Additives to pellets and natural alternatives by guest author Leslie Rivera
(In response to someone being told that a well known brand of pellets didn't have artificial coloring, Leslie wrote this analysis of their ingredients. We have not mentioned the brand of pellets, as it probably applies to many of them.)
I am shocked that X brand pellets told you or anyone else that their pellets do not contain artificial coloring. The ingredients clearly state that they do. There's no possible way to get that kind of bright color in a processed pellet without adding color. Either way, they DO have artificial coloring and preservatives, as well as mineral and vitamin supplements. I won't argue that many parrots do just fine on a pelleted diet. Even some ekkies do ok on them... however, I must argue the point that all pellets are the same. They are definitely not the same!
I'm not a naturalist or fanatic about having all organic or whatever but I believe in providing the best possible diet for my family as well as my pets. And when it comes to pet food, there is a very wide range of quality. You can't even compare the mineral and vitamin supplements in pet food to human grade b/c they're usually not close in quality. "Feed grade" food additives are generally low-quality... not to mention that many are chemically sythesized or derived from non-food sources. All you have to do is look at the ingredients and do your homework. But back to brand X...
I wanted to outline the ingredients in their Eclectus pellet that would be of concern to me, personally, which is about all of additives - I'll also highlight the food sources for each one (ekkie-safe foods, anyway). This is only my opinion so I don't wish to start a debate... just wanted to put it out there. Everyone has to make their own educated decision.
Below you'll find notes on each ingredient in X brand Eclectus blend in the order found on the bag.
To start, the (processed) food-source ingredients in X brand Eclectus are: Corn, Oat Groats, Soy Concentrate, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat, Fructose, Soya Oil, Coconut Oil, Raisins, Coconut, Papaya, Apricot, Banana, Sweet Potato, Pineapple, Apple, Spinach, Broccoli, Carrots, Dates.
Following are the additives:
Calcium Carbonate - Dietary supplement, source of calcium. **Natural sources of calcium: blackstrap molasses, Swiss chard, yogurt, kale, basil, thyme, cinnamon, peppermint leaves, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, sesame seeds, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, tofu, Brussel sprouts, oranges, asparagus, Oregano, rosemary, parsley, kelp.
Dicalcium Phosphate - Dietary supplement, source of calcium and phosphate. **Natural sources of phosphorus: nuts, eggs, whole grains.
Choline Chloride - Dietary supplement derived from ethylene oxide, hydrochloric acid, trimethylamine. I won't even go into those chemicals... **Natural sources of choline: soybeans, eggs, peanuts, cauliflower, potatoes, lentils, oats, sesame and flax seeds.
DL Methionine - Amino acid supplement (typically given to dogs to lower the pH of urine so it doesn't kill grass). **Natural sources of methionine: sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, oats, peanuts, chickpeas, corn, almonds, pinto beans, lentils, brown rice.
Vitamin E Supplement - self-explanatory. **Natural sources of Vit E: mustard greens, chard, sunflower seeds, turnip greens, almonds, spinach.
Ascorbic Acid - a synthesized form of Vitamin C (80% of the world's supply comes from China). **Natural sources of Vit C: parsley, brocoli, bell pepper, strawberries, oranges, papaya, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, brussels sprouts.
Ferric Sulfate - Iron supplement. **Natural sources of Iron: cherries, eggs, most leafy greens, soybeans, lentils, blackstrap molasses, quinoa, variety of beans, potato, just to name a few.
D-Biotin - Dietary supplement in the B-complex family. **Natural sources of biotin: Swiss chard, Romaine, tomatoes, carrots, almonds, eggs, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, raspberries, strawberries, oats, walnuts.
Yucca Schidigera Extract - Added to animal feed to lower ammonia gases in animal waste. In poultry feed, increases performance of stock = more eggs. I'm not quite sure why parrots would need this????
Zinc Oxide - An inorganic compound. Supplement. **Natural sources of zinc: soybeans, spinach, sunflower seeds, eggs, wholegrain flour.
