blue ridge beef controversy

If you actually READ the Zoning document, youll see disposal of parts unnecessary for BRB products is a part of the process. Gluten, grain or imported materials. Our foods are made up of the highest quality meats and bones. On the kill floor and in the cooler, carcasses were observed being dragged on the floors, dropping from the railing system onto the floors and being trimmed from the floors in these rooms. I have been feeding BRB for over 10 years! And I am careful! The concrete floors of the kill floor (where whole animals are skinned and eviscerated), the cooler room (where carcasses are trimmed and held), and the grinder/mixing room (where pet food ingredients are ground, mixed, and packaged into finished product) are rough and pitted, with standing pools of water. As noted in violation 2, the condition of your floors creates a possible niche for undesirable microorganisms that could contaminate the thawing ingredients. Rotten meat is a different story because it could carry bacteria that could be harmful. All I could find are forum discussions about Blue Ridge Beef. In addition, the source of your ingredients may be relevant when you consider hazards that may be associated with your pet food. I follow the Volhard diet which gives the dogs beef and green tripe (about 85% beef, 15% tripe) five days a week, cottage cheese on day six and fasting on day seven. This post was my response to the forum discussions about Blue Ridge Beef. Blue Ridge Beef - Facebook but nothing from BRB. Gosh Since 1979, Blue Ridge Beef has been committed to providing the best nutritional quality raw food, price, and service. Carnivore Carry Out - SE MID MICHIGAN RAW DIET CO-OP FOR DOGS & CATS Please go back and do some research with regarding to this sentence: Also, given that a portion of the veterinarian community speak regularly about the dangers of raw feeding, That is old news and it was the big companies putting pressure on the AAFP. , I follow the better-safe-than-sorry theory. It may not display this or other websites correctly. I was under the impression that they raise their own animals. Accordingly, FDA may assess fees to cover any reinspection-related costs. I appreciate you bringing this topic up since I am currently researching affordable raw foods for a kitty with GI issues. For example, section 403(i)(1) and (2) of the FD&C Act [21 U.S.C. I respect that this comment was for Tracey, however, I wanted to clarify your comment that 3D has a bad sound to it and isnt what people think. Part 507 requires a firm to: 1) determine what hazards are associated with the type of animal food the firm produces; and 2) to implement preventive controls to address those hazards that require control. -Single ingredient and minimally processed. Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser. This year, Im having their blood work done. Blue Ridge Beef of Eatonton, Georgia, USA, is . 1070 Mail Service Center Additionally, all plant equipment must be designed of such material and workmanship to be adequately cleanable and must be properly maintained as required by 21 CFR 507.22(a)(1). Product Description: Complete raw pet food Company Announcement Blue Ridge Beef of Eatonton, GA, is voluntarily recalling lot#GA0131 of BRB Complete raw pet food because of the potential of. Thats my 2-cents. In my research, I found nothing that proved that BRB was anything other than what they say they are a producer of raw meals for pets. and Listeria monocytogenes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an inspection of your raw pet food manufacturing facility at 417 Garden Valley Road in Statesville, NC on September 30, 2019 through October 25, 2019. NectarMom Member Is their meat grass fed? , no blood in it. Dog Food Recall 2021 Full List. They use beef heart, beef liver and beef green tripe. And you are so right, a good diet IS better than the vet bills. We now think of balance over a week or so. I occasionally earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) when you click through an affiliate link to one of my favorite products. Beyond that, there was no proof that this is the case. Select the category that describes your cat or dog. Again, once you see, you cant unsee. Thanks for sharing your experience, Stina because there isnt any hard and fast information one way or another and the owners of Blue Ridge werent interested in speaking with me, I can only go by what people who use their products share. When I was researching the rumors, I found it difficult to find a nice balance of experiences. The product is not anything more raw meat, inclding ground organ and bones (unless its the bonesless one). I feed our dogs canned tripe by PetKind and its in some of their foods. I am feeding blue ridge beef to several cats and my dogs. To say the least. Blue Ridge Beef's products are fresh and flash frozen. Our foods never include: