response from IAMS...

Dear Customer:

We appreciate your interest in learning more about Iams Original(tm) Cat Food. I
will be happy to assist you.

Many pet food companies still express the nutrient content of their foods on a
dry-matter basis. As nutritional science has advanced, however, the nutrient
density method is now well accepted. Looking at nutrient density provides the
most accurate relationship between energy, food intake, and nutrient content.

Nutrient density is a measurement of the nutritional value, or nutrient content,
of a pet food. Examining nutrient densities can provide meaningful comparisons
of different foods, even if they vary in weight, moisture, and energy content.

If you would like to provide your mailing address, I would be happy to send you
a copy of a nutrient reference chart for Iams Original(tm) Cat Food. In the
meantime, below are several URLs that will take you to articles on our web-site
offering information on choosing the right food for your cats. Please
copy-and-paste the following URLs to your web browser:

Reading Labels:
http://www.iams.com/en_US/jhtmls/nut...jhtml?speciesc
ode=C&brandcode=I&localeid=en_US&pagetypeid=PN&que stionid=186

Choosing Pet Food:
http://www.iams.com/en_US/jhtmls/nut...jhtml?sc=C&bc=
I&li=en_US&pti=PN&qi=149

If we can be of further service, please contact us anytime through our E-mail Us
Now page located on our web sites at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com. We would
also welcome your call Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on
Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time at 800-525-4267.

Thank you for your interest in Iams.

Sincerely,
Sharon Nichols
Iams Consumer Care, North America


Not that I am considering feeding IAMS, but any comments on the nutrient
density method being widely accepted as they claim?

I've heard making the conversion from nutrient density to dry matter
basis is possible but complicated. Can anyone enlighten me here?


--
"Its the bugs that keep it running."
-Joe Canuck

Joe Canuck wrote in message ...

Not that I am considering feeding IAMS, but any comments on the nutrient
density method being widely accepted as they claim?

I've heard making the conversion from nutrient density to dry matter
basis is possible but complicated. Can anyone enlighten me here?

I'm assuming what IAMS is terming "nurient density" equals
measurements of nutrients based upon caloric intake. Typically this is
expressed as grams or mgs per 100 kcals. Large components like
protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates will be expressed in grams per 100
kcals, smaller components will be expressed as miligrams per 100
kcals. As an example:

Science Diet Adult Canned Liver & Chicken
Protein DMB (dry matter) = 43.9% which is 10.1 grams per 100 kcal
Phosphorus DMB = 0.65% which is 149mg per 100 kcal

It is a better way to assess nutrients since it takes into account the
actual kcals a given cat might ingest and therefore sets the actual
values of any given nutrient a cat will ingest. It's actually a bit
simpler to work with, once you get the hang of it. It makes figuring
the intake of any given nutrient a breeze and thus makes comparing the
intake from one food to another very simple. If you have a 10 pound
kitty that requires 300 kcals per day it's pretty easy to see how much
of any given nutrient a cat will ingest per day. Most manufacturers
have been doing it both ways for many years, however the consumer is
not accustomed to seeing it this way. IAMS is a little touchy about
this since it was part of a lawsuit that IAMS and Nutro filed against
one another alleging that their opponents feeding guides were an
"underfeed". An underfeed is when a manufacturer deliberately chooses
to create feeding guides that suggest less cups per day than is
actually required. This allows them to compare one food to another and
claim it is cheaper to feed brand X than brand y.

Joe Canuck wrote in message ...

Not that I am considering feeding IAMS, but any comments on the nutrient
density method being widely accepted as they claim?

I've heard making the conversion from nutrient density to dry matter
basis is possible but complicated. Can anyone enlighten me here?

I'm assuming what IAMS is terming "nurient density" equals
measurements of nutrients based upon caloric intake. Typically this is
expressed as grams or mgs per 100 kcals. Large components like
protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates will be expressed in grams per 100
kcals, smaller components will be expressed as miligrams per 100
kcals. As an example:

Science Diet Adult Canned Liver & Chicken
Protein DMB (dry matter) = 43.9% which is 10.1 grams per 100 kcal
Phosphorus DMB = 0.65% which is 149mg per 100 kcal