Manganese Oxide - An inorganic compound, derived from the metal form of manganese in the Earth's crust. **Natural sources of manganese: mustard greens, kale, chard, raspberries, pineapple, romaine, collard greens.
Niacinamide - Dietary supplement in the B-complex family. **Natural sources of niacin (B3): almonds, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, pine nuts, red chili peppers, sesame seeds, split peas, sunflower seeds, wild rice, whole wheat.
Vitamin B12 Supplement - Dietary supplement. **Natural sources of B12: brown rice, rye, whole wheat, leafy vegetables, eggs.
BHT (as a Preservative) - butylated hydroxytoluene, used in foods to preserve fats. The oxidative characteristics and/or metabolites of BHA and BHT may contribute to carcinogenicity or tumorigenicity. (http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodcookingchemistry/a/bha-bht-preservatives.htm)
Copper Sulfate - Dietary supplement for copper. A trace mineral additive in poultry and swine feed. **Natural sources of copper: turnip greens, blackstrap molasses, whole grains, beans, nuts, potatoes, dark leafy greens.
Calcium Iodate - Dietary supplement for iodine. **Natural sources of iodine: yogurt, eggs, strawberries, asparagus, soybeans, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, turnip greens.
Beta Carotene - Widely available in fresh foods: sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens...
Vitamin A Supplement - Dietary supplement. **Natural sources are primarily animal but it is found in eggs. Precursors to vitamin A (carotenoids) can be attained through carrot, sweet potato, spinach, kale, collard greens, tomatoes.
Calcium Pantothenate - Dietary supplement for vitamin B5. **Natural sources of B5: cauliflower, brocoli, turnip greens, sunflower seeds.
Sodium Selenite - Dietary supplement for selenium. **Natural sources of selenium: Brazil nuts, eggs, wheat germ. It's also found in many vegetables but levels are dependent on the amount in the soil they were grown in.
Folic Acid - a.k.a. vitamin B9. **Natural sources of folate: romaine, spinach, asparagus, turnip and mustard greens, parsley, collard greens, brocoli, cauliflower, beets, lentils.
Riboflavin - a.k.a. vitamin B2. **Natural sources of riboflavin are largely meat but can be attained via dark, leafy greens and while grains.
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride - Dietary supplement for vitamin B6. **Natural sources of B6: bell peppers, turnip greens, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, brocoli, Brussels sprouts.
Thiamine Mononitrate - Dietary supplement for vitamin B1. **Natural sources of B1-thiamine: asparagus, romaine, spinach, sunflower seeds, green peas, tomato, Brussels sprouts.
Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite - synthetic form of Vitamin K3. The U.S. FDA does not allow sale of K3 in it's menadione form. There is controversy over K3 in pet foods. I won't go into that here but you can find more onilne (http://www.petfoodindustry.com/Columns/Ingredient_Issues/2372.html)
**Natural sources of K: dark, leafy greens, green beans, asparagus, brocoli.
Vitamin D3 Supplement - Too much D3 can cause calcification in the kidneys and proventriculus of birds. Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of Calcium. **Natural sources of Vit D: THE SUN! Eggs also have some vit D. Other sources are meat.
Cobalt Sulfate - This has been widely banned in non-industrial and non-veterinarian purposes. There are health risks associated with it. It is still added to animal feed as a trace mineral to aid in B12 production, however B12 is available in foods that our ekkies commonly eat.
I probably got carried away but it was interesting to me to really look at all the different additives that are not plant or animal-derived... instead they're synthesized chemically, etc... and really, how healthy can that be for us or our pets in the long run??? There are a lot of common denominators in all the natural sources I listed above. If our Eclectus are being fed a variety of healthy foods, they should have no problem getting all of the nutrients they need! In cases where they aren't offered or won't eat enough fresh foods to stay healthy, I can see the role that a GOOD pellet would play. But I think in most cases, people who are diligent about their ekkie diets will have happy and healthy fiddies without the artificial food additives found in X Brand and many others! Sadly, there are still many parrot owners who just assume pellets are enough so that's all their birds get.