Artificial ingredients. This preserves amino acids and live digestive enzymes essential for healthy pets. Product Description. Thank you, Kimberly. TRUST me, or I have been using it for x amount of years and my animals are healthy..good for you, the fact remains the entire pet food industry is required to lable their food starting with the largest ingredient, down.BUT NOT this brand. Anyone in the north Florida or southern Georgia area who would be interested in helping me to meet the minimum order requirement, please let me know! Raw Pet Food Serving computations for Cats and Dogs - Blue Ridge Beef Advertisement. Please do not use content from this blog in place of veterinarian care. If you do feed kibble there is only one American food that is GMO free. I think I have been feeding BRB exclusively for over 6 years. Specifically: 6. after recently finding several green rubber parts in the tripe from BRB I emailed them only to first be ignored by them and after I sent a second email I finally got a response saying just they dont know what it is and they are changing distributors . Contact Us | Customer Service and Support | Blue Ridge -Ground 97% lean beef. We breed champion dobermans and they are super healthy with no gum or tooth issues. The food is not sourced from dead animal carcass removal. Blue Ridge Beef During our inspection of your facility, FDA Investigators noted violations of 21 CFR Part 507, Subpart B. David Choe's 'Beef' controversy, explained: What did he say? - Los Statesville, NC 28625-9427 I dont even feel good about shopping at the store that sells it. I, Kimberly Gauthier (owner), am a member of the following affiliate programs that provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by promoting and linking to online shopping sits: Chewy.com, Plant Therapy, CBD Dog Health, CannaPet, Darwins Pet, Raw Paws Pet Food,and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. I agree that the BRB price point seems suspiciously low at first, however, there are a couple things that are a little different about BR. Blue Ridge Beef Case Study - JBT Discussions with fellow dog owners can be invaluable, especially when it comes to raw feeding, because were all learning on our own. Its important to confirm which facility your food came from. The family does protect the formulation ratios as it is a trade secret. No smoking gun here folks, just common sense responsible business management. Dont believe it. That is the ONLY issue I find. Thanks! The 2020 ListSusans List of trusted pet foods. Its nice to hear from so many people who are fans of BRB. Michigan deliveries are the 2nd Wednesday of each month. The .gov means its official.Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. I have been feeding BRB for 9.5 years to 4 giant breed dogs. We continue to add products to our online store. Food facility registration guidance is available online at www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FoodFacilityRegistration/default.htm. But nothing. Required fields are marked *. If bloggers are involved in bashing brands, thats not cool. I wouldnt for humane food or animal food. Thanks for commenting. We have used Blue Ridge Beef for a long time. ), An official website of the United States government, Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts, Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, Lea-Way Farms Inc. dba Blue Ridge Beef - 597944 - 06/26/2020. Your written response should be sent to: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 60 Eighth Street, NE Atlanta, GA 30309, to the attention of Patricia Hudson, Compliance Officer. I have fed this diet exclusively for over 16 years and wouldnt think of switching a good diet is a lot cheaper than vet bills. I respect that choice; but Im raising dogs with allergies and read the ingredients to make sure a food is okay for them. You have to make choices based on how you want to feed your own animals. As a result of these violations, the pet food manufactured in your facility is adulterated in that it is prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have been become contaminated with filth or rendered injurious to health.1 The introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of any food that is adulterated or misbranded is prohibited.2 You may find the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and FDAs regulations through links on the FDAs website at www.fda.gov. Click Here to learn more. Blue Ridge Beef offers special ground meats to kittens and puppies. They had no prices on their packages. A food that was once good, sadly becomes a horrible food if you dont keep an eye on the ingredients. Calcium- 9.06 mg/100g. I really struggle with the use of 3D meats and the clear definition of 3D meats, because everyone says something different. Thank you for sharing your experience; its nice to have positive comments. He was still scratching. This