It's like pulling teeth dealing with Nestlé Purina...

Hi, Everyone ~

Just been through a very frustrating and unsatisfying attempt to get some updated "As Fed" values on canned cat foods from Nestlé Purina. I do have to say though that one of their customer service reps did phone me after receiving my response to their email. Apparently it takes a Nestlé Purina nutritionist to figure out what's in a can of their cat food, and they're going to be very stingy providing the information. I did get info on the following three Fancy Feast products, although I requested Chopped Grill Feast Classic not Chunky Chopped Grill Feast. Does anyone know how to convert these numbers into the format that Janet uses on her Janet & Binky's charts?

If we want to update the Purina Fancy Feast and Friskies canned foods on Janet's charts, different FDMB members could each request info for three different products, and then we could put together a current list. I was particularly interested in the carb count for Fancy Feast Classic Turkey & Giblets Feast since it seems to be raising bgs for some cats.

Update: More Information received on 10/20:

Thu, October 20, 2011 6:00:43 PM
re 18206413
From: Nestlé Purina Info <NestlePurinaInfo@casupport.com>
Add to Contacts
To: Eva Novak
________________________________________


Thank you for contacting Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.

We appreciate your response and apologize for providing the information for the incorrect product. Below is the information that you have requested.

Fancy Feast(r) Gourmet Cat Food Classic Chopped Grill Feast(tm):
Protein: 12.4%
Fat: 7.1%
Fiber: 0.2%
Carbohydrates: 1.10%
Ash: 2.8%
Calcium: 0.56%
Moisture: 76.5%
Phosphorus: 0.50%
Calories: 30.44 calories per ounce.

Fancy Feast(r) Gourmet Cat Food Classic Chicken Feast(tm):
Calories: 30.21 per ounce.

Fancy Feast(r) Gourmet Cat Food Classic Turkey & Giblets Feast(tm):
Calories: 31.86 per ounce.

Again, thank you for visiting our web site.





Wed, October 19, 2011 6:03:22 PM
re 18206413
From: Nestlé Purina Info <NestlePurinaInfo@casupport.com>
To: Eva Novak
________________________________________


Thank you for contacting Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.

We appreciate your patience. Below we have listed the as fed values for the products as well as the nutrients that you have requested.

Fancy Feast(r) Gourmet Cat Food Classic Turkey & Giblets Feast(tm):
Protein: 12.3%
Fat: 7.6%
Fiber: 0.1%
Ash: 2.3%
Calcium: 0.42%
Carbohydrate: 0.90%
Moisture: 76.9%
Phosphorus: 0.39%

Fancy Feast(r) Gourmet Cat Food Classic Chicken Feast(tm):
Protein: 12.2%
Fat: 7.1%
Fiber: 0.2%
Ash: 2.7%
Calcium: 0.50%
Carbohydrate: 0.90%
Moisture: 77.0%
Phosphorus: 0.46%

Fancy Feast(r) Gourmet Cat Food Chunky Chopped Grilled Feast(tm):
Protein: 13.3%
Fat: 6.9%
Fiber: 0.3%
Ash: 2.1%
Calcium: 0.38%
Carbohydrate: 1.50%
Moisture: 76.0%
Phosphorus: 0.35%

We hope this information is helpful and that you will let us know if you have any other questions.

Again, thank you for visiting our web site.







Thu, October 13, 2011 9:12:49 AM
Re: 18206413
From: Eva Novak
To: Nestlé Purina Info <NestlePurinaInfo@casupport.com>
________________________________________
Dear Nestle Purina PetCare Company Customer Service:

Your response concerns me very much as a buyer of your cat foods. "Please know that the information you requested is not something we have readily available and takes time on the part of our nutritionist to determine. We cannot provide it for each and every one of our products." -- Really? It takes your nutritionist to determine the contents of the foods I'm feeding to my beloved cats? And the information is not available for all of your products? WOW!

We feed our six cats a variety of your Friskies and Fancy Feast canned cat foods. I can read the labels on your cat food cans as well as the next consumer. The guaranteed values, maximums and minimums, are not accurate values, however, and don't give me complete information.

