+ Honesty is the best policy: An Interview with Lucy Postins of Honest Kitchen
Last but certainly not least we bring you our final interview on pet wellness. This interview crosses into the energy realm but you'll just have to read it to find out more.
The Honest Kitchen is the most innovative pet food companies I know of. Their product offerings are unique to every major brand of pet food. The healthy, dehydrated raw food is fresh, mostly organic and is guaranteed 100% human grade (but as they state, “it is intended for your dog to eat, not you!”) Their success speaks for itself with the company growing an average of 100% each year since its inception. Lucy was kind enough to tell us more about it. Thanks Lucy!
TGG: Please give us the history of the Honest Kitchen.
We were founded in 2002. I originally worked as a nutritionist for another company for about five years. When I got my first dog I became interested in the raw food diet. I began making raw food for him. I started researching ways to try to make it more simple and convenient and less messy to prepare. The idea just spun off from that. It originally was going to be a little local cottage industry and it snowballed from there.
TGG: Tell me how a raw diet can benefit my pet.
A raw food diet is just a much more natural way to feed a pet. It is really the way nature intended them to eat. They weren’t designed to eat cooked and highly processed food. Modern pet food processing methods like canning and extrusion are really under high heat and pressure and it just obliterates a lot of the natural nutrition, things like vitamins and enzymes and phytonutrients (TGG adds: phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of cancer, probably due to polyphenol antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects) that are present in the raw foods. So, then a lot of synthetic vitamins and chemical compounds and flavoring then have to be added. It then ends up just being pretty far from what nature really set out with. The idea behind a more natural diet, something that is minimally processed, something that is frozen, raw, or fresh, or dehydrated, a lot of the natural nutrition remains intact. The animal can enjoy better health. It is all about being proactive about the nutrition rather than feeding bad food and then later having to spend money on vet bills later.
TGG: How does the dehydration process work? How do you maintain the nutritional benefits of the food?
It is a pretty slow, moderate temperature process, (TGG adds: just above 120 F for meats and about 104 F for fruits and veggies). It is basically like a gigantic sort of oven. It is under a very moderate, gentle process. Warm temperatures as opposed to extreme heat. It just removes only the water from the food and nothing else. It in order to feed our foods you have to add the water back before serving. So, it just basically turns it back into fresh food. (TGG adds: that also makes the foods easier to prepare and store and very light-weight to ship.)
TGG: What are some common food allergies for pets and what can we as owners do to ensure our pets aren’t suffering?
The most common food allergies are actually to grains. A lot of pet foods contain an overload of grain and those aren’t really natural for cats or dogs. Very often we see chronic GI upset, ear infections, and itchy skin, and chewing at the feet. Those are very common signs of a food allergy, most typically to grain. Occasionally animals will test positive for being allergic to certain meats, and other ingredients can show up. Typically though, grains seem to be the most common one. If you combine that will a diet that has a lot of chemical preservatives and artificial flavorings and colors which over time deplete their immune system. That can make them more pre-disposed or prone to food intolerances and allergies.
TGG: What is the difference between food allergies and food intolerances?
An allergy is an immediate, really severe reaction to something. It would be like a rash, or hives. A food intolerance is a more low grade reaction that crops up over time. Things like the GI upsets and the ear infections. Which might not happen instantaneously but if they eating something that they can’t really tolerate than the body does react eventually.
TGG: Tell us more about the differences between human-grade food vs. pet grade food.
Those two words are technical terms that relate to the quality of the ingredients and of the finished product. We actually became embroiled earlier this year in a lawsuit with the Ohio Department of Agriculture because we have a statement on our packaging which labels our pet foods as human food grade We have approval from the FDA to say this. They reviewed our manufacturing processes and affidavit from every one of our suppliers and determined that we could legally state that our foods as human food grade. Which means fit for a human to eat. We do not market our pet foods for humans. It just simply relates to the quality of the raw ingredients. In contrast to that there is feed grade which is only fit for animals and could not be fed to a human being.
