New cat food by Toplife

[karenjet]

I got a couple of cartons in Asda last week but my 4 turned their noses up. I was surprised because my cats aren't usually fussy at all

[Desley (booktigger)]

Managed to get some of this on Fri, but not tried them on it yet, as Buster's tum didn't like the Bozita I brought back from my hol.

[Desley (booktigger)]

That's my thoughts exactly Susanne - Whiskas make a point of their Oh So being min 14%, so if their normal one had more than 4%, surely they would say it, but saying min 4 means they can get away with 4. I'm also not convinced of 95% of the chunks having 56% meat in because of the texture and smell when you compare it to things like Natures Menu and Purely

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

But if there was more, why wouldnt' they say minimum 10% or minimum 20% or whatever?  Minimum 4% means there may not be more than 4%.

[Gillian Harvey]

Most tins/pouches etc don't say there is only 4% though - they usually state minimum 4% 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I agree with Desley - if they dont' state it, we can't assume.  All we know is that there is a minimum of 4% meat.   Where cereals are included, you don't know how much of the food is cereals.  If it just contains meat and meat deriviatives, then it will contain more than 4% but they are not obliged to put in more than 4%.  If there is more than 4% in every tin, why don't they state it?  It would be a good selling point for them.

[Mark]

I saw on Petforums where someone from Mars stated that the food in jelly was 56% chunks and 44% jelly. Of the 56%, 95% was meat - probably heat treated entrails but meat nevertheless.

[Desley (booktigger)]

It is minimum 4% of named flavour. It is 100% meat & meat byproducts (+ vitamins & minerals)

So many people think a lot of cat foods are 4% meat. It isn't true. All it is, is that for a food to be called chicken flavour, it must legally contain a minimum of 4% chicken. There will still be other meat but it could be beef or any other meat.

From M&S website

"When we say we have a particular meat or fish in the product, you can check the label to find out just how much. All our foil products contain 4% of the named meats described on the front, with at least 40% meat in the whole pack."

Maybe so Mark, but as they have only declared 4% they can legally only put 4% in - Whiskas is a good example, their normal pouches are min 4%, and the Oh So are min 14% - and you can see the chunks of meat/fish, so I am betting their normal is nowhere near the 14%!! Some of the other high meat/fish content foods are obviously meatier than normal Felix/Whiskas pouches.

Unfortunately my Asda is clearly one of the 2/3 that dont stock it yet - even got Customer Services to check, in case they were displaying it differently.

[Mark]

I looked at their website yesterday but the food isn't on there http://www.toplifeformula.com/index.htm

I have seen their milk somewhere but had no idea it was goats milk.

[Mark]

I just saw this on the PFMA (Pet Food Manufacturers Association)  website

"The animal based materials used in pet foods come from animals which are veterinary inspected and are passed as fit for human consumption but which are surplus to the requirements of the human food industry. These materials meet the very high safety and quality criteria laid down in the Animal By-Products Regulations 2005."

I'm sure this is a statement of fact, although there is also a lot of twaddle on their site trying to justify the use of cereals in pet food.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

It's that much used phrase "meat and animal deriviatives" whcih includes heads, feet, gut, lungs, feathers etc.  By products of the meat industry (ie the bits humans don't want to it!).  manufacturers don't have to list what is included.  Meat deriviatives is rendered and has a different definition to meat by products.  Meat can include organs and quite a lot of yukky stuff.  Nothing wrong with a bit of offal, but I do sometimes worry about exactly what is included.   I feel happier with named meats - I forget now but I think there is a legal definition of what can be included if you name the meat - eg. chicken.  I do feed by products in some foods though and think EU regulations are tighter than those in the US.  I may be wrong, but I think pet food in the EU has to come from animals passed fit for human consumption whereas in the US they can use animals that are not fit for human consumption.

I will pick up a couple of cartons of the Toplife food at the weekend and see how well it goes down.

[Fire Fox]

 I cannot recall the reference but my understanding is that in UK what is labelled as meat on pet food must be human-grade meat. The stuff that is not human grade ('sweepings', out of date, parts unpalatable to humans) are used to make derivatives and possibly meat meal. Don't know whether term 'meat' can include mechanically recovered meat, I think this has to be labelled as such on human food? Something I previously posted on MSE:

I assume it depends what your interpretation of 'meat' is - in the UK we think of it as being muscle, but only fairly recently did the legal definition change to exclude offal (see below). It appears from the Bozita ingredients that Sweden still allows offal to be described as meat in pet food.

