Pet Food Safety FAQ

Q: What safety measures are in place to ensure the quality of Castor & Pollux Organix products?

A: The Castor & Pollux Organix® product line was one of the first certified organic food products to be introduced for dogs and cats shortly after the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) was introduced in 2002. The organic certification process is unlike any other safety measure in place for pet food and treats. Organic certifying agencies operate under the mandate of the USDA’s National Organic Program and are charged with ensuring that the very rigorous standards and regulations are followed by all involved in a certified organic product.

Regardless of where the organic ingredients are grown or produced, organic certification under the mandate of the USDA’s NOP is required if that ingredient is to be included in a certified organic product.

Every ingredient (organic and non-organic) must be submitted for review and approval by the organic certifying agency. Proof of that USDA organic certification is required along with the origin/source of the ingredients.

Organic farmers must follow practices laid out under the USDA’s National Organic Program, which include:

Using no pesticides, no growth hormones, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs and no antibiotics.

The humane treatment of animals/poultry.

Frequent random facility inspections.

Documentation supporting adherence to NOP standards.

Certified organic handling, processing and storage facilities are required to:

House organic ingredients separately from non-organic ingredients.

Provide documentation of handling and storage requirements as specified by the NOP including proof that chemical pesticides or other chemicals agents were not used.

The manufacturing facility itself must be certified organic. This includes:

Shutting down the production lines being used for organic production for up to 24 hours to undertake the cleaning regimen required under the National Organic Program.

Regular and unannounced inspections.

Requirements for documenting and reporting procedures, ingredient usage, lots and sources.

Sample retention.

Castor & Pollux oversees quality control by:

Regularly attending production runs and inspecting the facilities in which our products are made.

Regularly pulling samples from the production line for analysis and retaining product from each run to be used for additional assessment as required.

Q: What safety measures are in place to ensure the quality of Castor & Pollux Natural Ultramix foods?

A: Castor & Pollux has stringent specifications in place, from the ingredients through the finished products, of our custom proprietary Natural Ultramix formulas. These are established by the company in consultation with Board Certified Animal Nutritionists and Veterinarians, as well as ingredient suppliers, processors and manufacturers. Castor & Pollux oversees quality control of all aspects of product creation. Safety measures in place include:

Castor & Pollux setting ingredient specifications.

Testing inbound ingredients prior to production.

Castor & Pollux executives regularly attending production runs and inspecting the facilities in which our products are made.

Regularly pulling samples from the production line for analysis and retaining product from each run to be used for additional assessment as required.