A Flint River Ranch News Feed

Great News to report on the Flint River Ranch Essential Greens Product Release!

Flint River Ranch is in the final stages of releasing the first shipment of Essential Greens! The final ingredients will be arriving this week and the formula should be available for purchase in early October. FRR’s Essential Greens will work with any dry formula to add “live” nutrients and supplements to your pet’s meals.

Essential Greens can be added to any Flint River Ranch formula (or any other food for that matter) as a food topper and supplement. Essential Greens was formulated using the “essence” of the Dry Water formula ingredients, and it makes a delicious gravy or dry food topping.

Flint River Ranch Essential Greens also adds key ingredients to serve as a Health and Vitality supplement that:

• Tastes great
• Aids in digestion
• Helps reduce tartar build up and freshens breath
• Helps improve your pet’s skin and coat
• Boosts the immune system and may help reduce signs of allergies
• Increases energy and overall vitality

We can’t wait to debut FRR Essential Greens at A+ Flint River Ranch. Keep an eye on our front page, our blog or our Facebook page for the official Essential Greens release.

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The P&G dog food and cat food recalls have expanded once again, this time to the company’s flagship pet food brands, Eukanuba and Iams.

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) continues to struggle with its pet food division in 2013 in terms of recalls due to potential Salmonella contamination. This year’s recalls started in March with several of the company’s Natura line of pet foods being recalled following the discovery of Salmonella contamination by the U.S. FDA.

This initial recall was followed by two separate recalls in June that expanded the Natura dry pet food recall to include additional product lots in the Innova, EVO, California Natural, Healthwise, Karma and Mother Nature pet food brands.

And now the recall has expanded once again, this time to P&G’s flagship pet food brands, Eukanuba and Iams. Both dry dog foods and cat foods are affected by the most recent voluntary recall, which was issued yesterday, August 14th.

The Eukanuba recalls include several breed-specific formulas as well as the Eukanuba Dog Food Base line and the Premium Performance, Professional Feeding and Weight Control product lines.

For Iams, the recalled dry dog foods and cat foods include specific batches and formulas of the Iams Healthy Natural and ProActive brand lines.

Additional information and a list of specific formulas recalled can be found on P&G’s new website at:
http://news.pg.com/press-release/pg-corporate-announcements/pg-voluntarily-recalls-limited-quantity-dry-pet-food-due-po

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We have unfortunate news to report on the Flint River Ranch DryWater formula.

Due to a new FDA ruling issued on July 16th on Salmonella and the possibility of cross-contamination in the wake of the Natura pet food recalls, our current production facility will no longer be able to make our Dry Water formula as a result of the Dry Water formula’s raw ingredients needing to be mixed with finished, cooked products within a pet food plant when producing the formula.

There’s no need for concern with the current batch of the DryWater formula, as there have been absolutely no reports of potential Salmonella contamination. But the bad news is that supplies are limited of the Dry Water formula, and what is currently available will likely be the last of the formula.

While Flint River Ranch is looking for a new producer for the formula, we believe it’s unlikely that any companies will take on producing the formula at this time due to the same issues of concern.

Flint River Ranch Essential Greens Coming Soon

If there’s a silver lining to this news, it’s that Flint River Ranch is in the final stages of releasing the first shipments of FRR’s Essential Greens! This is a project started last year following initial production problems in the manufacture of the Dry Water formula.

Flint River Ranch Essential Greens will serve as an alternative to the Dry Water formula and will enable customers to take any food formula, add a measured amount of Essential Greens and augment their pets’ meals and their pets’ overall nutrition! Look for more news on FRR Essential Greens and subsequent “Essential” products in the near future!

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Grains are a popular topic of discussion when it comes to dog foods and cat foods these days. Flint River Ranch addresses the pet food topic du jour by first discussing when you might want to feed a grain-free pet food diet vs. one with grains, and then we share some of the important nutritional benefits that grains can provide.

We regularly hear from customers with questions about pet products and what they should feed to their pets. Some wonder if a grain-free diet would be better than one that contains some grains.

Truly, there is not one type of pet food diet that is best for every dog and cat in the world. All pets have different metabolism and nutritional needs, and results will vary depending on the pet’s individual metabolism and the nutrition that is presented.