Ohio objected to our labels, they stated that pet food that is labeled as human grade would be confusing to consumers and they wouldn’t be able to figure out if the product is for humans or animals.
Not too long ago, the judge ruled and overruled that decision in our favor.
TGG: The thing is that I have been finding out through my research is that while it is called “food” or pet food that it really isn’t food at all but rather just lots of by-products, and really just junk. (I will also add that you don’t have to dig deep to find this out.)
Yes, there are some really horrendous things that they put into pet food in this country, a lot of by-products, something called 4-D meats which means dead, dying, disabled or diseased meat. It is like cattle who passed away in the field and didn’t make it to the slaughterhouse or animals that have died from cancer, road-kill or other disgusting things. There was an issue the FDA investigated a few years ago in which it was determined by veterinarians in the US that it was becoming more difficult to euthanize cats and dogs when it came time to end their lives. They were becoming somewhat resistant to the Pentobarbital which is used in the euthanasia process. The link was made between this problem and the existence of Pentobarbital in a lot of pet foods. It was suspected that pet food contained euthanized cats and dogs from pounds and stuff as a protein source. Since some pets were eating food with it they were actually creating a resistance to it.
Those types of things are really shocking for people to find out. The claims are really not to be believed. These companies have tremendous marketing dollars and campaigns to lead you to believe that they have your pets best interest in mind, when really they don’t.
TGG: We were talking about that the other day, that it is more common in other countries that your pet would eat your leftovers and that a lot of those pets are actually healthier.
Yes, even in this country people used to do that. I think A lot of these companies have really brainwashed people into thinking that you should never feed table scraps or homemade food to your animal because you’ll throw off the nutritional balance. It is really nonsense. There is no reason to assume that someone’s cat or dog is so primitive that they couldn’t tolerate a mix of different ingredients throughout the week. There is no reason why they should eat the equivalent of Cheerios everyday of their life. We really encourage people to mix in different things into their food. Things like plain yogurt or cottage cheese, canned fish, or other veggies and things they might eat themselves.
TGG: You know contrary to what we are taught about feeding our dogs, I have actually found that my own dog enjoys quite a lot of fruits and vegetables. I know there are certain ones to avoid like grapes, chocolate, etc.
Yeah, dogs do enjoy that, and people can incorporate certain foods like from their hope gardens. Pets can really benefit from things like parsley, and calendular. Then you can elimate the need for additivies.
You have made a commitment to be a more eco-friendly company. Please tell us more about that.
We have had a long-standing commitment to the environment to try to introduce organic ingredients wherever we can and use well crafted herbs and to buy local when possible. We also just made the upgrade to our product packaging, we have transitioned from a bag which was not easily recyclable in most areas to a 100% recycled post-consumer box which is completely recyclable and is printed with soy based inks. It is either recyclable or biodegradable after use. Inside is a food grade bag which is not printed and obviously it is needed to keep the food fresh and safe from contaminants. That is 100% recycling after us e also. It is an increased cost in terms of dollars that we are absorbing as a company and we are not passing it along to customers. We feel it is really important to put our money where our mouth is as far as the environment is concerned. It is really on the top of the list for a lot of people and they like to purchase products from companies that are really committed to the environment.
TGG: We have noticed that as well. The companies that have maintained their authenticity and transparency all along are now reaping the benefits.
Yes, we have always tried to be very open about what we are doing. We like to involve our customers in product development projects. We have a work/food program where we have people who are trainers, breeders, agility trainers, who have an active role in our product development. As we get our products in development we like to get our customers involved in home trails where we give samples away for customers to feed to their own cats and dogs, in the comfort of their own home. We can then eliminate laboratory tests that we do not agree with. I think people like to be involved in the decision making process.
TGG: What is next for Honest Kitchen?
We will be introducing another cookie just in time for the holiday. It will be a blueberry and buffalo flavored cookie. That will be available in the next couple of weeks. We will probably start work on a new cat food early on in 2008 and another canine diet will be hitting the selves next year.
This contains some great information, please check it out:
The Honest Kitchen blog
More links about nutrition:
Phytochemicals
Toxins in pet food
Do you know what you are feeding your pet?
