Food for Thought

Pet Care Veterinary Hospital is now carrying Natura products, a high quality, non–prescription line of pet foods.  After researching many different pet food manufacturers for a truly nutritious and safe alternative food for cats, dogs, and ferrets, Natura has proven to be the best choice. The line includes: EVO, Innova, California Natural, Health Wise, Karma and Mother Nature treats. Natura products are manufactured under the strictest of standards for safety, reliability and consistency.

Some of the key points in Natura’s Quality Management and Manufacturing Process include:

• Material Supplier Selection & Approval
• Delivered Raw Material Inspection, Analysis & Traceability
• Accurate Recipe Assembly & Consistent Mixing
• Monitoring of the Cooking Process with In-process Specifications Confirmed
• Correct Packaging Verification & Tracking
• Ingredient & Finished Product Testing (including for melamine & cyanuric acid )
• Warehouse Inventory Management with Full Traceability of Ingredients & Finished Products 

The following certifications and distinctions are a testament to Natura Pet Products’ quality and safety record: 

·         American Institute of Baking (AIB) Superior Rating Certification

o   High AIB ratings confirm a manufacturer’s commitment to excellence.
o   This certification, until recently, was primarily reserved for the human food industry.

·         USDA Organic Production Certification

o   A National Organic Program certifier has approved the facility and its procedures through rigorous inspection and auditing.
o   Natura’s baking facility is certified by OneCert.
o   Karma Dog Food and treats are certified Organic.

·         USDA APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) Registered

o   APHIS registry certifies that Natura purchases all meats from USDA registered suppliers who follow all USDA regulations for safe meat handling.

·         ISO Quality Management System 9001: 2000 Compliant

o   An internationally recognized and highly respected system of quality management.

·         ISO Quality Management System 22000: 2005 Compliant

o   An internationally recognized and highly respected system of food safety management.
o   Natura is the only pet food manufacturer in the United States to be compliant with this rigorous international standard, guaranteeing the safety of their pet foods.

In addition, Natura has set the following standards as an additional guarantee to the superior quality of their pet foods: 

• Natura became the first pet food company to guarantee its products are 100% free from melamine and cyanuric acid.
• Natura was also the first to guarantee that none of the ingredients it uses are sourced from China.
• Natura supports the humane treatment of all animals and will not procure any meat ingredients from suppliers that inhumanely treat animals. 
• All animal ingredients are sourced from USDA inspected facilities and must pass Natura’s rigorous quality checks. 
• Requires all distributors to pass AIB Certification
• Has implemented consumer informational initiatives about our practices and plans, as well as complete nutritional information
• Most of the dry food products have undergone AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) Feeding Trials as well as AAFCO Formulations.

The above standards are backed by a team of dedicated and highly trained professionals including board-certified veterinary nutritionists Sean Delaney, DVM, MS, DACVN, and Sally Perea, DVM, MS, DACVN. Serving as Natura’s Chief Nutrition Officer and Senior Nutritionist respectively, Dr. Delaney and Dr. Perea are part of an elite group of individuals with training, knowledge and expertise in pet health and nutrition. The Natura Nutritional Advisory Board (NNAB) is comprised of 12 leading veterinarians either board-certified in veterinary nutrition by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN) or well-respected practitioners of integrative, holistic, and/or traditional Chinese veterinary medicine. The group is the largest of its kind and the first to bring together the best minds in "Western" and "Eastern" therapeutic medicine. The Board's charter mission is to help Natura with its continued efforts in providing the best natural nutritional solutions for your pets.

You do not have to be an active client at Pet Care Veterinary Hospital to purchase Natura products here, but it will give you an opportunity to speak with one of our educated staff members to help you with any nutritional questions you may have, and give you a chance to check out our facility. Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. We encourage you to visit the Natura website, www.naturapet.comfor additional information.