Flint River Ranch has always advocated adjusting your pet’s diet to meet their nutritional needs, which means some pets may do well on a grain-free kibble while others will find success with formulas that have healthy grains or a unique carbohydrate mix.

It is important to remember that what holds dry kibble together when it’s cooked (or baked as in the case of Flint River Ranch products) is its carbohydrate source. All dry kibbles need a carbohydrate to bind the ingredients together.

What this means is that “Grain-free” does not equate to being carbohydrate-free. Carbohydrates can be from a grain source like potatoes, conventional grains, tapioca or non-cereal grains.

Here are some of the popular carbohydrates used in making dry kibble for dogs and cats:

• Brown Rice: A complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest. Brown Rice is a source of fiber and contains magnesium, four different B-vitamins, calcium, iron, protein and zinc.
• Oatmeal: A grain that is naturally rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, B-vitamins, Vitamin E, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, iron, protein, calcium, Manganese and Magnesium. Oatmeal is also considered gluten free.
• Millet: Not a grain, but rather a grass seed, Millet is Gluten Free, high in fiber as well as protein, B-complex vitamins, calcium, zinc, iron, and Vitamin E. Millet also contains essential amino acids (18 amino acids in fact!).
• Potato: Quick and easy to digest, Potatoes are Gluten Free and offer high Vitamin C, B-complex, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.
• Sweet Potato: Easy to digest, Gluten Free and high in Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, and carotenoids (antioxidants).
• Peas: Gluten Free and high in Vitamin-B complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Calcium, Iron, Copper, Zinc, Protein and Manganese.
• Tapioca: A fiber source that is Gluten Free and rich in calcium, phosphorous, potassium, iron, B-vitamins, and Magnesium.
• Quinoa: Quinoa is a Seed from a vegetable plant related to spinach and beets, and is not considered a grain. Quinoa is high in protein and fiber, is Gluten Free and rich in Vitamin B-complex, and is a complex carbohydrate.
• Whole Wheat: Whole wheat is a good source of fiber, is easy to digest, and contains protein, calcium, Vitamins B6, E & K, manganese, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, selenium and copper.
• Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans): Chickpeas are Gluten Free and contain protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and Vitamins A, E, K & C.Rich in B Vitamins.
• Lentils: Contain protein, Vitamins B, C, E, K, phosphorus, potassium, copper, selenium, calcium, iron and manganese. Lentils are Gluten Free.

The nutritional benefits of the above ingredients are not 100% complete — there are other trace minerals and vitamins in the ingredients used to make various pet food formulas. Some of these ingredients listed are gluten free, while others are not.

Our point is to show you that there are a variety of nutritional benefits to all of the carbohydrate sources used to make dry kibble. Additionally, foods with carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high Glycemic Index, whereas foods with carbohydrates that break down more slowly release glucose more gradually into the bloodstream and have a low Glycemic Index.

The slower carbohydrates are broken down, the more likely it is the body will use up the glucose, rather than store it as fat (a good lesson for us all!). Additionally, complex carbohydrates that break down slower allow time for the body to readily absorb valuable nutrients.

Flint River Ranch provides different formulas for flavor variety and to assist with the various nutritional needs of your pets. If your dog doesn’t have an issue with grains, then find the best formula your pet does well on. They may do great on our Original Canine Kibble, which is primarily chicken and whole wheat-based, and/or our Lamb & Millet formula, which is predominantly a lamb meal, millet and rice formula.

It may be that your pet does well on our limited grain formulas such as our Trout & Potato (“Fish & Chips”) or our Duck & Oatmeal dog food formula. Yes, we do use oats, but oats are free of the antigens used when the body has an allergic outbreak. There are no other commercial grains in these formulas.

And remember, it is not always just “ingredients” that are the key to a healthy formula. Superior nutrition also has to do with the delivery method of all ingredients and nutrients. At Flint River Ranch we use a superior oven-baking process that others don’t and we always use the highest quality ingredients possible.

This results in an even better, more nutritionally dense formula given similar ingredients in a pet food — we’ll always bet on our slow oven-baking process over the quick-steamed, extruded products any day!