became apparent when good food companies were bought out by Proctor and Gamble or Mars. I love raw! Im not sure why or how the rumor that they use poor quality meat got started but I have 4 dogs and all are healthy. Many thanks to Blue Ridge Beef for making it easy for me to feed raw. This form may be obtained by calling the FDA Industry Systems Help Desk at 1-800-216-7331 or 301-575-0156, or by writing to the agency at the following address: U.S. Food and Drug Administration In addition, it is important that you optimize your manufacturing practices throughout your facility to help protect against contamination by undesirable microorganisms. and 5 lb. These areas are not easily cleaned, creating a possible niche for undesirable microorganisms. They do NOT pick up dead or diseased animals. We are now a BRB dealer in California and have many happy customers. So I stopped buying Rabbit with bone for a while and feeding my cats Turkey with bone. Back. Showing all 20 results. Like you say. Although I was taken aback by the email, because I really thought that they would be more forthcoming; I cant say that I blame them for shutting the door on this topic. The venison is from deer farms of their area. (See section 402(a)(2)(C)(i) of the FD&C Act.). Specifically: 2. I dont want to risk being sued for libel. Wholesaler of meat - Beef, Pork, Lamb, and more. https://therawfeedingcommunity.com/2017/12/17/the-blue-ridge-beef-controversy/, this is a controversy article regarding Blue Ridge which I currently feed. Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen. I switched my dogs to BRB last year after trying other raw brands. Many are very open to the diet when they realize that we put a lot of research into creating a balanced diet. Ive met many who admit to the lack of education in school. Ive been feeding my dogs BRB for over 4 years But will no longer purchase their meat. Over-spray from the pressure washer was observed falling into open tubs of exposed meat held for use as pet food. Ive been paying $300-$400 a month for 1 dog. Blue Ridge Beef. Maybe growing up in farm country makes it easier for me to understand the linked document. The Truth About Pet Food, a website maintained by pet food advocate Susan Thixton, reported that Blue Ridge Beef received a warning letter from the FDA. BRB is nasty. Thanks for sharing your experience, Lilly. I am just glad the BRB is agreeing with him. As a firm producing frozen, raw pet food, you may decide to consider biological hazards such as pathogenic bacteria and parasites, chemical hazards such as drug residues, and physical hazards such as large bone fragments. I would NEVER buy from this company esp. We have to be careful about who we listen too in forums. You did not maintain holding and conveying systems in a way to protect against contamination of animal food as required by 21 CFR 507.22(b). and ignorant assumptions, and by making false accusations. Specifically: 3. Click Here. For more details and a full list of brands I work with, please visit the Affiliate Disclosure page. Frequently Asked Questions about Blue Ridge Beef Blue Ridge Beef Then after further research I discovered an article that helped me decide. Include an explanation of each step being taken to prevent the recurrence of violations, as well as copies of related documentation. I am considering becoming a dealer myself so I can buy in bulk and keep more of it on hand. Im reserving judgment, because I have found no proof that the rumors are true. Feed the Animal in Your Pet. 331(dd)], 5 As an alternative, if your facility is in compliance with North Carolina food safety law, you may attest to this fact and provide the required notification to consumers on your pet food label. Awful. If your pet has become sick or has died you believe is linked to a pet food, it is important to report the issue to FDA and your State Department of Agriculture. Good grief. And I understand how theyre fed up with all the rumors that have been floating around for years, with no basis in fact. I prefer the higher fat one called breeders choice. Product Description: Raw Dog and Cat food Company Announcement Eatonton, GA - Blue Ridge Beef is voluntarily recalling one (1) of its frozen products due to their potential to be contaminated. In the cooler, employees were observed performing sanitation procedures. Due to Rodrigos allergies, I have to be aware of all ingredients and where the meat was sourced. If I had that experience with a brand, I wouldnt feed our dogs the food. As I do not form an opinion based on rumors just facts. I am also a BRB dealer in NY and feed BRB to my cats and dogs every single day. The Blue Ridge Beef pet food website states: Our raw materials are sourced from USDA certified and inspected human consumption plants while we also choose to source some meats locally to support our communities; where they are then processed in our