Food for fanatics.
More than just your basic information
If you’re fanatical about your pet, when it comes to their food, you might want to dig deeper, and understand what makes Tuscan Natural a breed of its own.
In addition, if you have more questions than we can answer here, we are always available. We want you to rest assured that your pet’s health and happiness are in terrific hands.
Open and genuine.
That’s the way we do things.
We always strive to create the very best possible product – honest, healthy, nutrition-packed food that’ll fuel your pet’s next great adventure. And that “honest” part is really crucial. It means that we never make claims to be something we’re not, and we certainly will never mislead or misinform you.
The beauty of olive oil.
The olive oil we like to boast about is no gimmick. We put about 15 oz. of olive oil in every 30 lb. bag, approximately a tablespoon per serving, for maximum health benefits. There is simply no other pet food with as much olive oil as Tuscan Natural. The reason? Profits tend to come before nutrition. And that’s never the case with us!
The cooking process we use never degrades olive oil, either. The “smoke point” of olive oil, or the temperature at which the oil begins to break down, is 450 degrees. Our cooking temperatures never exceed 220 degrees, so all the wonderful benefits of olive oil are completely intact when it’s mealtime for your pet!
The olive oil isn’t cold-pressed, but instead the olives are ground into paste, and separated via horizontal decanters. Cold pressing is rarely used today and only by boutique facilities.
There is a delicate science to the incredible, special ingredient that’s included in every recipe of our food, and it’s a science we know really well.
Add your own olive oil? Uh, no.
That sounds like a logical idea, but trust us when we say it’s not. Pouring olive oil onto your pet’s food will completely throw off the nutritional balance. Their diet would immediately become far too high in fat, disrupt the proper levels of Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 Fatty Acids. In addition, and this is a crucial difference, by adding olive oil yourself, it greatly reduces your pet’s ability to gain the full benefit of the monounsaturated fats (as opposed to the more common polyunsaturated fats found in sunflower oil) which is proven to stimulate the immune system, which the body uses to ward off disease and cancer.
A better body.
When you start feeding your pet Tuscan Natural, you’ll want to start with about 20% less than your previous food. Then, simply keep an eye on your pet’s ribs, you want to be able to feel their ribs, but not see their ribs. If they’re losing or gaining too much weight, adjust accordingly.
One of the incredible benefits that you’ll see once you make the switch is in the body contour of your pet. There’s something pets tend to gain with many brands of pet food, and that’s the unfortunate “carb gut”. You’ll probably notice that your pet will weigh the same after you switch to Tuscan Natural, but with a more sculpted body shape. They’ll enjoy greater levels of energy and the best fur coat they’ve ever had, too. All while being fed less than with other brands! That’s no miracle cure, just the power of olive oil.
And whether your pet is a pup or an old-timer, the food’s the same. A body, regardless of age, needs a fine balance of proteins, fats, carbs, and the proper mix of vitamins and minerals. With the right mix of nutrition, fed in the right portions, you’ll have a healthy and happy pet, young or old!
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
Yuck.
Avoiding GMOs altogether is extremely difficult.
However, reducing GMOs is definitely a battle we believe is worth fighting. All of the Tuscan Natural recipes have been tested and certified to be GMO Free.
Organic vs. Natural.
We have never made the claim that Tuscan Natural Pet Foods are organic. Natural and holistic? Absolutely. The simple truth is, when it comes to organic pet foods, you must be careful. There are some pretty unscrupulous products on the market that claim to be organic, but simply are not. The USDA has some very stringent requirements for a product to be called truly organic and only one or two ingredients truly are. Marketing gimmicks and cool organic names are not enough.
You can trust, however, that all our ingredients are extremely thought out, natural and intended for the absolute best health of your pet.
Green is good.
The entire planet seems to be going ga-ga over “going green.” And while this is a good thing, it can also be very misleading. Our main goal, first and foremost, is the health and well being of your pet. If going green mandates we cut corners in that respect, we simply won’t do it.
