Rachael Ray Launches Line of Dog Food: Nutrish
Rachael Ray is branching out into the canine culinary field, launching Rachael Ray Nutrish, a line of premium dog food. Focusing on the wholesome and all-natural, it'll have omega fatty acids, and of course, a dash of EVOO. Named after her dog, there won't just be food but snacks too: Isaboo Booscotti crunchy treats (two flavors: bacon and peanut butter) and Isaboo Grill Bites chewy treats (in beefy burger and bacony burger flavors).
All jokes aside, it's also for a good cause: proceeds from each sale will be donated to support Rachael’s Rescue, "dedicated to helping at-risk animals through adoption, medical care and educational programs, along with training and outreach initiatives." A line of cat food is in the works.
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29 Comments:
I want to see her eat it on tv and tell us how yum-o it is...
sailordave at 10:18PM on 07/28/08
Um, nutrious? I think not. Read the ingredients on the premium dog food. Contains, among other things: Corn meal (which dogs cannot digest and is thought to be a huge allergy risk for most dogs); animal fat (does not specifiy what kind of animal - could even be dogs, as far as AAFCO is concerned); Corn Gluten Meal (still, not digestible), Dried beet pulp which is a controversial filler, etc. etc. Rachael can't create a decent dog food just like she is not a decent human cook! Ugh!
funchefchick at 10:54PM on 07/28/08
I hope I can call and get the ingredient list.
Very curious about the cat food...glad some proceeds go to help animals, that is awesome, but I wonder if she (well, the company) will remember cats are obligate carnivores and they won't be full of corn, wheat, gluten, rice, potatoes, and more chemicals than meats.
Wonder too if it is dry and wet or just dry. (Gosh I hope not...grrr)
She bugs me, but her fame could really make a difference to needy animals, and if she does not end up putting crap on the market I may have to change my opinion of her.
I did not see the bit about cat food on her site...I missed it/am blind?
sadiepix at 10:57PM on 07/28/08
I must be blind! Sorry, did not see the ingredient list.
I scratch my hopeful thoughts from before (Need edit button!) and put her on the food shame list with most of the other pet food companies.
sadiepix at 10:58PM on 07/28/08
@sadiepix: sorry, the reference to cat food was from E! Online.
Raphael at 11:01PM on 07/28/08
Oh, no worries! I was just curious and thought I missed that too! :D
It is really unfortunate that with all the branding power she has she can't put a decent pet food product on the market. She could do so much good for the dietary beliefs/myths about animals and nutrition. Just because lots of people would buy a box of elephant poop if it had her name and logo on it does not make it a quality product or the right thing to do.
sadiepix at 11:15PM on 07/28/08
I won't be buying her line of pet food (for those who are looking, California Natural is a great food for dogs, no fillers) but what a cute pup! And I am happy to see a high-profile pit bull owner plastered all over the media. When given a loving home, pitties make wonderful family dogs.
ricestein at 11:19PM on 07/28/08
Agreed, I'll give her props for having (and depicting) a happy, healthy pittie. But in the meantime I'll get my dog food advice from http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/. !
funchefchick at 11:33PM on 07/28/08
Yes, crap food aside, yay for helping animals period (assuming enough of the food $$ actually goes to help animals) and hurrah on helping the pitties.
Now she needs a greyhound and a bunch of cats. :D
@funchefchick--the link is not working...is it just me? Would LOVE to have another site for pet food info. Thanks!
sadiepix at 11:49PM on 07/28/08
Contents: leftovers from 30-minute meals. On second thought, even dogs won't eat cheeseburger salad.
Doctrine at 11:50PM on 07/28/08
has the rachael ray "bubble" popped yet? she's starting to look tired on her shows.....
billyjoe at 12:08AM on 07/29/08
Sadiepix that link is working for me. Try typing in www.dogfoodanalysis.com manually maybe?
funchefchick at 12:08AM on 07/29/08
I did try that..no luck.
My computer has been acting up lately so maybe it is me. I will keep trying though! Thanks!
sadiepix at 12:14AM on 07/29/08
I do not feed my dogs anything with gluten in it corn or wheat after that pet food scare 2 years ago. Try Natural Balance. We feed the Fish and Sweet potato. My dogs LOVE it and its good for them.
JerzeeTomato at 1:40AM on 07/29/08
I would say get rid of the corn and corn gluten meal. I've never had a dog that could digest corn. Our Zoe is on Nature's Variety frozen raw lamb medallions but since we're in TX, she needs a hurricane food if we can't keep hers cold. After trying varieties of Solid Gold and other premium dry brands we were stranded during Hurricane Rita and got Purina Exclusive Lamb from a feed store and she likes it and will actually eat it! So we give some to her a few times a week to make sure her tummy can take it in case we get stuck again without electricity. Thanks, just joined your site!
cookingwithdee at 5:47AM on 07/29/08
i'm thrilled she's trying to help animals, but i definately will NOT buy her dog food. my dog has been on science diet for a long time and before that it was Iams. maybe instead of trying to start another line of products she could just donate some money to an existing organization, like aspca. if she donates enough they may even put her face on a poster, and since it seems thats all she cares about she'll be happy.
huneybumper at 7:24AM on 07/29/08
She's not branching out...she's been making dog food for years!
kurteye at 7:30AM on 07/29/08
Oh my, oh my Rachel, what could you have been thinking?