"The main change has been a new European definition of meat for labelling purposes, which is different from the definition currently used in the UK. The new definition defines meat as 'skeletal muscle with naturally included or attached tissue', and sets specific limits for the amount of fat and connective tissue (i.e., rind, tendon, sinew, skin etc.) allowed (see table below). The definition specifically excludes MRM, feet and trotters, tail, and head meat but includes cheeks (Masseters). It also excludes non-muscle cuts such as liver, kidney, heart etc. Products are still allowed to contain all of these ingredients - they will just need to be described differently, and they cannot count towards the declared meat content."
http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/...sguidebutchers

[Mark]

Mainly scraps from the abbatoir floor 

That probably goes for most petfood. A couple, such as Arden Grange state 'human grade' but the rest of them are scraps - which is probably fine for cats.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

It is minimum 4% of named flavour. It is 100% meat & meat byproducts (+ vitamins & minerals)

So many people think a lot of cat foods are 4% meat. It isn't true. All it is, is that for a food to be called chicken flavour, it must legally contain a minimum of 4% chicken. There will still be other meat but it could be beef or any other meat.

Mainly scraps from the abbatoir floor 

I saw the Toplife in Asda yesterday.  I didn't buy any as I had about £2.50 in my purse and only went for eggs and milk, but I will be doing a proper shop at the weekend so might get some then to try.

[Mark]

It is minimum 4% of named flavour. It is 100% meat & meat byproducts (+ vitamins & minerals)

So many people think a lot of cat foods are 4% meat. It isn't true. All it is, is that for a food to be called chicken flavour, it must legally contain a minimum of 4% chicken. There will still be other meat but it could be beef or any other meat.

From M&S website

"When we say we have a particular meat or fish in the product, you can check the label to find out just how much. All our foil products contain 4% of the named meats described on the front, with at least 40% meat in the whole pack."

[Desley (booktigger)]

Classic is only 4% meat. Zi struggles with Classic, will just buy one pack, as Ellie and Buster will eat anything, unlike my girls.

[Mark]

is it a pate style food? Zi struggles with chunks.

It is chunks in Jelly quite big ones too. Not as firm as Whiskas in Jelly cans but still quite firm. I expected it to be a slop and hoped Clapton would eat it. It is pretty much the same as Classic, probably similar meat content as well, only Classic is a lot cheaper.

[Desley (booktigger)]

I will do a special trip to Asda on the way back from PAH (both Tesco and Morrisons are easier to get to when I go to PAH), see what they think - is it a pate style food? Zi struggles with chunks.

[Mark]

None of mine would touch it but they are picky.

btw - Tesco naturals are £2.20kg with no waste as they are 100g trays

[Fire Fox]

  Gillian I am interested too! I don't think £2.70 per kilo is pricey, depends what you are comparing it to. Tesco Luxury (50% meat) is £4 a kilo, Feline Fayre chicken (60% meat) is £2.90 a kilo - more if you purchase the black complete packs - not sure what other high meat wet food is available in supermarkets?

For comparison Bozita pate is 11.5% protein and the Bozita in jelly is 9% protein.

[Mark]

Ta     That protein percentage sounds low considering the high meat content doesnt it?

That's what I thought - but on the bright side for me, it might make a palatable renal food with binders 

Having said that, I just looked at Whiskas supermeat and it is only 9.5% - just shows how little muscle meat they use.

I just compared it with RC renal which is supposed to be reduced protein and that is 6.2%

[Gillian Harvey]

Ta     That protein percentage sounds low considering the high meat content doesnt it?

[hOrZa]

(no idea what the other 1.5% is  )

special sauce

[Mark]

Chicken - (min 38.5%), pork, poultry, vitamins & taurine.

Moisture 83%, protein 8%, fat 5%, ash 2%, fibre 0.5% (no idea what the other 1.5% is  )

[Gillian Harvey]

I just bought a couple in Asda this morning - it was £1 a carton. There was only one flavour - chicken. Haven't given it to them yet though.

Can you post the ingredients list pls? thx  I wonder if its only going to be in Asda, I havent got one that close to me, annoyingly - Asda have just pulled out of building a new store nearby - planning stuff 

[Mark]

I just bought a couple in Asda this morning - it was £1 a carton. There was only one flavour - chicken. Haven't given it to them yet though.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

It doesn't say where it will be sold.  If it sells for nearer £1 a carton (about what I pay for bozita from zooplus) I'd be interested.

[hOrZa]

yep not cheap although the supermarkets might sell under the rrp

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

It is interesting    But quite pricey.

[Gillian Harvey]

Hmmm, obviously not as interesting as I thought........

[Gillian Harvey]

Sounds interesting - in cartons, bit like Bozita I guess - good meat content, no cereals, artificial colours/preservatives, sugars. Made by Delamere who make the Toplife cat milk.

http://www.talkingretail.com/products/product-news/15675-toplife-formula-launch-eco-friendly-complete-cat-food.html