Pet Food Recall Sparks New Safety Measures for Prudent Manufacturers

SAN DIEGO, April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Honest Kitchen announced today that while its products are not in any way adversely impacted or affected by the pet food recall, it has decided to take some proactive steps to protect, and prove the safety of the pet foods it produces.

"At the Honest Kitchen, we strive to run our business with 100% accountability for everything we produce. All of our pet foods are made in a human food plant, with 100% human food grade ingredients. While we have no reason whatsoever to believe that there is any risk of contamination to the products we produce, we have decided to add melamine screening to the list of QC tests that are already conducted on every ingredient we purchase, to provide complete assurance of our products' safety," stated Lucy Postins, the company's lead nutritionist.

Effective immediately, all vendors who supply ingredients to the San Diego company are required to screen for this contaminant as part of their routine testing. In addition, The Honest Kitchen itself will test finished products from every single batch produced, to prove that it is free of contamination. The company commenced testing of its finished products this week using an expedited analytical service and already has melamine-free certificates on file.

The new measures are being implemented autonomously, and independently of any government regulatory agency. Analytical laboratories have observed a surge in demand for melamine screening from both pet food and human food companies and many are scrambling to offer the test to their clients. A number of manufacturers are expected to follow suit, with precautionary screening and the issuance of "Melamine-free" certificates for the products they make.

In addition to this new safety measure that the company has put in place, The Honest Kitchen is negotiating with several new suppliers of Certified Organic fruits and vegetables and wild-crafted herbal ingredients for use in its products.

The company is also working in conjunction with local consultant Bulldog Drummond to research and implement new, eco-sensitive packaging options, that will further help to reduce its ecological footprint.

"We are committed to producing diets that are safe, healthy and nutritious while treading lightly on the earth, and we will continue to take every proactive step possible to insure that these commitments are upheld," added Postins. The company has seen a four-fold increase in orders for its products since the recall began.

The Honest Kitchen produces a line of dehydrated raw, human-grade diets for dogs and cats as well as herbal supplements and treats. Its foods are made in a facility that also makes foods such as breakfast cereals and bakery mixes for human consumption.

http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/

The Honest Kitchen was founded in 2002 and is a private, family owned company. For more information, contact Lucy Postins, Lucy@thehonestkitchen.com 1866-4 DRY-RAW