state of the art USDA registered and FDA inspected facilities using the same quality control standards as human consumption.. SOMEONE, give some solid proof or valid explanation on this food not being labeled..otherwise all the comments made here mean nothing. Our 2017 article on Blue Ridge - The Raw Feeding Community - Facebook Blue Ridge Beef - Raw Rations Pet Food and Wellness It mustve been the cat because the dog is definitely more comfortable without her. Although the main Blue Ridge Beef site (which I could never find) may have detailed ingredients listed; several of the distributor sites that I visited didnt have ingredients listed beyond chicken, organ meat, and bone. Because Im raising a dog with allergies, I need more detail what type of organ meat? And also remember that dogs and cats stomachs are designed to digest raw meat efficiencly. Obviously they have no quality control. This guy linked a document that merely highlighted his own ignorance. I couldnt track the source of the rumors; I could only find discussions that usually started with someone asking about the brand and then eventually moving to everyone saying negative things. Im sorry that youre having that experience. Our records indicate that as of the date of this letter your registration was canceled. The cooler unit in the cooler room was observed to be in poor repair and dripping condensate directly into tubs of open, exposed beef leg bones, shanks, and neck bones used to manufacture pet food. Day 4-6: 50% Blue Ridge Beef food with 50% current diet Day 7-9: 75% Blue Ridge Beef with 25% current diet Day 10 and Forward: 100% Blue Ridge Beef Some pets may take longer or shorter times to transition. 926 kcal/kg. -Suggested use as a meal component, supplement, or topper. As reminder, we asked FDA in 2016 for the science to prove pet food ingredients sourced from diseased animals or animals that have died other than by slaughter are safe for pets to consume (Freedom of Information Act Request 2016-4226). Email Address. As noted above, carcasses used to manufacture pet food are dropped, dragged, and trimmed on these floors. is it organic? I have researched them and made my own decision. I am doubtful about anyones intentions here if that evidence is just being ignored. My veterinarian of more than 11 years, also feeds raw. Over-spray from the pressure washer was observed falling into open tubs of exposed meat held for use as pet food. Every person I spoke with who feed Blue Ridge has been happy with the product and their customer service. Itll be interesting to see how the rumor mill impacts their business or if it just eventually dies away. I have heard of this company before, but never purchased any of their productmy biggest concern was the allegations they did business with a co-company (my words) who acquires animals that fall into the 4D category. That the animals arent grain fed (which may lead to an intolerance in dogs). The hand washing sinks located on the kill floor and the cooler room did not have adequate plumbing hook-ups to prevent water from running directly onto the floor. Thats such an amazing testimonial to raw. Does anyone know how to learn more about this and how to follow up to learn if BRB is cleaning up and complying? The current FDA regulations require proper identification of the product, net quantity statement, name and place of business of the manufacturer or distributor, and proper listing of all the ingredients in the product in order from most to least, based on weight. That this is a raw food company makes it even more disgusting. We pulled all of ours dogs off kibble last year until I was able to find the ONE brand that didnt contain flavor enhancers and gmos. As an animal food facility required to register with FDA, you are subject to the requirements of 21 CFR part 507, which takes a proactive approach to preventing hazards. I make the effort to source human-grade foods so I can avoid the chance of passing on unnecessary and potentially deadly disease(s) to my dogs. Food Safety Pet Food Pet food: Safety and quality count While pet food production continues to flourish during the pandemic, processors take quality and safety seriously By Sharon Spielman Blue Ridge Beef installed an AV-10 HPP food processing machine, like the one pictured here, from JBT/Avure. Kimberly Gauthier, Dog Nutrition Blogger and Raw Feeder in Marysville, Washington, Feeding a Healthy 80/10/10 Raw Diet to Dogs, Blue Ridge Beef received a warning letter from the FDA, Everything You Need to Know About Raw Bones for Dogs, Benefits of Light to Heavy Feeding for Raw Fed Dogs, https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm599261.htm, http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/does-avma-aaha-support-this-in-pet-foods/, The meat allegedly comes from inferior or questionable sources, They allegedly wont share the names of farms where they source their