It is a better way to assess nutrients since it takes into account the
actual kcals a given cat might ingest and therefore sets the actual
values of any given nutrient a cat will ingest. It's actually a bit
simpler to work with, once you get the hang of it. It makes figuring
the intake of any given nutrient a breeze and thus makes comparing the
intake from one food to another very simple. If you have a 10 pound
kitty that requires 300 kcals per day it's pretty easy to see how much
of any given nutrient a cat will ingest per day. Most manufacturers
have been doing it both ways for many years, however the consumer is
not accustomed to seeing it this way. IAMS is a little touchy about
this since it was part of a lawsuit that IAMS and Nutro filed against
one another alleging that their opponents feeding guides were an
"underfeed". An underfeed is when a manufacturer deliberately chooses
to create feeding guides that suggest less cups per day than is
actually required. This allows them to compare one food to another and
claim it is cheaper to feed brand X than brand y.

Joe Canuck wrote in message ...

Not that I am considering feeding IAMS, but any comments on the nutrient
density method being widely accepted as they claim?

I've heard making the conversion from nutrient density to dry matter
basis is possible but complicated. Can anyone enlighten me here?

I'm assuming what IAMS is terming "nurient density" equals
measurements of nutrients based upon caloric intake. Typically this is
expressed as grams or mgs per 100 kcals. Large components like
protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates will be expressed in grams per 100
kcals, smaller components will be expressed as miligrams per 100
kcals. As an example:

Science Diet Adult Canned Liver & Chicken
Protein DMB (dry matter) = 43.9% which is 10.1 grams per 100 kcal
Phosphorus DMB = 0.65% which is 149mg per 100 kcal

It is a better way to assess nutrients since it takes into account the
actual kcals a given cat might ingest and therefore sets the actual
values of any given nutrient a cat will ingest. It's actually a bit
simpler to work with, once you get the hang of it. It makes figuring
the intake of any given nutrient a breeze and thus makes comparing the
intake from one food to another very simple. If you have a 10 pound
kitty that requires 300 kcals per day it's pretty easy to see how much
of any given nutrient a cat will ingest per day. Most manufacturers
have been doing it both ways for many years, however the consumer is
not accustomed to seeing it this way. IAMS is a little touchy about
this since it was part of a lawsuit that IAMS and Nutro filed against
one another alleging that their opponents feeding guides were an
"underfeed". An underfeed is when a manufacturer deliberately chooses
to create feeding guides that suggest less cups per day than is
actually required. This allows them to compare one food to another and
claim it is cheaper to feed brand X than brand y.

"Joe Canuck" wrote in message
.. .
Dear Customer:

We appreciate your interest in learning more about Iams Original(tm) Cat
Food. I
will be happy to assist you.

Many pet food companies still express the nutrient content of their
foods on a
dry-matter basis. As nutritional science has advanced, however, the
nutrient
density method is now well accepted. Looking at nutrient density
provides the
most accurate relationship between energy, food intake, and nutrient
content.

Nutrient density is a measurement of the nutritional value, or nutrient
content,
of a pet food. Examining nutrient densities can provide meaningful
comparisons
of different foods, even if they vary in weight, moisture, and energy
content.

If you would like to provide your mailing address, I would be happy to
send you
a copy of a nutrient reference chart for Iams Original(tm) Cat Food. In
the
meantime, below are several URLs that will take you to articles on our
web-site
offering information on choosing the right food for your cats. Please
copy-and-paste the following URLs to your web browser:

Reading Labels:

http://www.iams.com/en_US/jhtmls/nut...wer.jhtml?spec
iesc
ode=C&brandcode=I&localeid=en_US&pagetypeid=PN&que stionid=186

Choosing Pet Food:

http://www.iams.com/en_US/jhtmls/nut...wer.jhtml?sc=C
&bc=
I&li=en_US&pti=PN&qi=149

If we can be of further service, please contact us anytime through our
E-mail Us
Now page located on our web sites at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com.
We would
also welcome your call Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
and on
Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time at 800-525-4267.

Thank you for your interest in Iams.

Sincerely,
Sharon Nichols
Iams Consumer Care, North America


Not that I am considering feeding IAMS, but any comments on the nutrient
density method being widely accepted as they claim?

I've heard making the conversion from nutrient density to dry matter
basis is possible but complicated. Can anyone enlighten me here?

To determine the amount of nutrient per kcal, just divide the nutrient
content by the energy density of the food.

This is actually the most accurate method because the actual amount of any
given nutrient that the cat consumes depends on how much food the cat eats.

