Recalls - grain vs. grain-free foods?

[Veronica]

Are grain-free foods subject to fewer recalls than grain-based foods?

It seems this latest round are due to aflatoxin contamination. This is a mold that affects grains, right?

I assume the grain-free also get hit on occasion?

[onyx'girl]

Dog Food Grains Linked to Allergies and Other Diseases
Dog Food Grain Linked to Dog Food Allergies and Other Diseases (Part 2)
Aflatoxin & Liver Cancer

[shets114]

Any product is susceptible to recall. If manufacturing practices and Quality Control Procedures aren't in place to identify the hazard before it occurs or contain it before it occurs.
At Ainsoworth Pet Nutrition We implement a 48 hour product hold that helps control product and allow for testing prior to leaving the facility. We are currently the only manufacturer that does this.
Back to Basics and other premium products are manufactured by Ainsworth.

[onyx'girl]

I use to work in the exotic bird business, and they of course eat grains(natural seed or pelleted diet). Transport/storage is a biggie...I still have birds and am diligent in looking at what I'm giving to be sure it is not dusty or the smell is off. If something sits in a truck in extreme temps, chances are it can grow some mold or moisture will build up. Most parrot food is completely natural, no preservatives are involved.
So blaming the manufacturer for problems is one thing, but the storage and transport after it leaves the manufacturer/producer is just as important for quality control.

[Emoore]

It's hard to say definitively because there has been a HUGE influx of grain-free foods in the marketplace just over the last 5 years or so. When I got my GSD nearly 10 years ago grain-free was a niche market that very few could afford and was mostly used by people whose dogs had a diagnosed grain intolerance or allergy. It's only in the last handful of years that grainfree foods became affordable and widespread. So of course there have been many more recalls of grain-inclusive foods than grain-free foods, but it's hard to get statistical facts because grain-free is still a fairly small share of the market and is a fairly new product.

I think that the companies have done a great job of selling owners on the idea that grain-free automatically equals better quality. In the next 5-10 years I think we are going to see more and more lower-quality grain-free foods with high amounts of potatoes and peas and not much meat, with the meat they do have being poor quality. I think that over the next decade we will start seeing the same issues with grain-free that we have had with grained foods.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to walk into Wal-Mart in a few years and see grain-free Beneful and Ol'Roy

[ChancetheGSD]

Originally Posted by Emoore

It's hard to say definitively because there has been a HUGE influx of grain-free foods in the marketplace just over the last 5 years or so. When I got my GSD nearly 10 years ago grain-free was a niche market that very few could afford and was mostly used by people whose dogs had a diagnosed grain intolerance or allergy. It's only in the last handful of years that grainfree foods became affordable and widespread. So of course there have been many more recalls of grain-inclusive foods than grain-free foods, but it's hard to get statistical facts because grain-free is still a fairly small share of the market and is a fairly new product.

I think that the companies have done a great job of selling owners on the idea that grain-free automatically equals better quality. In the next 5-10 years I think we are going to see more and more lower-quality grain-free foods with high amounts of potatoes and peas and not much meat, with the meat they do have being poor quality. I think that over the next decade we will start seeing the same issues with grain-free that we have had with grained foods.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to walk into Wal-Mart in a few years and see grain-free Beneful and Ol'Roy

I really wanted to push the "like" button on this.