Pet food recall
The Honest Kitchen is the most innovative pet food companies I know of. Their product offerings are unique to every major brand of pet food. The healthy, dehydrated raw food is fresh, mostly organic and is guaranteed 100% human grade (but as they state, “it is intended for your dog to eat, not you!”) Their success speaks for itself with the company growing an average of 100% each year since its inception. Lucy was kind enough to tell us more about it. Thanks Lucy!
TGG: Please give us the history of the Honest Kitchen.
We were founded in 2002. I originally worked as a nutritionist for another company for about five years. When I got my first dog I became interested in the raw food diet. I began making raw food for him. I started researching ways to try to make it more simple and convenient and less messy to prepare. The idea just spun off from that. It originally was going to be a little local cottage industry and it snowballed from there.
TGG: Tell me how a raw diet can benefit my pet.
A raw food diet is just a much more natural way to feed a pet. It is really the way nature intended them to eat. They weren’t designed to eat cooked and highly processed food. Modern pet food processing methods like canning and extrusion are really under high heat and pressure and it just obliterates a lot of the natural nutrition, things like vitamins and enzymes and phytonutrients (TGG adds: phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of cancer, probably due to polyphenol antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects) that are present in the raw foods. So, then a lot of synthetic vitamins and chemical compounds and flavoring then have to be added. It then ends up just being pretty far from what nature really set out with. The idea behind a more natural diet, something that is minimally processed, something that is frozen, raw, or fresh, or dehydrated, a lot of the natural nutrition remains intact. The animal can enjoy better health. It is all about being proactive about the nutrition rather than feeding bad food and then later having to spend money on vet bills later.
TGG: How does the dehydration process work? How do you maintain the nutritional benefits of the food?
It is a pretty slow, moderate temperature process, (TGG adds: just above 120 F for meats and about 104 F for fruits and veggies). It is basically like a gigantic sort of oven. It is under a very moderate, gentle process. Warm temperatures as opposed to extreme heat. It just removes only the water from the food and nothing else. It in order to feed our foods you have to add the water back before serving. So, it just basically turns it back into fresh food. (TGG adds: that also makes the foods easier to prepare and store and very light-weight to ship.)
TGG: What are some common food allergies for pets and what can we as owners do to ensure our pets aren’t suffering?
The most common food allergies are actually to grains. A lot of pet foods contain an overload of grain and those aren’t really natural for cats or dogs. Very often we see chronic GI upset, ear infections, and itchy skin, and chewing at the feet. Those are very common signs of a food allergy, most typically to grain. Occasionally animals will test positive for being allergic to certain meats, and other ingredients can show up. Typically though, grains seem to be the most common one. If you combine that will a diet that has a lot of chemical preservatives and artificial flavorings and colors which over time deplete their immune system. That can make them more pre-disposed or prone to food intolerances and allergies.
TGG: What is the difference between food allergies and food intolerances?
An allergy is an immediate, really severe reaction to something. It would be like a rash, or hives. A food intolerance is a more low grade reaction that crops up over time. Things like the GI upsets and the ear infections. Which might not happen instantaneously but if they eating something that they can’t really tolerate than the body does react eventually.
TGG: Tell us more about the differences between human-grade food vs. pet grade food.
Those two words are technical terms that relate to the quality of the ingredients and of the finished product. We actually became embroiled earlier this year in a lawsuit with the Ohio Department of Agriculture because we have a statement on our packaging which labels our pet foods as human food grade We have approval from the FDA to say this. They reviewed our manufacturing processes and affidavit from every one of our suppliers and determined that we could legally state that our foods as human food grade. Which means fit for a human to eat. We do not market our pet foods for humans. It just simply relates to the quality of the raw ingredients. In contrast to that there is feed grade which is only fit for animals and could not be fed to a human being.
Ohio objected to our labels, they stated that pet food that is labeled as human grade would be confusing to consumers and they wouldn’t be able to figure out if the product is for humans or animals.
Not too long ago, the judge ruled and overruled that decision in our favor.