For example, during our design phase, we chose to use plastic bags over paper bags. To some, that may come across as a grievous sin against the planet. But our decision was made based on the fact that the plastic retained a far greater level of freshness for a longer period of time. That is extremely meaningful to your pet, their health and their overall enjoyment at mealtime. In addition, due to the high amount of olive oil in our products, it would require any paper bags to be lined with plastic anyway, preventing the oils from seeping through.
But just so you know that we do take the issue to heart, all our bags are fully recyclable and easily reusable!
Animal testing or animal loving.
We promote the latter. We abhor the other. Animal testing is for scientists who care little or nothing about the poor creature at their mercy. So radical is our stance, that we never perform or support any animal testing whatsoever, and require the same commitment from our suppliers, researchers and scientists.
That being said, we do perform certain feeding trials with professional kennels and catteries to determine how the dogs and cats like our recipes. This is done with the utmost love and concern and only in an effort to find out what they truly love. And to top it off, after a day of fine dining, all participants get plenty of playtime outside to work it off.
Clean factories. Way better food.
All of our pet food is made in the heartland of America, at the CJ Foods manufacturing plant. (These guys are the best of the best.) We specifically chose this particular facility based on the incredibly high levels it mandates for “safe food” handling. In fact, as a manufacturer of pet food, it has even received a “Superior” rating from the American Institution of Baking.
Every batch of food is produced according to our very stringent standards. Our promise to each customer is the food that ends up in your pet’s bowl is of the absolute highest quality – every, single time. We’ve never experienced a recall for any of our pet foods, and the plant has never been involved in any outbreak-related recalls. In the (human) food industry alone, that’s an amazing track record!
“Regrind” sounds horrible…because it is.
Another unique difference we’re rather proud of, and one your pet will certainly enjoy, is the distinct lack of “regrind” product in our food. Yes, regrind.
Many manufacturers often regrind leftover cooked food and then simply add it back into their next batch of products as a filler ingredient. In regards to your pet, this is a crime. It greatly degrades the nutritional value of the food (and taste) in the process. So why in the world would anybody do such a thing? Great question! In a word…money. Regrind is unfortunately a widespread industry technique used for nothing more than profit. It’s a horrible cost-cutting procedure that is just plain wrong. (We think your pet would agree.)
Modern science and your pet.
Developing a complete, balanced recipe is of the upmost importance to us. That’s why we work closely with nutritionists and veterinarians to create the finest pet food we possibly can. And exciting things are constantly happening in our labs and kitchens!
We begin with the pet food pyramid, identifying premium sources of protein, monounsaturated fats, fiber, and a fine balance of Omega 3, Omega 6, and Omega 9 fatty acids.
Then it starts to get really fun. We incorporate healthy doses of the traditional Mediterranean diet by including extra virgin olive oil, so your pet can reap all the endless benefits that come with it.
That is today’s nutritional science working in perfect harmony with traditions passed down from some of our grandparents and great grandparents to create something truly spectacular for your pet.
Ingredients from home and afar.
Call us hopelessly patriotic, but we always go to great lengths to ensure every part of every bag of Tuscan Natural is produced in the United States, right down to the very ink on our bags. We are radically American. Ingredients too, come from prime locations all across the country. Blueberries from the Northeast and cranberries from the upper Midwest. Chickens and turkeys only from U.S. producers committed to humanly raised, and hormone free flocks are used in Tuscan Natural. You name it, we believe in home.
But again, in regards to your pet’s best interest, that’s not always the most desirable. So we have made a conscious decision to get our lamb from New Zealand and our olive oil directly from the Mediterranean (where we think it’s just plain better).
Preservatives and chemicals
We’re continually monitoring and adjusting each of our recipes to create the absolute safest, healthiest, most delicious pet food available. As a direct result, all our ingredients are preserved exclusively with only natural preservatives.