I hope this was insightful to at least some of you... if you've even read this far!! LOL!!
Leslie
I am shocked that X brand pellets told you or anyone else that their pellets do not contain artificial coloring. The ingredients clearly state that they do. There's no possible way to get that kind of bright color in a processed pellet without adding color. Either way, they DO have artificial coloring and preservatives, as well as mineral and vitamin supplements. I won't argue that many parrots do just fine on a pelleted diet. Even some ekkies do ok on them... however, I must argue the point that all pellets are the same. They are definitely not the same!
I'm not a naturalist or fanatic about having all organic or whatever but I believe in providing the best possible diet for my family as well as my pets. And when it comes to pet food, there is a very wide range of quality. You can't even compare the mineral and vitamin supplements in pet food to human grade b/c they're usually not close in quality. "Feed grade" food additives are generally low-quality... not to mention that many are chemically sythesized or derived from non-food sources. All you have to do is look at the ingredients and do your homework. But back to brand X...
I wanted to outline the ingredients in their Eclectus pellet that would be of concern to me, personally, which is about all of additives - I'll also highlight the food sources for each one (ekkie-safe foods, anyway). This is only my opinion so I don't wish to start a debate... just wanted to put it out there. Everyone has to make their own educated decision.
Below you'll find notes on each ingredient in X brand Eclectus blend in the order found on the bag.To start, the (processed) food-source ingredients in X brand Eclectus are: Corn, Oat Groats, Soy Concentrate, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat, Fructose, Soya Oil, Coconut Oil, Raisins, Coconut, Papaya, Apricot, Banana, Sweet Potato, Pineapple, Apple, Spinach, Broccoli, Carrots, Dates.
Following are the additives:
Calcium Carbonate - Dietary supplement, source of calcium. **Natural sources of calcium: blackstrap molasses, Swiss chard, yogurt, kale, basil, thyme, cinnamon, peppermint leaves, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, sesame seeds, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, tofu, Brussel sprouts, oranges, asparagus, Oregano, rosemary, parsley, kelp.
Dicalcium Phosphate - Dietary supplement, source of calcium and phosphate. **Natural sources of phosphorus: nuts, eggs, whole grains.
Choline Chloride - Dietary supplement derived from ethylene oxide, hydrochloric acid, trimethylamine. I won't even go into those chemicals... **Natural sources of choline: soybeans, eggs, peanuts, cauliflower, potatoes, lentils, oats, sesame and flax seeds.
DL Methionine - Amino acid supplement (typically given to dogs to lower the pH of urine so it doesn't kill grass). **Natural sources of methionine: sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, oats, peanuts, chickpeas, corn, almonds, pinto beans, lentils, brown rice.
Vitamin E Supplement - self-explanatory.
**Natural sources of Vit E: mustard greens, chard, sunflower seeds, turnip greens, almonds, spinach.Ascorbic Acid - a synthesized form of Vitamin C (80% of the world's supply comes from China). **Natural sources of Vit C: parsley, brocoli, bell pepper, strawberries, oranges, papaya, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, brussels sprouts.
Ferric Sulfate - Iron supplement. **Natural sources of Iron: cherries, eggs, most leafy greens, soybeans, lentils, blackstrap molasses, quinoa, variety of beans, potato, just to name a few.
D-Biotin - Dietary supplement in the B-complex family. **Natural sources of biotin: Swiss chard, Romaine, tomatoes, carrots, almonds, eggs, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, raspberries, strawberries, oats, walnuts.
Yucca Schidigera Extract - Added to animal feed to lower ammonia gases in animal waste. In poultry feed, increases performance of stock = more eggs. I'm not quite sure why parrots would need this????
Zinc Oxide - An inorganic compound. Supplement. **Natural sources of zinc: soybeans, spinach, sunflower seeds, eggs, wholegrain flour.
Manganese Oxide - An inorganic compound, derived from the metal form of manganese in the Earth's crust. **Natural sources of manganese: mustard greens, kale, chard, raspberries, pineapple, romaine, collard greens.