As always, thank you for your interest and support of Flint River Ranch!

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The Flint River Ranch Lamb & Millet (LMR), Senior Plus (PLUS) and Original Dog Kibble (DOG) formulas are all now being processed with a new Kibble Roller Die that has been introduced to help prevent kibble breakage and the crumblike consistency a few of our bags have had in the past.

No changes have been made to any of the Flint River Ranch formulas themselves. We are only using a new die that will bypass the old hammer mill unit that was used to break up the large wafers into kibble pieces. Everything else about the three formulas remains the same, with the new kibble die helping to create a superior product for our customers that will be more stable in shipping and handling.

We’ve been feeding the FRR Lamb, Millet and Rice (LMR) dog food for the past months and our dogs have never had any issues in making the transition, and as we’ve gone through the new bags, there have hardly been any crumbs at all.

We feel the acquisition of the new kibble roller die has been a great change, and we believe both you and your dogs will love the results!

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Natura Pet Brands, which was acquired by Procter & Gamble back in 2010, is in the news again for a new recall of their dry dog foods and cat foods.

Natura initially issued a voluntary recall in March this year following the discovery of Salmonella contamination by the U.S. FDA in one of the company’s products, and on June 18th, 2013, Natura expanded the dry pet food recall to include additional brands and product lots.

The new recall includes specific lots of all of the company’s brands, including Innova, EVO, California Natural, Healthwise, Karma and Mother Nature. It does not apply to any of the canned pet food formulas at this time. The U.S. FDA has additional information on the Natura-brand formulas recalled and the specific lots involved.

Flint River Ranch Headquarters also released the following regarding the recent pet food recalls and how Flint River Ranch is not involved and has never been involved in a pet food recall:

“This coming October marks Flint River Ranch’s 19th anniversary! In those years, Flint River Ranch has helped set the industry’s standard for Super Premium pet foods: all-natural formulas made with human-quality ingredients without the addition of potentially harmful preservatives. Our use of superior ingredients, along with important quality controls and a dedicated oven-baking manufacturing process, produce simple, healthy, all-natural holistic canine and feline foods you trust.

While competition in our industry has increased, Flint River Ranch’s commitment to quality has never wavered. While some heavily-marketed brands lack solid nutrition, many manufacturers have followed the natural trend and tried to improve their offerings. Since it’s expensive to manufacture an all-natural, quality pet food, some regrettably took short-cuts.

Short-cuts like using cheaper imported ingredients or short-cutting safe production methods proved harmful to pets and resulted in major pet food recalls that unfortunately continue to happen again & again. The stress, anger and even heartache by the past industry recalls is understandable, and now with a third recall by the Natura company within 12 months, these events has caused damage to the entire industry and forced some customers to question what they are feeding their beloved pets.

Flint River Ranch continues to use high-quality, tested and safe ingredients. We have never been subject to or involved in a pet food recall nor had a negative regulatory review. We have never used ingredients from China, even before Chinese-sourced ingredients came under scrutiny. We will always think of the end result of our products — your pets, first!

Flint River Ranch follows the general concept of “Occam’s Razor” — the simplest choice is often the correct solution and a product must not be multiplied beyond necessity. Flint River Ranch will always support the general philosophy of keeping our products simple.

We have truly appreciated your support during the past 19 years and look forward to the next 19 and beyond. Our sincere thanks from the entire Flint River Ranch Team to our loyal customers and hardworking distributors! It is enriching to be involved in your lives, and we take our responsibility of your pets health very seriously.

Thank you for your continued support of Flint River Ranch!”

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Great news to share – the Flint River Ranch DryWater dog food is finally available again for ordering as of this afternoon!

According to Flint River Ranch Headquarters, there is a supplementary ingredient panel that you’ll find on the back of the bags, but it is the exact same formula just without the beef chunks in the previous formula.

You can order your FRR DryWater formula here:

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We haven’t had a pet food recall news update in a little while, but there’s been no shortage of recalls recently.

The most recent pet food recall in 2013 comes from Natura Pet Brands (which is now owned by Procter & Gamble), and it’s their first ever dog food or cat food recall. Natura Pet is the manufacturer of Innova, EVO, California Natural and HealthWise dog foods and cat foods, and the company issued the recall on March 18th following the U.S. FDA confirming the presence of Salmonella in one of the company’s products.