• Arsenic is actually natural
Arsenic is actually a naturally occurring substance. Recent studies have shown that certain naturally occurring levels are found in rice for example. It should prompt no real concern except in much higher levels. However, once again, in an effort to minimize any of those concerns, rice in our pet food comes primarily from California where it has the least trace amounts of arsenic found anywhere.
• What the heck ever happened to Menadione Sodium Bisulfite (MSB)?
Or better yet, what the heck is that? Easy. Menadione Sodium Bisulfite is an ingredient that has been listed on some of our bags. But today, you will no longer find it in any of our foods. So whats up?
Vitamin K is extremely important to your pet’s health. MSB was originally included as a Vitamin K supplement to assure proper levels of Vitamin K was present in our recipes. After rigorous testing, we verified our recipes contained an abundant level of Vitamin K and subsequently, out went the unnecessary supplement. So, when it comes to the next reprint of bags, MSB will be erased entirely.
• Zero added Taurine
As an organic acid, Taurine provides many crucial fundamental biological roles for a healthy pet. However, we never list added Taurine on our dog food labels. And there’s only one reason for that. Simply because we don’t add it. We don’t need to. There is healthy amounts of it occurring naturally, especially in any product containing lamb. In fact, high quality lamb meal alone contains at least .15% Taurine, so adding any additional to the mix is not needed.
AAFCO does however require cat food to contain added taurine, so you will see additional taurine added to our cat recipes.
• A higher quality food grade
Not always considered 100% human grade, we do use a strikingly high quality of ingredients in all our pet products. Most pet foods out there cannot say the same thing, no matter how fancy the label. Government regulations maintain some pretty wild restrictions when it comes to human food, like the overall shape of a silly carrot for example, or even how big or small it can be before legally being called a carrot. We think that’s a bit harsh. Fortunately your pet is pretty intelligent and doesn’t really care about that irrelevant stuff.
• Whole meat vs. meal
The big difference between whole meat and meal is moisture. Lamb meal is made from grinding the lamb, meat and bone, and then drying it. Whole meat enters the plant and is ground up without the drying. That creates an incentive to market whole meat as better simply because whole meat lamb will weigh more than lamb meal. But that difference in weight? It’s just moisture
The FDA also says that in order for an ingredient to be listed as part of the recipe on the front of the bag, it must constitute at least 25% of the recipe. So a bag may have a “Lamb & Oatmeal Recipe” label, but the 25% share of the recipe is composed of both of those ingredients, not just the lamb. When our bag reads “Lamb Meal Period”, all 25% of that share of the recipe is pure lamb meal. That’s a whole lot more meat for your buck!
• Say No to Insecticides and Hormones
In a concentrated effort to eliminate insecticides in our pet foods, we use only 100% American turkey and chicken. Not only are they insecticide-free but hormone-free as well.
Conventional chickens are raised in commercial chicken farms; packing over 500,000 animals into close quarters where they eat genetically modified (GM) grains (including soy) that have been raised with pesticides and fertilizers. These birds are given growth hormones as well, to make them heavier. The harsh reality is that all of these substances can get passed down to your pet through their food. So we take the precautions to eliminate it at the very start.
When benefits expire
A question we all wonder about now and then is the veracity of “best by” dates. Should you throw away food on the “best by” date? Just so you are aware, the food will still be delicious and beneficial for your pet for at least another four months until the vitamins slowly begin to degrade. So, if you’re current food indicates it’s a little past the expiration date, have no fear!
A satisfied pet (and owner) is our reward!
Stay informed of Discounts and Promotions!
Sign up for our mailing list and be the first to know about discounts, promotions and innovations.
We also offer discounts under our Frequent Buyer Program. Purchase 12 bags of Tuscan Natural, and you’ll get one free! Just clip the UPC on the back of the bag under the ingredient list and hand them to your local seller. And if you check with your neighborhood retailer, you may find even more goodies, independent of us!
Still itching to know more about our premium pet foods? Reach out to us! We are more than happy to help.