All of the Nature’s Logic’s diets, treats, and supplements have one main protein source. Other minor protein sources in the products such as animal plasma and dairy products are safe and natural ingredients which incorporate into each diet, treat, or supplement numerous natural food sources of essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and trace nutrients. The alternative, which Nature’s Logic opposes, is to include in these products potentially toxic chemically synthesized nutrients.

Are the chelated proteinate minerals in the pet food I use more natural and safer than other forms of chemically synthesized minerals?
As mentioned in the answer above, proteinate forms of trace minerals are created by binding a synthetic trace mineral to a protein. Much of the scientific literature states that this process “may” function to increase the bioavailability of the mineral but does not go as far as to state that it does emphatically. The literature further states the trace mineral salts used to make metal proteinates are synthetic substances. It further states the nature and method of production of the protein component of metal proteinates is confidential to the manufacturer and has not been disclosed. It is not possible to determine whether synthetic amino acids are incorporated into metal proteinates. Some literature states that a proteinate form of a synthetic mineral is 15% to 20% synthetic mineral and 80% to 85% protein. As stated above, this protein is not disclosed to the end user. It could be from plant, animal, or a synthetic amino acid.

Some examples of metal proteinates are copper proteinate, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, calcium proteinate, etc. Other similar forms of synthetic minerals produced by similar means are metal amino acid complex, metal amino acid chelate, metal polysaccharide complex, and metal propionate.

Nature’s Logic uses only natural minerals sourced from whole foods or naturally mined sources.

Why is “brewer’s yeast” used as an ingredient in Nature’s Logic™?
The simple answer is that Brewer’s Yeast is one of the best sources of several B Vitamins. It also contains Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride and Folic Acid needed in the diet. It is also a great natural source of minerals such as Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium and Zinc. The alternative is to use inferior food ingredients and then fortify the diet with chemically synthesized forms of vitamins and minerals. Some of the potential hypervitaminosis effects from over exposure to these synthetic supplements are ataxia, nervous system dysfunction, vomiting, increased PN concentration in blood and organs, anorexia and death. The inactive spray dried Brewers Yeast (Nutritional Yeast) Nature’s Logic uses is Certified Kosher and Pareve and Chametz Free by Orthodox Union.

This product is approved for inclusion into USDA Organic Certified products. Reported benefits from including this form of montmorillonite clay into animal feeds have been the binding of aflatoxins, lowered somatic cell counts by dairymen, improved weight gain, better utilization of food, glossier hair coat and improved hoof condition in horses.

A research department at Texas A & M University has conducted preliminary testing of montmorillonite. Initial results were positive for sequestering aflatoxins, but they indicated further study was needed.

Nature’s Logic’s products derive all nutrients from 100% food and other natural ingredients without the inclusion of chemically synthesized vitamins, minerals, or trace nutrients.

Click here to view a pdf containing a technical analysis sheet of the clay we use.

Why do Nature's Logic™ diets use the AAFCO statement, “intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only” and not an adequacy statement?
There are two ways to substantiate a dog or cat food that qualify it as a complete and balanced diet for a certain life stage or for all life stages. A manufacturer can substantiate a food by formulating so its dry matter analysis meets or exceeds the minimum AAFCO dog or cat nutrient profile, or the manufacturer can substantiate a food by subjecting the diet to an AAFCO feeding trial. For example, to qualify a diet to meet the AAFCO minimum feeding protocol for proving an adult maintenance claim for dog food, the diet must pass a 26 week test with guidelines of certain feeding parameters and certain clinical observations and measurements.

The following is the nutritional adequacy statement used for diets formulated to meet the AAFCO nutrient profile: “(Name of product) is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog (or Cat) Food Nutrient Profiles for ______________.” (Blank is to be completed by using the stage or stages of the pet’s life, such as gestation/lactation, growth, maintenance, or the words “All Life Stages”.

There are 36 minimum nutritional levels in the AAFCO nutrient profile for dogs and 42 nutritional levels in the AAFCO nutrient profile for cats of amino acids, fats, vitamins and minerals to meet in order for a manufacturer to state that a diet is complete and balanced and is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO.

The following is the nutritional adequacy statement used for diets passing an AAFCO feeding trial: “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that (Name of Product) provides complete and balanced nutrition for ____________.” (Blank is to be completed by using the stage or stages of the pet’s life, such as gestation/lactation, growth, maintenance, or the words "All Life Stages".

Pet Food companies that formulate to meet the AAFCO Nutrient Profile use 20 to 30 different chemically synthesized vitamins and minerals. Following is a typical example ingredient food panel of a natural pet food taken from the manufacturer’s web site on the internet.

Dry Food Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Rice Bran, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbyl Palmitate), Ground Oats, Beet Pulp, Flaxseed, Fish Meal, Natural Chicken Flavor, Lecithin, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Biotin, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, DL-Methionine, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate. (Note: This particular natural diet has around 40 total ingredients; about 14 recognizable food ingredients and about 26 chemically synthesized vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.) (Click here for more examples).

Here are a few quotes from the 2006 AAFCO Official Publication and also from some publications by The National Research Council (NRC). The NRC publications and studies are some of the research used by AAFCO to determine nutrient requirements for pet food. These statements about the use of synthetic vitamins and minerals should be of concern to all pet owners. AAFCO and NRC have done a good job in showing both concern and exposing this information. It is all available to the public; not just industry.

