Sorry to interrupt with a tangent back to the original topic....but if anyone is interested, here is the email that Purina sent out to their student reps and recently graduated reps.
Beneful Statement Regarding Class-Action Lawsuit
First and foremost, there are no quality issues with Beneful. Beneful is a high quality, nutritious food enjoyed by millions of dogs every day.
Recently, a class action lawsuit was filed against Beneful in Northern California. We believe the lawsuit is baseless, and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves and our brand. Beneful had two previous class action suits filed in recent years with similar baseless allegations, and both were dismissed by the courts. Class action suits are common in business these days. They are not indicative of a product issue.
Beneful is backed by Purina’s strict quality controls and comprehensive food safety program.
Like other pet foods, Beneful is occasionally the subject of social media-driven misinformation. On-line postings often contain false, unsupported and misleading allegations that cause undue concern and confusion for our Beneful customers.
Bottom line: Consumers can continue to feed Beneful with total confidence.
At Purina we’re passionate about pets. We encourage anyone with a comment or question about Purina to contact us directly at the toll-free number on every package. For answers to FAQs about Beneful, go to
https://www.beneful.com/frequently-asked-questions
Key FAQs:
How does Purina
ensure the quality of its products?
The quality and safety of our products are our top priorities, and our quality control procedures are among the strictest in the industry. Our sophisticated tracking system ensures raw ingredients are tracked from time of receipt at our plants, through their inclusion in finished products, and on to retail stores.
Suppliers of ingredients for our products must meet our stringent standards for ingredient specifications, product safety, sanitation and manufacturing practices. Our products are produced under strict processing standards to ensure high quality is maintained in our products.
Additionally, pet foods are among the most highly regulated products and are subject to federal law, including FDA and USDA regulations, and state laws, as well as many of the laws that regulate the labeling and distribution of human foods.
What is propylene glycol? Is that similar to antifreeze?
Each product is formulated with the correct balance of ingredients, each with a specific purpose. We use propylene glycol to help keep the semi-moist kibbles soft and moist.
Propylene glycol is quite different from ethylene glycol, the anti-freeze used in automobiles. Propylene glycol is approved as a food additive in human food and in feed for animals, except cats, in the U.S., Canada and the European Union.
Ethylene glycol — not propylene glycol -- is the active compound in most automobile radiator anti-freeze solutions, and is toxic to animals and humans when ingested. Propylene glycol has a different molecular structure, giving it different properties and allowing it to be used safely in animal feed, except for cats, as well as in human foods, such as cake mixes, salad dressings, soft drinks, popcorn, food coloring, fat-free ice cream and sour cream.
Propylene glycol can be used as a non-toxic anti-freeze, just as salt can be used as an "anti-freeze." The differences in the molecular make-up of propylene glycol and ethylene glycol have significantly different impacts on health and safety for humans and pets. Propylene glycol is approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Do you test for aflatoxins?
Yes. We have a meticulous quality assurance program for every incoming load of ingredients. We have ingredient specialists at each of our North American Purina
pet food manufacturing facilities, who are trained to sample and analyze incoming grain. Our grain testing program helps ensure only high-quality grains are used in our products. This testing is part of our comprehensive food safety and HACCP programs
We maintain a strict code of standards for buying, storing and processing ingredients used in Purina
pet foods, including grains. Every supplier of ingredients for Purina
pet food must meet stringent standards for ingredient specification, product safety, sanitation and good manufacturing practices. Our quality assurance standards are among the strictest in the pet food industry.
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ensure the quality of its products?
Maybe that's why I'm the only one who thinks more science classes would help, because they seem to be lacking in this area and I know so many people who have so little practice with science. I like to think not all of them would be incapable of learning to use logic. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic though. 
