Author Topic: Fromm Four Star Canned  (Read 2865 times)

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Offline deuce

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Fromm Four Star Canned
« on: July 29, 2016, 07:30:56 AM »
I have fed the boys Fromm Four Star Duck and Chicken before and was comfortable with the ingredients. But now Fromm has moved there canned food processing to a new facility and also changed their ingredients, and also the name slightly to Chicken and Duck. They have added Xanthan gum and Locust bean gum :-( I am by no means an expert regarding cat food ingredients, this is why I spend a lot of time on cat food on sites like this and appreciate all of the helpful info. I have been trying to find more info on both of these gums and am only able to find a little. Can anyone tell me more info as far on these gums and if I should avoid Fromm food now? I have not purchased any more after seeing the change in ingredients and have switched to Castor & Pollux Grain Free for my next order.

Also unrelated, but can anyone tell me is there a way to get an email notification when a topic you have replied has had another reply so you are able to return and view it and not feel like a jerk for missing a reply to something you posted for a few months?  :-[

Thanks much in advance for any info.


I emailed the company asking about the change in ingredients and this some of their reply:

"In the process from moving production of our canned foods from a partner cannery to our new family-owned cannery here in Wisconsin, we have made a few changes to our recipes. Every ingredient our pet foods serves a specific purpose.

One of the changes you have questioned is the addition of xanthan gum and locust bean gum. During development we noted marked improvement in the pate loaf by utilizing these two natural thickening agents. With the utilization of xanthan gum and locust bean gum the finished product is more homogeneous, meaning the ingredients are very well distributed throughout the can. Without the use of these ingredients we noted fats separating from the rest of the product and settling in one area of the can which in turn affects how the product cooks, how digestible the product is, and how it eventually comes out of the can when you feed the product.

Xanthan gum is a natural plant-derivative used as a thickening agent. This thickener allows us to bind the ingredients in our canned recipes using a grain-free, gluten-free natural agent. The locust bean gum is also a plant-derived thickening agent that helps stabilize fats and proteins during the cooking and storage process."

Offline DeeDee

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Re: Fromm Four Star Canned
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2016, 09:16:42 AM »

Also unrelated, but can anyone tell me is there a way to get an email notification when a topic you have replied has had another reply so you are able to return and view it and not feel like a jerk for missing a reply to something you posted for a few months?  :-[



If you look in the screenshot I've attached, it's easy to find things. When you come back to the board, you can click on "UNREAD POSTS" in the top right of each section, then they'll all come up in a list. You can see the area they're at by the color change from blue to orange too.

Also, if you want to specifically find replies to you, look in the top left of the page beside your avatar where it says, "Show new replies to your posts" for those specific posts.

I've circled both sections in red in this screenshot below. If it's not big enough to see, click on it and it will enlarge. I checked after posting, and it's too large for the page, so you'll have to use the scroll bar beneath it to see it all

That gum thing, well not a fan of it. I think all of them are equal with carrageenan. The others can explain why. There's a list of carrageenan free foods SOMEWHERE in the board. I just can't find it right off the top of my head.

In the top right of the page is the search box. If you search carrageenan, you'll see a lot about gums to read.
"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

Offline deuce

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Re: Fromm Four Star Canned
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2016, 09:26:26 AM »
Thanks Much! I have been looking at the carrageenan free foods list and it has been so helpful. I reference that each time prior to buying any canned food. Its just these other types of gums have me a little confused and cautious of this food now, which is sad because the boys really liked it before. 

Offline DeeDee

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Re: Fromm Four Star Canned
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2016, 09:54:05 AM »
No problem.

In my mind, all those gums are equal with the others. I don't understand why they can't just use gelatin for thickening. At least that's natural. They don't have to add so much to turn it into pâté, just thicken it a little.

I keep beef gelatin around for making Vlad and Barkly things like frozen, chicken broth "jigglers" when it's really hot outside, but I've used it to thicken soup and stew for us.

I guess cancerous things like carrageenan are cheaper though.

"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

Offline Lola

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Re: Fromm Four Star Canned
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2016, 11:02:45 PM »
When I fed canned, I fed a variety of proteins and brands.  Every brand had at least one ingredient that I was less than pleased with feeding.  By rotating a variety of foods and brands... none of the furkids were eating an abundance of one particular "ew" ingredient. 

This will probably sound lame to some, but...
At least you aren't feeding kibble. 
You ARE doing the best that you can.
At least you aren't feeding kibble.  ;)
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Offline Lola

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Re: Fromm Four Star Canned
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2016, 11:09:49 PM »
Quote
Also unrelated, but can anyone tell me is there a way to get an email notification when a topic you have replied has had another reply so you are able to return and view it and not feel like a jerk for missing a reply to something you posted for a few months?


In your profile, you can check "send notifications."  I checked it for you.  Notifications had issues at one time, hopefully it no longer does.   Silly7  If you start getting wacky emails, you can always UN-check the option.

I'm posting a screen shot, so my rambling will make more sense.  Maybe.  :)
« Last Edit: August 02, 2016, 12:50:25 PM by Lola, Reason: resized attachment...can\'t see it now. :( »
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Offline deuce

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Re: Fromm Four Star Canned
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2016, 11:46:22 PM »
When I fed canned, I fed a variety of proteins and brands.  Every brand had at least one ingredient that I was less than pleased with feeding.  By rotating a variety of foods and brands... none of the furkids were eating an abundance of one particular "ew" ingredient. 

This will probably sound lame to some, but...
At least you aren't feeding kibble. 
You ARE doing the best that you can.
At least you aren't feeding kibble.  ;)

Excellent advice! I have been trying so hard to find the "perfect food" yet it seems to be one or two ingredients are not ideal. With the help of sites like this I am confident I am making the best choices available!
Thank You for your help!!

Offline Lola

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Re: Fromm Four Star Canned
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2016, 04:40:45 AM »
Excellent advice! I have been trying so hard to find the "perfect food" yet it seems to be one or two ingredients are not ideal. With the help of sites like this I am confident I am making the best choices available!
Thank You for your help!!

The more a person learns about pet food ingredients and pet food companies... the bigger the nightmare!   Silly7
I don't know if you would be interested but... have you tried Stella And Chewys dehydrated?  I feed the non-fish varieties.  It isn't canned, but it is pretttttty easy to feed! 
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Offline deuce

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Re: Fromm Four Star Canned
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2016, 05:55:30 AM »
The more a person learns about pet food ingredients and pet food companies... the bigger the nightmare!   Silly7
I don't know if you would be interested but... have you tried Stella And Chewys dehydrated?  I feed the non-fish varieties.  It isn't canned, but it is pretttttty easy to feed!

I have not tried feeding any dehydrated food. It seems to have pretty good reviews. I may have to give that a try for the boys!

Offline Lola

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Re: Fromm Four Star Canned
« Reply #9 on: August 07, 2016, 01:23:27 PM »
Stella & Chewys dehydrated was a big part of my "jump" to raw feeding.  I needed to take baby steps.   Silly7
It was a good addition to our canned food rotation.  I liked that it didn't have any of the undesirable ingredients that is in most canned foods.
I still currently feed it because it is a fan favorite.   :)
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