NB are essentially seed with some fruit or nut mixed in. They are really treats.
I looked them up & apparently some of them have a small amount of pellets mixed in.
They look like a great treat but would not think them as a major portion of the diet.
Parrot Nutri-Berries - Pet Bird Food by Lafeber Co.
There ingredients lists peanuts which can be dangerous
It seems you are not familiar with the Lafeber product line.
Years ago I emailed Dr. Lafeber about their products (when we were going through the many food recalls because of the China foods) and he was most gracious to offer a detailed explanation of their ingredients to me. I will share it with you.
Regarding our ingredients:
All of the grains used in Lafeber foods are grown in the USA or Canada. Our corn is non-GMO (genetically modified organism) and literally grown outside our windows in the same fields my grandfather farmed. We have found that seed-grain growing standards for the USA and Canada are very good and can be trusted. Lafeber Company only purchases grain from the USA and Canada, even if other foreign grains are cheaper.
Ingredients that are imported from outside the USA, which go into Lafeber foods, are human grade. This would include the mango, papaya, pineapples that are in our Tropical Fruit and Sunny Orchard Nutri-berries.
Our human grade broccoli, red and green peppers and carrots, which are in our El Paso and Veggie Nutri-berries, are from China and are the only foods with ingredients from China. While these foods are human grade and have passed our quality control testing process, which includes our staff actually tasting and eating the ingredients, we are now concerned about any foods purchased from China and we are now purchasing our vegetables from new suppliers.
Regarding Lafeber Company quality control and manufacturing process:
Unlike many human and animal food companies that have their food manufactured by someone else, the Lafeber Company manufactures all of its own products in our plant in Cornell, Illinois. We have been manufacturing our own bird food since 1973. This is rare in the companion animal food world. By manufacturing all of our own foods, we can personally inspect all of the ingredients going into the product. This is not possible when your food is made by someone else a thousand, or more, miles away.
Premium nutrition begins with the ingredients. Upon arriving at our company, all ingredients are placed into a holding area and are tested before being used. Anything that is suspect or that fails a test, is immediately rejected. For example, because peanuts are susceptible to aflatoxin, each batch is aflatoxin tested even though the peanuts are all human grade and purchased from the same suppliers found in your local grocery store. The safest peanuts you can give your bird are in Nutri-berries.
My personal philosophy is that, if you want quality companion animal food, you need people working at the company who love animals. We specifically focus on employing people who love their animals, so that they will personally care about our food the way you would.
Our personal birds are deeply loved and respected members of our family. The Lafeber foods must be made to the highest nutritional standards possible because my own feathered family members depend on Lafeber nutrition. Outside of my master bedroom is our family bird room of eight macaws and parrots with an average age of about 26 years old. They eat the same foods that your own beloved feathered families do. Their base diet is Nutri-berries, supplemented with Avi-cakes, pellets, and Nutri-meals. They also get fresh fruits and veggies every day. Nutri-nuts and, occasionally, vanilla wafers, are their special treats.
Guidelines to help determine what foods are safest for your bird:
Read the label- only buy foods that have been produced in the USA or Canada
Look for companies that have a history of understanding that your “pet” is a beloved family member.
Does the company actually make their own food? If not, who makes their food?
Does the company have a good reputation?
Organic foods can be good but are not always a safe haven. For example:
Recent problems from California of e-coli contaminated organic spinach.
Are organic foods that China exports to the USA safe?
Is the CEO & President a passionate animal lover? Does he/she feed the food he/she makes to his/her own beloved animal companions?
In my 29 years of food experience, the company President directly determines the quality of the food made for your feather companion.
Last, because I trust my beloved family feathered family on Lafeber foods, you can trust your beloved family members on our foods, as well.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lafeber
