Questions you may want to ask a commercial dog food company before you purchase their products.  

(You should specify the full name of the dog or cat food you are interested in.)

•  Are there any organically produced ingredients in your food? If so then which?
• Describe the grade of meat used in your food. Where are the animals slaughtered? (USDA inspected plant or rendering plant?)
• Are the carcasses used, those that passed inspection for human consumption?
• What is the country where the animals were grown?
• Are any meat or poultry by-products used in the production of this food ? If so list specifically what these by-products consist of.
• Do you use only whole grains or are there grain fractions in this food?
• If there are grain fractions please list. Are the whole grains present, of a grade fit for human consumption ?
• With regard to the raw ingredients that go into this food--are they fresh or are they preprocessed, dried and rendered by-products?
• How long before processing are the grains ground?
• Do you mass produce your food or is it fresh batched on an "as needed" basis in order to provide maximum freshness?
• Are there any artificial chemical additives in the food? Please list.
• How is the fat preserved ?
• Do you add enzymes, essential fatty acids, probiotics and certain vitamins and minerals? If so which?
• And are they added before or after the food is heat processed?
• Are the minerals chelated?
• What is the source of the fiber used in the food and what is its specific purpose?
• What antioxidants are naturally in the food and which have you added?
• Do you test the food for molds and mycotoxins?
• Do you use any special packaging techniques to help reduce rancidification and mold formation?