These foods for dogs have the worst ingredients. No one with a brain could possibly want to feed this stuff to their dogs.
Rachel is a cook, why not teach cooking for your dogs?! Thats the way to go and get the best ingredients, no soy, no meat meal, no kibble.
This is such a mistake. I do hope everyone reads the ingredients and reads about what dogs should really eat!
There are great ways to make homemade dog food with premixes that are made from quality ingredients. Dr. Harvey's, Honest Kitchen, Sojourner.
She could have given to rescue and taught about how to "really" feed your dog naturally and healthfully. So, so sad. This is really sending such a bad message. Rachel has gotten very bad advice.
LKane at 8:11AM on 07/29/08
I like that it will help at-risk animals, but that's about it.
If she was looking to build an empire, Martha Stewart would have been a good model to follow. Right now, all her "branching out" so frenetically is just looking like desperation to cash in before, as someone said upthread, her "bubble" bursts.
Brownie at 8:54AM on 07/29/08
I don't know about the dog food but that photo is proof that people and their dogs look alike. The head tilt, the little eyes...I'm mesmerized.
sunbyrne at 10:44AM on 07/29/08
you mean, 30 minute meals is for humans?
suburbangourmet at 10:59AM on 07/29/08
I work with some pet food regulatory (not an expert) and I would say in my opinion and judgement that the ingredients aren't too bad considering what's out there; and if it's for a good cause after all--
it's better than buying Iams:
http://www.iamscruelty.com/
hungrychristel at 11:15AM on 07/29/08
hc you have to be kidding! I just reread all of the ingredients and I am shocked that you think that the ingredients "aren't too bad". They are awful.
Anyone who knows about what not to feed their dog will understand.
There are dyes in the treats, artificial everything.
Horrible.
Artificial Color (Red #40, Yellow #5 & #6, Blue #2)!!
High Fructose Corn Syrup, Propylene Glycol !!
READ about Propylene glycol!!
amazingly poor. there is no excuse for her saying she loves animals and puts her name behind this.
It may be for" a good cause" but my first good cause is feeding my own dogs real food that is actually healthy, not the garbage that the commercial pet food industry poisons them with and now Rachel belongs to that group!
LKane at 12:27PM on 07/29/08
Unless she names all her dogs the same name, that dog died. I heard her talk about it on her cooking show.
PerkyMac at 1:34PM on 07/29/08
Nutrish - I'm surprised she didn't call it EVOO, or something other annoying thing she made up, like TB (trash bowl) or, Deeeeelish, jeese she needs to go away!
GingerSnap at 2:18PM on 07/29/08
Well, I'm sure her heart is in the right place, but I agree...she certainly needs to be more active in the ingredient department. Also, fyi, her deceased dog's name was Boo. The new puppy is Isaboo. Every dog owner owes it to him or herself to check out the wonders of the raw diet. Dogs in the wild do not cook their food....why do we? Grain is also a minimal part of their natural diet and not at all a part of a cat's natural diet. I feed my dog a mix of raw ground turkey or beef, raw eggs (shell included), a myriad of vegetables, fresh fruit. The boy eats better than I do! The cost is about the same as that of a "premium" dry food. If you are going to do the dry routine go to Flint River Ranch online.
bev1423 at 2:48PM on 07/29/08
I would never buy this simply because the twee name makes me throw up slightly.
bobbob at 2:51PM on 07/29/08
Doglish?
JerzeeTomato at 4:06PM on 07/29/08
I am so thrilled to see so many people jumping up against poor quality pet foods! Whoo!
Iams and Science Diet are no better at all, take a good look at the ingredients. Those prescription foods that are pushed at the vet are just the same. Raw is best, high-meat content, low or no additive/by-product/grain canned food second. There are a few decent dry foods, and dogs do slightly better on them as omnivores than carnivorous cats, but this food is SAD.
Nothing makes me crazier than seeing FOOD COLORING in pet food!! That is to aesthetically please HUMANS! Dogs are COLORBLIND and I can't imagine they would care if they weren't!
I see those ads for the cat foods that "Are just like what WE eat" with veggies and rices and grains....plus too much fish in everything. UGH!
I wonder if RR even has a clue, or if she is just the perky puppet for the marketing. I contacted her site about it, big long letter last night. Doubt she sees those though, just her people.
sadiepix at 4:16PM on 07/29/08