Please send me the name and mailing address of a manager in your cat food division. I'd like to direct my inquiry about your canned cat food to that person, since I believe I'm making a reasonable request.

Again, what I'd like to know is the following information for your full line of Friskies and Fancy Feast canned cat foods:

* "As fed" values for protein, fat, and carbohydrate
* "As fed" values for phosphorus, fiber, water, ash, and calcium
* Calorie information

Thank You,
Eva Novak



From: Nestlé Purina Info <NestlePurinaInfo@casupport.com>
To: Eva Novak
Sent: Wed, October 12, 2011 6:22:56 PM
Subject: re: 18206413



Thank you for contacting Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.

We appreciate your interest in our Fancy Feast(r) Gourmet Cat Foods and Purina(r) Friskies(r) Cat Foods. Please know that the information you requested is not something we have readily available and takes time on the part of our nutritionist to determine. We cannot provide it for each and every one of our products.

However, if you can narrow your choice to a particular flavor or two, we'll be happy to fulfill your request, but, it will require some time. We appreciate your patience.

Again, thank you for visiting our web site.

Re: How to convert "As Fed" values to Janet & Binky's format

If you go here: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/foodfaq.html, there's a spreadsheet where you can plug in the values.

I wonder if we each emailed them asking for the as-fed values for 2 or 3 different flavors we could get them all? I'm going to write them and ask for Tender Beef, Savory Salmon, and Beef & Chicken.

Re: How to convert "As Fed" values to Janet & Binky's format

Thanks, Julia! I missed that when I was on Janet & Binky's site.

And I do think we might be able to update our Purina Fancy Feast and Friskies info if members of FDMB would each request info on three different canned products. How ridiculous, but, heck, if it works...

Eva

I emailed them yesterday asking for info on 3 flavors of fancy feast. No response yet.

We should start a thread with the ones folks have called about, and knock out the list

I asked Rebecca if it was OK to identify ourselves as members of this message board, and she said yes.

It may help to mention we have 3948 users listed as members of our board as of 10/21/2011 6:05 pm (I looked under the group "Registered Users" to get that number)

So, perhaps start with this:
"I am writing on behalf of the Feline Diabetes Message Board, a group number nearly 4,000. We would like ...."

If you think it will help get info.

Maybe "If you'd prefer, we can each write to you individually about each of your products. Or be forthcoming and just hand over the info."

Hi, Alpandia and BJ ~

So many of us use Purina cat foods, Friskies and Fancy Feast in particular, that it would be great to get updated information on those products. BJ, are you going to write to Nestlé Purina on behalf of all of us at FDMB? I think part of the problem might be that the customer service reps (very pleasant people, by the way) have a canned response to a request for "As Fed" values. It would probably be more effective if we had a higher level manager to direct our request to. My husband thinks we should track down an annual report somehow.

Certainly makes sense to use the leverage of the membership of FDMB to try to get that information. Very good idea, BJ! There's power in numbers...lots of cat food buying consumers here on this board.

Eva

Eva

Unfortunately, I just don't have the time to engage in a long writing campaign. The sample text is for anyone to use when requesting info.

Still haven't received a response for the email I sent last Thursday.

I'll write them, I'm retired and have nothing but TIME on my hands, will post before I email to get ideas!!

Just out of curiosity,

I live in Toronto, and I know fancy feast classics are a great LC choice. I wanted to try feeding my kitties some so i picked up some fancy feast pates at pet valu. I looked for the classics but there wasn't any. I checked out the contents and it seemed ok, but then afterwards I was reading somewhere that it must say "classics" on the can. So I stopped feeding it to them. Is the classics the same as pâté? Is the classics only sold in the US or something?

SugarFreeLucy is also in Canada and was checking out the difference between the FF Classics (US) and Canadian Pates, and they appear to be the same and the guaranteed values appear to be the same. The US cans list a longer version of ingredients, but we figured that is because the Canadian cans have to list both in English and French.

This thread is where she posted about the Canadian FF classics vs. pates.

Hope that helps,

Suze