviewed in the context of local radio shows such as the now defunct Stan Solomon show) say that with Alpo and other discount brands that animals from shelters (that have been euthanized) are used to produce the "bone meal" included in these foods. Also, your response in not responsive to my the primary OP question:

Why do only two of the more than six Old Roy meat dog food flavors not list "meat byproducts" as ingredients? Furthermore, is Wall-Mart even aware of this situation, and does it reflect an actual difference in ingredients or an error on the label?

SSgtBaloo
05-14-2004, 06:38 PM
Why do only two of the more than six Old Roy meat dog food flavors not list "meat byproducts" as ingredients? Furthermore, is Wall-Mart even aware of this situation, and does it reflect an actual difference in ingredients or an error on the label?
You must've missed the information (and admitted speculation) I provided above. Truth-in-advertising laws most likely dictate that if an ingredient makes up more then some minimum percentage of the whole, it must be listed on the label. Perhaps the amount of meat byproducts in those two flavors does not meet or exceed that legally-required minimum, and are therefore not listed?

--SSgtBaloo

SSgtBaloo
05-14-2004, 06:49 PM
Truth-in-advertising laws most likely dictate that if an ingredient makes up more thensome minimum percentage of the whole, it must be listed on the label.
:confused:
:smack:
Er, as much as it chaps my hide when others do it, I find it particularly annoying when I use "then" when I mean "than".

[Goes to beat head against wall.]

Roland Deschain
05-14-2004, 06:57 PM
You must've missed the information (and admitted speculation) I provided above. Truth-in-advertising laws most likely dictate that if an ingredient makes up more then some minimum percentage of the whole, it must be listed on the label. Perhaps the amount of meat byproducts in those two flavors does not meet or exceed that legally-required minimum, and are therefore not listed?

--SSgtBaloo

No, your explanation is perhaps the best one presented so far. I just don't understand why they would not use meat by-products in these two flavors (in sufficient quantities to be listed) when they did in every other variety (which sell for the same price).

Also, I'm still not clear on whether or not meat-by products can legally contain euthanized animals or "road kill". I know that "road kill" was used for this type of purpose at one time because there was a local facility that conducted this operation (I think it was called Boss Backs). My high school psychology teacher Doug Johnson, often talked about a Summer he had spent working there, and how his job was to "throw" the deceased animals into a machine which ground them up (or rendered them). In addition, you could "call" Boss Backs to have dead animals removed from the road. There were many days that we could smell the horrible stench of the place even though we were about eight miles up wind . They were finally shut down, due to many citizen complaints (most relating to the smell).

Here, I found an article about that old plant: Here is a link to the search I did at the newspapers website since there were many articles on the subject: http://www.shelbynews.com/Search.asp



Rendering plant owner may be fined

JOHN WALKER
jwalker@shelbynews.com


The county is considering fining owners of a former animal rendering plant for not cleaning it up.
The commissioners are scheduled to discuss conditions at the 25-acre site where Bausback and Co. was located during tonight’s 7:30 meeting in the Courthouse Annex, 25 W. Polk St.

Darling & Co. of Dallas owns the site at 1796 W. Washington St. along the Big Blue River west of Shelbyville.

Last year, the firm offered to sell the property to the county for $10 if the county would clean it up. There had been some discussion of turning it into a park.

The county rejected Darling’s offer after environmental testing by the state and statements from former Bausback workers. Tests revealed possible contamination by petroleum from storage tanks on the site.

A local trucking operator told the commissioners he had worked at cleaning up the land in the 1980s after Bausback closed. Kenny Paxton said at least one of the ponds on the property has 10 to 20 semi-truck loads of grease and bone marrow at the bottom of it.

County Commission president Bob Wade said the county may fine Darling for not cleaning up the property.

“I think we’ll have to go through the process to start fining them,” he said.

Walloon
05-15-2004, 03:14 AM
I don't know about the regulations for dog food, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that any meat byproduct that is sold in interstate commerce for human consumption be labeled as to what animal it comes from. The term "meat byproducts" itself is not sufficient.

Roland Deschain
05-16-2004, 01:28 AM
I don't know about the regulations for dog food, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that any meat byproduct that is sold in interstate commerce for human consumption be labeled as to what animal it comes from. The term "meat byproducts" itself is not sufficient.

If you thought Old Roy was cheap, I visited Aldi's for the first time in several years today. I found a brand of "meat" dog food called SHEP Premium Beef Chunks Dinner for dogs. It sells for twenty five cents per can and also doesn't contain any animal or meat byproducts. It's top ingredients are listed as water sufficient for processing, chicken, beef, soy flour, carrageenan, guar gum, salt carame., iron oxide, onion powder, garlic powder, calcium carbonate, maganous oxide, zinc carbonate, choline chloride, vitamin supplements A, D3, E, B12, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine hydrocchloride, Thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, and D-Biotin. I tried to convince my wife that we could save a great deal of money (and probably lose alot of weight) by eating the stuff ourselves (mixing it with some rice and beans and a little cheese maybe). It's not Monkey Chow, but then again Monkey Chow (if you could even find the stuff) is probably alot more expensive than twenty five cents per serving.

Also, they had white bread for thirty cents per loaf (wheat or oat was forty five cents), skim milk for a $1.40 per gallon and chicken noodle soup for thirty cents per can (it tasted as good as Campbells). We are talking prices at least twenty five percent lower than even Wall-Mart here. You do have to pay ten cents for plastic bags (five for paper), and they want a quater deposit on your shopping cart (which is returned when you return the cart). The store was clean and neat and the line relatively short.