“Knowledge of nutrient requirements and toxicities (of synthetic mineral supplements) is incomplete and/or imprecise in many cases.” (AAFCO 2006)

“The Committee considered the matter of contaminants in mineral feed ingredients for several years before adopting an approach to the problem as reported in the 1978 Official (AAFCO) Publication.” (Official Guidelines for Contaminant Levels Permitted in Mineral Feed Supplements, AAFCO 2006)

 “The current scientific literature, however, is not complete enough to support the estimation of maximum tolerable levels for any (synthetic) vitamin. In most cases, however, one can use the literature to estimate ranges of vitamin intake that can be presumed to be safe.” (NRC Vitamin Tolerance of Animals)

“The available information for most of the (synthetic mineral) elements is less than desired, and it is likely that these tolerance levels will need to be modified. Problems that may arise when two or more elements are present at high levels represent a virtually unexplored area.” (NRC Mineral Tolerance of Domestic Animals)

In the past 5 years there have been FDA recalls of zinc oxide due to high levels of dioxin, a common chemically synthesized form of zinc supplement commonly used in pet foods. There have been recalls of pet foods that caused illness and death in pets from excessive amounts of chemically synthesized vitamin D. There have been pet food recalls of diets with suspect elevated levels of iron and copper that caused illness and death in pets. (Click here to see research and results of animal testing of synthetic vitamins and minerals).

Nature’s Logic launched its products in late March 2006 and chose not to use any added chemically synthesized vitamins or minerals that have been either suspected or proven to be the cause of illness and death in pets and resulted in many past recalls of diets. Nature’s Logic chose to design foods, treats, and supplements made of 100% whole foods from which all nutrients are safely derived without the addition of potentially toxic synthetic forms. Following is a typical example ingredient food panel of a a Nature’s Logic ingredient panel using 100% whole foods and natural ingredients and no added chemically synthesize vitamins, minerals, or amino acids.

INGREDIENTS:  Chicken Meal, Millet, Chicken Fat, Montmorillonite, Brewer's Yeast, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Spray Dried Chicken Liver, Pumpkin Seed, Animal Plasma, Kelp, Natural Flavoring, Cottage Cheese, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Egg Shell Meal, Avocado, Chicory Root, Tomato Powder, Almonds, Spray Dried Cod Liver Oil, Apple Powder, Blueberry Powder, Apricot Powder, Carrot Powder, Pumpkin Powder, Cranberry Powder, Broccoli Powder, Spinach Powder, Parsley, Artichoke, Rosemary, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Bifidium Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Dried Pineapple Extract, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachtium Fermentation Extract, Mixed Tocopherols.

By doing this, there are a couple nutrients that come in a fraction lower than the AAFCO Nutrient Profile for Dogs and Cats. All 42 nutrients are present in all Nature’s Logic products; some 2 times, 3 times, 4 times, and as high as 46 times the required minimum amount of these nutrients are in our finished products from the whole food ingredients. But because Nature’s Logic has a fraction less of a couple nutrients than the AAFCO Nutrient Profile, the intermittent statement had to be used until the Nature’s Logic Diets were substantiated by an AAFCO Feeding Trial. This feeding trial for canines was successfully completed in August of 2006, and as we deplete our current packaging, new packaging is being printed with the following statement: : “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Nature’s Logic provides complete and balanced nutrition for All Life Stages”. (See news article about Feeding Trial).

Nature’s Logic is committed to providing what it believes is the best and safest nutrition for our pets, even though it meant launching a product temporarily with the “intermittent” statement until the feeding trials were complete. The feeding trial proved our commitment was right. In the feeding trial, the Nature’s Logic canine diets exceeded all the established kennel averages in all areas of the test including blood analysis. (See testimonies from satisfied customers using Nature’s Logic).

The cat study is still in progress and as soon as that successful feeding trial is finished we will begin the changes on that packaging as well. UPDATE 11/21/2007: The feeding trial is going exceptionally well. Click here for a news article update.

As far as toxicity, one has to use at one’s own risk or at the risk of their pet, products that are supplemented with synthetics. The experts admit they may or may not have determined what the upper safety levels of these elements are. They also admit that it may represent a virtually unexplored area when two or more synthetic mineral elements are present at high levels. There happens to be up to twelve of these synthetic mineral elements added to pet food, not just two.

As a caution, it is recommended that if you choose to use daily diets that include chemically synthesized vitamins and minerals, to avoid over exposure, feed treats and supplements that are made from 100% food and list no added vitamins and minerals in the ingredient panel. The Nature’s Logic treats and supplements are made from 100% food with no added synthetic nutrients. All nutrients come from whole foods only.

Nature is no cheat in the way it supplies wild dogs and cats an adequate diet without the use of chemically synthesized minerals and vitamins. Nature’s Logic accomplishes the same with its products. They are a reflection of a carnivore’s natural prey diet made up of meat, organ meat, blood products and micronutrients from concentrates of fruits and vegetables. All these products together compose a diet rich and adequate in amino acids, fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and beneficial bacteria.

When taurine is listed as an ingredient in a product’s ingredient panel, this means the base diet contains inadequate levels of natural taurine and the producer has added a man-made synthetic form of this required amino acid to the diet mixture to meet adequacy. No taurine is listed in any Nature’s Logic ingredient panel because the natural ingredients of the diet contain adequate amounts of natural taurine from the high levels of meat, poultry, and organ tissue ingredients. This is the way cats should derive all their needed protein, including taurine. In an independent analysis of Nature’s Logic dry food, it contained 60% more taurine than the AAFCO required minimum.

It should also be of interest to all concerned pet owners that it has been publicized that almost all man-made synthetic taurine added to pet foods is manufactured and imported from China.(Click here to see news article.)

Nature’s Logic has prepared a cat food transitional protocol for your assistance. This will help guide you and your cat through a slow transition onto the food for success and health. (Click here to download our cat food transitional protocol)