Our Stance on Horse Meat in Dog Food
There is a misconception by many people that the commercial pet food industry uses horse meat in their pet food products. Under the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA) horse meat is not used in the manufacture of pet food. Members of this Association, such as Nature’s Gift Australia do not use horse meat in any products and this position is very clear.
However, this Association differs from individual states Pet Meat Associations which allow the use of horse meat (normally sold as fresh meat) to be sold through retail outlets such as pet shops. Horses are still slaughtered throughout knackeries to feed this retail requirement. Not only is this issue a horrid concept, but it’s morally disturbing for all who work with and for Nature’s Gift.
Nature’s Gift never has and never will use horse meat in any of our products. It is our firm corporate belief that pets should have healthy, fresh ingredients free from artificial flavours, colours, preservatives and fillers.
Our fresh meat comes from reputable abattoirs who pride themselves on supplying quality meats. We use human grade ovine, bovine, poultry and kangaroo meat. When we say a product contains beef and chicken, that’s exactly what your pet will be eating.
The PFIAA is in the process of preparing a statement which will advise that its members do not use horse meat in their products and the practice will be frowned upon and dealt with in the appropriate manner.
Supporting Our Community - Kingston City Council Mini Pet Expo
Nature's Gift proudly supports it's local community and has sponsored the Kingston City Council Mini Pet Expo which allows pet owners to register and microchip their pets.
For further information, please click here.
Flipper Cans
On occasion we have, what is known in the food industry as “flipper cans”. This means that our can lid will sometimes protrude out slightly from the top and when pressed will move up and down – or flip. There are a few reasons this could occur, but most importantly, the product inside is sterile and safe.
During our filling process, the fresh ingredients are slightly chilled via refrigeration. The ingredients are then minced together at ambient room temperature and sealed in the can using a vacuum seal in the form of steam. The heated steam pulls the lid down toward the ingredients.
The mixture of ambient room temperature, chilled ingredients and heated steam cause a vacuum which sterilises the product, rendering the ingredients safe for consumption.
During extreme heat, the vacuum can be compromised by two elements. One element is that we often overfill the can (to ensure net weight is reached) which inturn increased the expansion during cooking. The second element is during the filling process, we are forcing a dense mixture into the can prior to sealing and due to the fact we don’t add water, natural pockets of air can occur. Air pockets expand during cooking and also cause the lid to flip when the product is cooled back to ambient (room) temperature. Although not desirable, does not compromise the quality of our product.
Nature's Gift - Celebrating 15 years!
Nature’s Gift proudly celebrated its 15th anniversary on 2nd October 2010!
Managing Director Paul Beattie lead the company staff celebrations with a beautiful cake, made by one of our many dedicated employees Carolyn Pawsey.
“What makes us most proud are the Nature’s Gift people themselves,” commented Paul.
Nature’s Gift has built its reputation and business on the great relationships it has nurtured with its staff and clients. This has been the backbone of our company, producing an enviable range of the highest quality pet food dedicated to the well-being of our four legged friends.
Whatever the future brings, Nature’s Gift is well-positioned to continue producing innovative products that truly support a healthy pet for life.
The Nature's Gift Team in Moorabbin
Carolyn who made the cake!
Today Tonight - Australian Brands Fight Back
On Thursday 26th February 2009, Channel 7's Today Tonight advocated the need for all Australian's to support Australian Made and Owned Brands. Nature's Gift supports the campaign as one of the few Australian made and owned pet foods on supermarket shelves.
For more information and other Australian brands please click here
Melamine
Nature's Gift Australia does not source any fresh ingredients from overseas. All the fresh ingredients in our products are sourced locally from Australian suppliers.
For more information regarding the Melamine scare in China, please click here.
