In the latest twist to the duck tale, Susan Thixton, writing in Truth About Pet Food, reports the following clarification from Genetic ID, the third-party lab that tested Evanger’s Duck dog food:
“Genetic ID NA, Inc., the lab used by Evangers Pet Food, confirms the food tested was Grain Free Duck pet food – appearing to be the same food tested by the FDA.”
Susan adds that, as yet, she has been unable to obtain confirmation from FDA that the lot number of the Duck dog food tested by the agency matches the lot number tested by Genetic ID. Evanger claims that both FDA and Genetic ID tested samples from the same production lot of Grain Free Duck pet food.
Evanger’s web site contains the following update to their initial comments on FDA’s Warning Letter:
It has come to our attention that we used the term, “Super Premium Duck” in our response referencing the product that was tested. The product that was tested by both FDA and Evanger’s was “Grain Free Duck” in a 6 oz can, Lot #2401E02DK2. The term “Super Premium” refers to the Evanger’s line of food that the Grain Free Duck is categorized in. Again, both references refer to Evanger’s brand 6 oz duck can Lot #2401E02DK2.
For anyone who is curious about the lot numbering system used by Evanger, “24” refers to December; the third digit (in this case, “0”) represents the last digit of the year of production, meaning that the product in dispute was manufactured in December 2010 – just as Evanger indicated. “DK” – of course – identifies the product as duck. I have been unable to verify the meaning of the remainder of the lot code; I’m still waiting for an answer from Brett Sher on that. I suspect that the day of the month is identified by the pair of digits that follow the letter E.
Assuming that FDA and Genetic ID ran their analyses on samples from the identical batch, we are still left with a significant mystery; namely, how can two supposedly competent labs arrive at diametrically opposite test results using similar analytical methods on two samples from the same production batch?
Also, if FDA didn’t find any duck in the Grain-Free Duck product, what type of meat did they find instead?
I have been in touch with FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, and I am hoping for an answer to these questions in fairly short order. Please stay tuned.
eFoodAlert 
Shelley, if you had read the above article, you would have understood that Ms Entis posted the same link and that there is “solid data” still missing. You’ve had no questions from the beginning regarding this discrepancy. You have posted on several other pet blogs, not just this one or Truth About Pet Food, with statements calling everyone ignorant. For someone that says they are in the pet business Im rather surprised at your attacks against pet owners. Apparently you didnt have a pet affected by the 2007 pet food recalls, because if you had, you should be able to understand why pet owners dont have that trust you apparently have, which by the way, in my opinion is misplaced, if you have been paying attention to the numerous pet food problems in the last 4 years and not just with this company.
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Susan Thixton at the Truth About Pet Food actually wrote a good article that clears up this mess: http://truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/genetic-id-confirms-testing-on-evangers-grain-free-duck-pet-food.html
Finally – we can quit the speculation with some solid data!
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Crap, I didn’t know the Amazon link was going to turn into an image link. I’m NOT suggesting you buy it.
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I am dumbfounded, Evanger’s once again has made another mistake: as Sam pointed out, there is no food as Super Premium Duck on their website. Period. But…there used to be.
Like Sam, I discovered the same discrepancies of names and labels, which can be confusing if you weren’t aware that the Super Premium 100% Duck Food Dinner for Dogs (6 oz.) was replaced by Grain-Free Duck Dinner for Dogs (6 oz.).
Amazingly, Evanger’s “clarification” only manages to confuse the public even further. I don’t know whether it is deliberate or whether they are running around like headless chickens without a clue as to what they are doing or saying.
But this I do know, either scenario paints a dark and troubling picture of a company entrusted to manufacture pet food, not only under their own label but others as well.
