The best organic pet food brands revealed

Tuesday, June 01, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: organic, pet food, health news

(NaturalNews) A stroll down the pet food aisle at the local pet store can be overwhelming. The shelves are full of countless brands all claiming to have the best formulations for your furry friend. Many brands are now selling "natural" and organic lines in order to attract discerning shoppers who are concerned about finding the healthiest food for their pets. So which brands truly deliver?

While some people may argue that fresh or raw foods are the best route to take when feeding your pet, not everyone has the time to prepare these kinds of meals, or access to affordable ingredients in order to make them. While many premium pet food brands can be quite expensive themselves, it is often the more practical choice for people who care about their health of their pets but prefer the convenience of dry kibble.

In this review, I will highlight a few of the best organic dry pet food brands I have found based on the quality and source of their ingredients. While I would highly recommend investigating them for yourself, these are some of the best formulas that use at least 95 percent organic ingredients, and the companies seem to embody principles that are in line with our philosophy here at Natural News.

Also, it is always good to sample these products first to make sure your pet will eat them. If your pet is used to some of the cheaper brands that use additives to improve palatability, it may not like some of these premium formulas which often do not smell or taste the same.

Castor & Pollux Organix
Another excellent organic dry pet food is the Castor & Pollux Organix line of pet foods. The first ingredient in every Castor & Pollux dry food is certified organic, free-range chicken. Most of the ingredients are organic and the ones that are not are still reviewed and approved by an organic certifying agency.

Like PetGuard, none of the Castor & Pollux Organix products contain any ethoxyquin, and they are free of common allergens like corn and wheat. Some of the formulas do contain organic soybean seeds, however, so make sure your pet is not allergic to them before buying.

My dog happens to love Castor & Pollux Organix canned chicken formulas more than any other brand I have tried thus far. And I feel good knowing that the ingredients are mostly organic and do not include dangerous chemicals and preservatives.

For more information about Castor & Pollux, please visit www.castorpolluxpet.com.

Natura Karma
Natura's entire line of pet foods is truly remarkable, but its Karma organic line for dogs is even better. Made from over 95 percent certified organic ingredients, Karma is made of organic chicken and a variety of organic whole grains. It also contains no wheat, soy or corn.

Natura's manufacturing process is also quite impressive, as the food must undergo over 100 quality-control checks before being shipped to stores. Natura also utilizes unique cooking and processing techniques that cook the food as gently as possible, preserving more natural nutrients than most other brands. This is noteworthy because most pet foods are cooked at extreme temperatures which strip them of most of their nutrients and enzymes

The company is also highly committed to sourcing only the best ingredients available. It uses no artificial chemicals or preservatives, and its products do not contain ethoxyquin.

For more information about Natura pet products, please visit www.naturapet.com.

PetGuard
PetGuard is one of the few pet food makers that produces a line of certified organic foods. That certification alone sets this brand apart from most other brands by ensuring that superior ingredients are used in these formulations. The company is family-owned and operated and sources all of its ingredients from the U.S., which is an additional plus. Not every company can make this claim, and when speaking with them directly, I got a real sense about their commitment to quality.

PetGuard's organic line is made with more than 95 percent organic ingredients. Its all life stages dog formula does contain whole ground soybeans, which I consider to be a negative, but at least they are organic. The company also makes an organic vegetarian formula for dogs that is free of soy.

PetGuard uses "human grade" ingredients, though it cannot legally say so. There are no GMOs in any of its formulas and the company uses only natural preservatives like vitamins C and E. There are no animal by-products in any of its formulas and the company does not use ethoxyquin, a dangerous chemical preservative made by Monsanto, in any of its formulas.

For more information about PetGuard, please visit www.petguard.com.