Pet Food Safety FAQ

 Q: What safety measures are in place to ensure the quality of Organix and Natural Ultramix food and treats?
A: We're obsessed with making "stuff pets love" of the highest quality, whether it's dry or canned food, treats, rawhide or toys. We back that commitment with a 100% unconditional guarantee; if you or your dog or cat are not totally satisfied with a Castor & Pollux product, just call us or e-mail us. We'll take care of your refund or replacement product. You don't need to return to the store. It's that easy.

Our quality and safety commitment to you stems from being pet parents ourselves. We understand and celebrate every wagging tail and every satisfied purr from our four-legged family members.  So, we test, test and re-test.

ALL of our food and treat products are tested for melamine and cyanuric acid (the two contaminants associated with the pet food recalls), salmonella, staphylococcus, enterobacteriaceae and a broad range of toxins including aflotoxin, vomatoxin, ammeline, ammelide, fumonisin, ochratoxin, zearalenone and fumonisin BEFORE they are released for sale. This is in addition to inbound ingredient testing. Throughout each production run, samples are pulled and tested too.

Our Organix line of food and treats brings yet another dimension to our quality and safety commitment. Organix adheres to the very rigorous requirements of the USDA's National Organic Program - the same program that applies to certified organic human foods and ingredients. Each and every ingredient in Organix must be reviewed and approved by the organic certifying agency.

From the farm and field through to the production of Organix, each step must comply with the stringent regulations governing the USDA's National Organic Program.

This includes -
- Feeding and handling of the free range chickens,
- Shutting down the production line for up to 24 hours and a cleaning regimen required before each Organix production run,
- Storing organic ingredients,
- Frequent and random facility inspections,
- Documentation supporting adherence to National Organic Program standards.

There are rules and regulations applying to every aspect of Organix.

Organix was the first pet food made with organic ingredients that complied with all aspects of the USDA's National Organic Program and featured organic, free range chicken as the #1 ingredient in both dog and cat formulas. Unlike other pet food brands that claim to be organic, Organix is. How do you tell? Look for the organic certification statement on the back of each package. To meet the requirements of the National Organic Program, the name and contact information for the organic certifying agency must be supplied on the package.

For pet parents not quite ready to "go organic, Natural Ultramix provides a natural food and treat option that follows the same strict regimens applicable to Organix but is not certified organic. Most importantly, all Natural Ultramix products are tested for melamine and cyanuric acid, salmonella and other toxins before they are released for sale.

 

 

 

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Q: What safety measures are in place to ensure the quality of Castor & Pollux Organix organic dog and cat foods?

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 natural dog 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.