Niacinamide - Dietary supplement in the B-complex family. **Natural sources of niacin (B3): almonds, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, pine nuts, red chili peppers, sesame seeds, split peas, sunflower seeds, wild rice, whole wheat.
Vitamin B12 Supplement - Dietary supplement. **Natural sources of B12: brown rice, rye, whole wheat, leafy vegetables, eggs.
BHT (as a Preservative) - butylated hydroxytoluene, used in foods to preserve fats. The oxidative characteristics and/or metabolites of BHA and BHT may contribute to carcinogenicity or tumorigenicity. (http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodcookingchemistry/a/bha-bht-preservatives.htm)
Copper Sulfate - Dietary supplement for copper. A trace mineral additive in poultry and swine feed. **Natural sources of copper: turnip greens, blackstrap molasses, whole grains, beans, nuts, potatoes, dark leafy greens.
Calcium Iodate - Dietary supplement for iodine. **Natural sources of iodine: yogurt, eggs, strawberries, asparagus, soybeans, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, turnip greens.
Beta Carotene - Widely available in fresh foods: sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens...
Vitamin A Supplement - Dietary supplement. **Natural sources are primarily animal but it is found in eggs. Precursors to vitamin A (carotenoids) can be attained through carrot, sweet potato, spinach, kale, collard greens, tomatoes.
Calcium Pantothenate - Dietary supplement for vitamin B5. **Natural sources of B5: cauliflower, brocoli, turnip greens, sunflower seeds.
Sodium Selenite - Dietary supplement for selenium. **Natural sources of selenium: Brazil nuts, eggs, wheat germ. It's also found in many vegetables but levels are dependent on the amount in the soil they were grown in.
Folic Acid - a.k.a. vitamin B9. **Natural sources of folate: romaine, spinach, asparagus, turnip and mustard greens, parsley, collard greens, brocoli, cauliflower, beets, lentils.
Riboflavin - a.k.a. vitamin B2. **Natural sources of riboflavin are largely meat but can be attained via dark, leafy greens and while grains.
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride - Dietary supplement for vitamin B6. **Natural sources of B6: bell peppers, turnip greens, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, brocoli, Brussels sprouts.
Thiamine Mononitrate - Dietary supplement for vitamin B1. **Natural sources of B1-thiamine: asparagus, romaine, spinach, sunflower seeds, green peas, tomato, Brussels sprouts.
Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite - synthetic form of Vitamin K3. The U.S. FDA does not allow sale of K3 in it's menadione form. There is controversy over K3 in pet foods. I won't go into that here but you can find more onilne (http://www.petfoodindustry.com/Columns/Ingredient_Issues/2372.html)
**Natural sources of K: dark, leafy greens, green beans, asparagus, brocoli.
Vitamin D3 Supplement - Too much D3 can cause calcification in the kidneys and proventriculus of birds. Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of Calcium. **Natural sources of Vit D: THE SUN!
Eggs also have some vit D. Other sources are meat.Cobalt Sulfate - This has been widely banned in non-industrial and non-veterinarian purposes. There are health risks associated with it. It is still added to animal feed as a trace mineral to aid in B12 production, however B12 is available in foods that our ekkies commonly eat.
I probably got carried away but it was interesting to me to really look at all the different additives that are not plant or animal-derived... instead they're synthesized chemically, etc... and really, how healthy can that be for us or our pets in the long run??? There are a lot of common denominators in all the natural sources I listed above. If our Eclectus are being fed a variety of healthy foods, they should have no problem getting all of the nutrients they need! In cases where they aren't offered or won't eat enough fresh foods to stay healthy, I can see the role that a GOOD pellet would play. But I think in most cases, people who are diligent about their ekkie diets will have happy and healthy fiddies without the artificial food additives found in X Brand and many others! Sadly, there are still many parrot owners who just assume pellets are enough so that's all their birds get.
I hope this was insightful to at least some of you... if you've even read this far!! LOL!!
Leslie
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