TGG: The thing is that I have been finding out through my research is that while it is called “food” or pet food that it really isn’t food at all but rather just lots of by-products, and really just junk. (I will also add that you don’t have to dig deep to find this out.)
Yes, there are some really horrendous things that they put into pet food in this country, a lot of by-products, something called 4-D meats which means dead, dying, disabled or diseased meat. It is like cattle who passed away in the field and didn’t make it to the slaughterhouse or animals that have died from cancer, road-kill or other disgusting things. There was an issue the FDA investigated a few years ago in which it was determined by veterinarians in the US that it was becoming more difficult to euthanize cats and dogs when it came time to end their lives. They were becoming somewhat resistant to the Pentobarbital which is used in the euthanasia process. The link was made between this problem and the existence of Pentobarbital in a lot of pet foods. It was suspected that pet food contained euthanized cats and dogs from pounds and stuff as a protein source. Since some pets were eating food with it they were actually creating a resistance to it.
Those types of things are really shocking for people to find out. The claims are really not to be believed. These companies have tremendous marketing dollars and campaigns to lead you to believe that they have your pets best interest in mind, when really they don’t.
TGG: We were talking about that the other day, that it is more common in other countries that your pet would eat your leftovers and that a lot of those pets are actually healthier.
Yes, even in this country people used to do that. I think A lot of these companies have really brainwashed people into thinking that you should never feed table scraps or homemade food to your animal because you’ll throw off the nutritional balance. It is really nonsense. There is no reason to assume that someone’s cat or dog is so primitive that they couldn’t tolerate a mix of different ingredients throughout the week. There is no reason why they should eat the equivalent of Cheerios everyday of their life. We really encourage people to mix in different things into their food. Things like plain yogurt or cottage cheese, canned fish, or other veggies and things they might eat themselves.
TGG: You know contrary to what we are taught about feeding our dogs, I have actually found that my own dog enjoys quite a lot of fruits and vegetables. I know there are certain ones to avoid like grapes, chocolate, etc.
Yeah, dogs do enjoy that, and people can incorporate certain foods like from their hope gardens. Pets can really benefit from things like parsley, and calendular. Then you can elimate the need for additivies.
You have made a commitment to be a more eco-friendly company. Please tell us more about that.
We have had a long-standing commitment to the environment to try to introduce organic ingredients wherever we can and use well crafted herbs and to buy local when possible. We also just made the upgrade to our product packaging, we have transitioned from a bag which was not easily recyclable in most areas to a 100% recycled post-consumer box which is completely recyclable and is printed with soy based inks. It is either recyclable or biodegradable after use. Inside is a food grade bag which is not printed and obviously it is needed to keep the food fresh and safe from contaminants. That is 100% recycling after us e also. It is an increased cost in terms of dollars that we are absorbing as a company and we are not passing it along to customers. We feel it is really important to put our money where our mouth is as far as the environment is concerned. It is really on the top of the list for a lot of people and they like to purchase products from companies that are really committed to the environment.
TGG: We have noticed that as well. The companies that have maintained their authenticity and transparency all along are now reaping the benefits.
Yes, we have always tried to be very open about what we are doing. We like to involve our customers in product development projects. We have a work/food program where we have people who are trainers, breeders, agility trainers, who have an active role in our product development. As we get our products in development we like to get our customers involved in home trails where we give samples away for customers to feed to their own cats and dogs, in the comfort of their own home. We can then eliminate laboratory tests that we do not agree with. I think people like to be involved in the decision making process.
TGG: What is next for Honest Kitchen?
We will be introducing another cookie just in time for the holiday. It will be a blueberry and buffalo flavored cookie. That will be available in the next couple of weeks. We will probably start work on a new cat food early on in 2008 and another canine diet will be hitting the selves next year.
This contains some great information, please check it out:
The Honest Kitchen blog
More links about nutrition:
Phytochemicals
Toxins in pet food
Do you know what you are feeding your pet?
Pet food recall
Labels: Food and Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Interviews
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posted by MTBCXGirl on Thursday, December 20, 2007
