Proud to be a Fromm Dealer! Still Family Owned and Operated
We are proud of all the brands we carry. However, I thought it worth highlighting one company in particular that we are especially proud to be associated with since they are still a family owned and managed operation. The following Q&A is from the Fromm website which is a particularly useful website with a plethora of information! We’ll provide more info on other suppliers as time goes by:
Who is Fromm Family Foods owned by?
Fourth generation family member Tom Nieman is the president, owner, and head chef. Fromm Family Foods was inherited by Tom Nieman in 1983 from his Grandmother Erna Fromm. The Company, as it was originally named, has been privately owned and family operated since it was started in 1904. Tom has a chemical engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and formulates all of our dry pet food at our plant in Wisconsin. He was an understudy to the late Dr. Willard Roberts, Ph.D., who is recognized as the pioneer of dry pet food.
Where is Fromm Family pet food produced?
All of our dry pet foods and low-fat treats are made in the USA at our own USDA-inspected plants in Wisconsin. Our grain-free treats are made in Wisconsin at a USDA-inspected, partner plant, and our canned recipes are made in the USA at a USDA-inspected plant in South Dakota.
What is the reason for your different kibble shapes and sizes?
We offer many different shapes and sizes of kibble depending upon the recipe. Our goal is to determine and apply the most efficient and effective cooking method for each of our unique recipes, in order to achieve maximum quality. The shape and size of the kibble are chosen, in part, to ensure the food is cooked just right for maximum palatability, digestibility, and performance.
What is the difference between product lines?
We currently have three product lines for canines — Fromm Family Classics, Gold Nutritionals®, and Four-Star Nutritionals® — and two product lines for felines — Gold Nutritionals® and Four-Star Nutritionals®. All of our dry products for dogs and cats utilize USDA certified ingredients with added prebiotics, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals.
Our Fromm Family Classics line is primarily formulated with chicken and includes products designed for adult dogs, senior dogs, and dogs looking to lose weight.
Our Gold Nutritionals® line is formulated with multiple protein sources including duck, chicken, fish, and lamb. The recipes in this line are life-stage specific. For canines, we offer different recipes for puppies, adults, and seniors, with more specific recipes for large breed puppies and adults, small breed adults, and canines needing to lose weight. For felines, we offer specific recipes for kittens, adult cats, and mature cats.
Our Four-Star Nutritionals® line is all about variety. Each canine and feline recipe is formulated for all life stages. This means that the canine foods are suitable for puppies, adult dogs, and senior dogs, and the feline foods are suitable for kittens and adult cats, as well as senior cats. In addition, every recipe in this line — with grain and grain-free— has been formulated with the intention of allowing the pet parent to feed a different recipe at each meal for unique variety.
With so many Fromm choices, which one is the right one for my pet?
This is probably the most often asked question, and it really has no simple answer. The reality is that finding the best food for your pet is sometimes a process of trial and adjustment. The benefit to feeding Fromm is that once your pet has transitioned to our brand, you can easily switch from recipe to recipe within the Fromm brand without digestive upset.
What does “All Life Stages” mean?
In order for a food to be classified for “all life stages”, it must pass a certain protocol used by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) to determine if the food has the nutrient content necessary to fully support four stages of life. These are gestation, lactation, growth, and maintenance. A food with this classification may be used for a pet in any of these life stages so long as the correct amount is fed. However, certain specific life stage foods may be more appropriate in meeting the nutritional needs of puppies, large breed dogs, small breed dogs, and those needing to control or lose weight. For these specific needs, we highly recommend using Fromm Puppy Gold, Large Breed Puppy Gold, Large Breed Adult Gold, Small Breed Adult Gold, and Weight Management Gold.
Can I rotate foods?
We created the Four-Star Nutritionals line of products specifically to provide variety and encourage rotation. Each recipe is designed to be complimentary, and after transitioning to Fromm, many customers have success rotating between Four-Star recipes and even our other lines including Fromm Gold and Fromm Classic.
Finding the right food for your pet is sometimes trial and error. One of the benefits of Fromm’s interchangeable lines is the ability to switch seamlessly to new recipes should you or your pet become unsatisfied with a particular entrée. However, all pets are different, and some pets have more sensitive stomachs which may prevent them from enjoying a particular recipe or a rotational diet. Other pets are more robust and require no transition period between recipes. It’s really up to you and your pet how much rotation you would like to incorporate into their diet.
What is the difference between kitten and cat recipes?
The main differences are the digestibility and nutrient concentration. Kittens need a food that is more nutrient dense than a typical cat food in order to meet their accelerated growth needs.
Does Fromm use any ingredients from China?
No, all of our ingredients are sourced in the USA, and all of our products are made in the USA.
Grain-free: what does this really mean?
At Fromm, grain-free means the pet food has been produced with no grains in the formula. Our grain-free varieties contain no wheat, rice, rye, barley, or triticale and thus do not present the gluten associated with these grains.
Do you offer a “chicken-free” dry dog food?
We currently offer the following canine recipes that are completely chicken-free: Four-Star Beef Frittata Veg, Four-Star Lamb & Lentil, Four-Star Pork & Peas Recipe, Four-Star Shredded Beef canned dog food, and Four-Star Shredded Pork canned dog food.
In addition, the following recipes do not contain chicken as a protein source: Four-Star Duck and Sweet Potato, Four-Star Salmon A La Veg, and Four-Star Whitefish and Potato. These products contain chicken fat and/or chicken cartilage which, in comparison to chicken protein, generally will not lead to an allergic reaction.
Can Fromm’s products be used for pets in need of a special diet caused by a medical condition?
Our foods must be formulated to meet the AAFCO Dog and Cat Nutrient Profiles. These requirements are based on data obtained from studies involving normal, healthy dogs and cats. Because of this, we cannot recommend the use of our products for a situation where a medical condition requires a special diet. However, Fromm can supply technical information to you or your veterinarian to help determine if a specific recipe will be suitable for your pet’s special condition.
I heard Fromm is good for pets with allergies– why?
The first thing to determine is whether the animal has a dietary intolerance or an allergy. An allergy involves the pet’s immune system, while a dietary intolerance is an abnormal physiological response that does not involve the immune system. We have many customers who believe that their pet has an allergy to a certain ingredient, but they are surprised to find that their pet does quite well after switching to Fromm, even if the recipe they feed their pet contains the suspected allergen. This success can largely be attributed to the quality of our food as well as our blend of ingredients which follows the “Multi-Ingredient Principle”.
Fromm is unique in that we use a variety of ingredients including diverse protein sources, fruits, vegetables, and carbohydrates. This presents two distinct advantages. First, this combination provides a better balance of what each ingredient has to offer, giving a better nutritional balance to the food. Second, by using a combination of ingredients, Fromm is able to avoid being solely dependent on any single ingredient. This may provide an advantage to an animal that has a dietary intolerance (not a true dietary allergy) to any one ingredient. The “offending” ingredient will still be present in the diet, but at a level that the animal’s system can tolerate.
A good metaphor would be a person eating spicy food. A little spice might bring out the flavor in a dish and agree with a person’s sensitive stomach; however, a meal with twice as much spice might wreak havoc on the same person’s digestive system: everything in moderation. Finding food for your pet can often be a process of trial and error before you find a Fromm recipe that works well for your animal if he or she is sensitive; however, we feed a number of pets with food intolerances, and they do wonderfully once their owner finds a formula that works for them.
More questions and answers can be found at : http://frommfamily.com/about/question-and-answer/