meat, They are allegedly in business with a company that collects dead/diseased animals, Theyre allegedly unprofessional in their correspondence with customers, They allegedly wont share whats in their food. It started with finding BLUE COLORED Plastic or Metal pieces in rabbit with bone about 6 month ago. I have to get my cats on something that I know is going to be good always. This spring, we decided to become a Blue Ridge Beef distributor and created our company Wiggles and Wagmore, LLC. https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm599261.htm, Kimberly, after reading your original post and all the subsequent replies I began some more research into BRB. I have been feeding Blue Ridge Beef to both our cats and dogs for over two years now. If you do not believe that your products are in violation of the FD&C Act, include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration. I have been involved with food research groups and watch-dog groups regarding both wet, dry and raw for over a decade. BR doesnt do that, so they are able to keep their products at a lower cost. http://152.31.128.164/Departments/Planning/minutes/April2006pbminutes.pdf. It has always been consistently high quality. This is my take on what I learned this week. After lots of research, raw definitely seems to be the best choice for everyone. Steve has answered me on this 4D meats question by email (which makes it a written statement) that BRB is not made from 4D meats, never has been made from 4D meats and never will be made from 4D meats. More people are realizing the benefits in feeding real food to their pets of all ages. Please see the comment below about the importance of controlling hazards associated with your ingredients, including using diseased animals or animals which have died otherwise than by slaughter in animal food. 342(a)(5)]. where was the chicken sourced? I know many pet stores who carry BRB products, however its not the choice they would make for their own dogsto each their own. Since 1979, our 4th generation family owned and operated company is dedicated to bringing you the hi All of your readers would have been able to hear it straight from the horses mouth, so to speak. I fed him other blends and hed inhale it but would choose to starve than eat BRB. Registration may be accomplished online at www.access.fda.gov. Blue Ridge Beef - Omorog Raw Pet Food How often do you feed green tripe? The failure to register a facility is a prohibited act under the FD&C Act.4 As a responsible official of a facility that manufactures/processes, packs, or holds food for animal consumption in the United States, you are responsible for ensuring that your overall operation and the products you distribute are in compliance with the law. Using diseased animals or animals that died other than by slaughter within your pet food could result in adulteration by biological hazards, such as Salmonella, and chemical hazards, such as decomposed tissue and residues from drugs such as pentobarbital (used for euthanasia). 417 Garden Valley Rd. You described additional corrective actions which include equipment and utensil cleaning and providing instructions to employees for handling raw material in your facility, such as instructing employees to put any animal food that touches the floor in a container for disposal. If they are GMO-free, I find it very suspicious that they dont mention it anywhere. And Im thankful. Select options. Very strange. Program Division Director, Office of Human and Animal Foods- Division III East It is not. 49 were here. Green ripe is rubbery and green. Do raw food brands regularly disclose the specifics of their sources and recipes? I wonder what was causing the problem when your dog was eating Vital Essentials. Due to the personal nature of my blog, I do not accept guest posts nor do I participate in link exchanges, paid or otherwise. District Director, Atlanta District (GA-NC-SC) There are many logical reasons why it is economical but people would rather speculate then rely on fact finding as it is just easy to sit and condemn versus fact finding. You can join her newsletter to become aware of what is currently happening or beware of. However, my one cat has the well earned nickname garbage can. The vet came back with the results shaking his head and asking me if I was sure the dog was ten years old he had never seen any ten year old dog with such excellent results. But at the same time in the very same Warning Letter the FDA states this (bold added): As noted in our 2019 CVM update (https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-withdraws-outdated-compliance-policy-guides-use-certain-animal-derived-materials-animal-food), animal food that is the product of a diseased animal or an animal that has died other than by slaughter is adulterated under section 402(a)(5) of the FD&C Act [21 U.S.C. Array And Operations Codeforces, Articles B