A variety of formulas for dogs and cats from all four Natura product lines are involved in the recall, and details on the specific formulas and batches can be found at www.naturapet.com/recall.

The Natura Pet food recall is unrelated to several earlier pet food recalls in 2013, including:

• Diamond Pet Foods – Several brands of Diamond cat food were recalled on March 10th, 2013 due to a potential Vitamin B1 deficiency.
  [More Information]
• Nature’s Variety – One batch of Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula dog food and cat food was recalled on February 15th following the discovery of clear plastic pieces found in some bags that could create a potential choking risk to pets. [More Information]
• Bravo! Pet Foods – One batch of Bravo! Raw Food Diet Chicken Blend for Dogs and Cats was recalled on March 13th due to potential Salmonella bacteria contamination. [More Information]
• Steve’s Real Food – 5lb bags of Steve’s Real Food Turducken Canine Diet 8 ounce patties were recalled on March 8th after an inspection found a bag to be contaminated with Salmonella. [More Information]
• Hy-Vee – Several formulas of Hy-Vee Dog Food were recalled on February 25th due to elevated levels of aflatoxin, a chemical toxic mold contaminant typically found on corn. Aflatoxin was the main culprit in the 2005 and 2006 national recalls of Diamond Pet Foods that were initiated following the deaths of more than a dozen dogs.

We’ve provided a quick synopsis of the main pet food recalls of early 2013, and a more extensive list of pet food recall updates for pet foods and treats can be found on the U.S. FDA’s Pet Food Recalls site: http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyhealth/recallswithdrawals/default.htm

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Announcing our new Referral Discount Program that rewards current A+ FRR customers for sharing the wonderful benefits of Flint River Ranch pet foods and products with new customers!

At A+ Flint River Ranch we’re always looking for ways to improve the shopping experience for our customers. We’re excited to announce another Flint River Ranch first — our latest innovation is a unique Referral Discount Program that will help save you and your friends money on Flint River Ranch pet foods and products.

Now when a new customer makes their first purchase at A+ Flint River Ranch and fills in your name as their referral in the “Referred by customer:” box, they’ll save 10% on their first order and you’ll automatically save 10% on your next order placed with us!

We’ve updated our shopping cart system to automatically provide the referral discount bonus for you without the need to enter any additional codes or comments, but there are several points to keep in mind for the Referral Discounts:

• The 10% Referral Discount will only apply after a new customer fills out a valid, existing A+ FRR customer’s name when creating their account and after placing their first order through the A+ Flint River Ranch website.
• The new customer doesn’t have to be a first-time customer of Flint River Ranch pet foods, but they do need to be a first-time customer on the A+ FRR site.
• While the new customer can be a family member or friend of the referring customer, the Referral Discount can’t be provided to members of the same household or residence.
• Existing customers can only apply one 10% Referral Discount per order, but when referring multiple new customers to A+ FRR, additional Referral Discounts can be applied to future orders.
• There’s a maximum $20 discount per new referral.

Additional details about the Referral Discounts Program can be found at the link below, and feel free to contact us with any questions or feedback you have about the Referral Discount.

A+ Flint River Ranch Referral Discount Details

We’re extremely excited about the new Referral Discounts Program and the chance to reward you for helping to spread the word about the wonderful benefits of Flint River Ranch pet foods and products to new customers!

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This Thanksgiving holiday we’d once again like to take a moment to thank you for your continued patronage and for making Flint River Ranch an integral part of your pet’s healthy lives. As a way of showing our thanks we’d like to offer you some great savings via our Thanksgiving ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ Sale on all Flint River Ranch dog and cat foods.

For a limited time both new and current A+ FRR customers will save on Flint River pet food purchases, with new customers receiving an automatic 10% discount and current customers receiving $10 off orders over $100 and $20 off orders over $200 – no coupon codes needed!

Thank you again, and please tell your friends and family about the Flint River Ranch Thanksgiving Sale — hurry, the automatic Flint River discount savings will end soon!

Order Now!

Flint River Ranch

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