If you click on the links below, you will see a few of the different ways in the duck food in question is sold online at a few e-tailers:
PetFoodDirect on Amazon
PetFoodDirect
http://www.petfooddirect.com/product/9390/Evangers-Super-Premium-100-Percent-Duck-Dinner-For-Dogs?utm_source=GAN&utm_medium=Affiliate
and at Animal World
http://petsupply.animal-world.com/product/Evangers-Super-Premium-100-Duck-Dinner-For-Dogs-24/6-Oz-Cans.html
If you do a Google image search for “Evanger’s Super Premium 100% Duck 6 oz.”, you will get a few images of the old cans (Super Premium 100% Duck). However, when you click on any of the links to the images of the old labels, it changes to an image of the can with the new label (Grain-Free Duck).
To see what I mean, click on an image of the Super-Premium 100% (Duck, Buffalo, Venison, Pheasant, Rabbit or Chicken) 6 oz. cans and Viola! you get a picture of the new and improved Grain-Free Duck 6 oz. cans:
http://www.google.com/images?hl=&q=evanger%27s+%22super+premium+100%25+duck%22+6+oz.+can&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS258US258&ie=UTF-8&biw=960&bih=625
Finally, UPC (Universal Product Codes) are made up of a series of numbers, not letters.
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Phyllis – you are right – this entire issue is very “muddy”. I hope for everyone’s sake, the FDA can clarify the lot number and the testing methodologies they used (as compared to the testing methodologies used by Genetic ID). Inquiring minds (and pet parents) deserve to know.
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Is it possible that the can FDA had tested is actually a different flavor of the food mislabeled as duck?
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The store owner over at Ms Thixtons’ site also said this: “They used to have a super premium duck, which was a 100% of a certain ingredient. They have since changed that over to Grain Free or Game Meats line. I am sure if you do a google image results for grain free duck from evangers you will find an image of the can in question. On Evangers website it is called game meats, i have the can in my store and it is called grain free meat or 3 months ago super premium duck(100%). Evangers is not allowed to market the grain free line as 100%anymore.”
So perhaps the lab tested a can with the old label called Super Premium 100 % Duck for dogs and the FDA lab tested a can with the newer label called grain-free duck pet food? Just a thought.
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Apparently there has been a label change at some point. On Amazon is a picture of “Evanger’s Super Premium 100% Duck” for dogs. Although the title on Amazon says grain-free, the actuall can does not say grain-free. http://www.amazon.com/Evangers-Grain-Free-Holistic-Food-Ounce/dp/B0017R2QO8 Then there is this picture of Grain Free Duck Cat & Dog Food: http://www.amazon.com/Evangers-Grain-Free-Duck-Canned/dp/B004Q7KLBG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1306387167&sr=1-2 Which one is the newer one I dont know. If you go by their website, it would be the food that says grain-free on the label, but that is not within their Super Premium line. Also, one says dog food, the other says cat and dog food.
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Evanger’s says “The term “Super Premium” refers to the Evanger’s line of food that the Grain Free Duck is categorized in.” Actually according to their website that doesnt appear to be accurate. There is no product called Grain-Free Duck in the Super Premium category. There is a Super Premium product called Duck & Sweet Potato, its not called grain-free. Then there is a totally separate category called Game Meats and in that is Grain-Free Duck. That is not in the “Super Premium” category. I would like to see a lab report showing the name of the product the lab tested. Every pet food test I have ever had done, the name of the product as well as some identifying code of that product is shown on the report by the lab.
Also, there is a comment over at Truth About Pet Food from a pet food store owner that says “Just spoke with evangers directly, the confusion with everybody is that they had a label change about 2-3 months ago (i forgot about this) And in fact they are the same exact product. Super-Premium duck used to be Grain Free Duck. The upc’s from the FDA and Evangers are the exact same thing as well.”
According to Evangers statement above, there was no label change. They say the grain free duck is under their Super Premium category, that is not what they told the store owner who made that post. Also the store owners says the UPC’s are the same. If that number they are describing as a “lot” number is actually a UPC code, in the pet food I use the UPC code is all the same in one flavor of the food, even though the batch and best by dates are all different within those cans. It might be helpful to know where on the can this number is located. If its the bar code used for scanning, that is the UPC code.
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