Cats eat to satisfy their energy needs. When their energy needs are met
they stop eating - unless of course their satiety cues are overridden by an
exceptionally palatable diet or some behavioral problem or disease. So
the amount of food she eats, and the actual amount of nutrients she
consumes, depends on the calorie content of the food.

Here's a simple example: 2 foods can have the same DM% of protein. On a
caloric basis, diet A provides 10 g protein/100 kcal and diet B provides 7
g/100kcal. So if the cat has a DER of 180 kcal/day, she'll consume 18 g/day
protein from diet A but only 12.6 g from diet B even though both diets have
the same DM% protein.

So look for g/kcal (or g/100 kcal) when comparing foods.


Phil

"Joe Canuck" wrote in message
.. .
Dear Customer:

We appreciate your interest in learning more about Iams Original(tm) Cat
Food. I
will be happy to assist you.

Many pet food companies still express the nutrient content of their
foods on a
dry-matter basis. As nutritional science has advanced, however, the
nutrient
density method is now well accepted. Looking at nutrient density
provides the
most accurate relationship between energy, food intake, and nutrient
content.

Nutrient density is a measurement of the nutritional value, or nutrient
content,
of a pet food. Examining nutrient densities can provide meaningful
comparisons
of different foods, even if they vary in weight, moisture, and energy
content.

If you would like to provide your mailing address, I would be happy to
send you
a copy of a nutrient reference chart for Iams Original(tm) Cat Food. In
the
meantime, below are several URLs that will take you to articles on our
web-site
offering information on choosing the right food for your cats. Please
copy-and-paste the following URLs to your web browser:

Reading Labels:

http://www.iams.com/en_US/jhtmls/nut...wer.jhtml?spec
iesc
ode=C&brandcode=I&localeid=en_US&pagetypeid=PN&que stionid=186

Choosing Pet Food:

http://www.iams.com/en_US/jhtmls/nut...wer.jhtml?sc=C
&bc=
I&li=en_US&pti=PN&qi=149

If we can be of further service, please contact us anytime through our
E-mail Us
Now page located on our web sites at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com.
We would
also welcome your call Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
and on
Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time at 800-525-4267.

Thank you for your interest in Iams.

Sincerely,
Sharon Nichols
Iams Consumer Care, North America


Not that I am considering feeding IAMS, but any comments on the nutrient
density method being widely accepted as they claim?

I've heard making the conversion from nutrient density to dry matter
basis is possible but complicated. Can anyone enlighten me here?

To determine the amount of nutrient per kcal, just divide the nutrient
content by the energy density of the food.

This is actually the most accurate method because the actual amount of any
given nutrient that the cat consumes depends on how much food the cat eats.

Cats eat to satisfy their energy needs. When their energy needs are met
they stop eating - unless of course their satiety cues are overridden by an
exceptionally palatable diet or some behavioral problem or disease. So
the amount of food she eats, and the actual amount of nutrients she
consumes, depends on the calorie content of the food.

Here's a simple example: 2 foods can have the same DM% of protein. On a
caloric basis, diet A provides 10 g protein/100 kcal and diet B provides 7
g/100kcal. So if the cat has a DER of 180 kcal/day, she'll consume 18 g/day
protein from diet A but only 12.6 g from diet B even though both diets have
the same DM% protein.

So look for g/kcal (or g/100 kcal) when comparing foods.


Phil

"Joe Canuck" wrote in message
.. .
Dear Customer:

We appreciate your interest in learning more about Iams Original(tm) Cat
Food. I
will be happy to assist you.

Many pet food companies still express the nutrient content of their
foods on a
dry-matter basis. As nutritional science has advanced, however, the
nutrient
density method is now well accepted. Looking at nutrient density
provides the
most accurate relationship between energy, food intake, and nutrient
content.

Nutrient density is a measurement of the nutritional value, or nutrient
content,
of a pet food. Examining nutrient densities can provide meaningful
comparisons
of different foods, even if they vary in weight, moisture, and energy
content.

If you would like to provide your mailing address, I would be happy to
send you
a copy of a nutrient reference chart for Iams Original(tm) Cat Food. In
the
meantime, below are several URLs that will take you to articles on our
web-site
offering information on choosing the right food for your cats. Please
copy-and-paste the following URLs to your web browser:

Reading Labels:

http://www.iams.com/en_US/jhtmls/nut...wer.jhtml?spec
iesc
ode=C&brandcode=I&localeid=en_US&pagetypeid=PN&que stionid=186

Choosing Pet Food:

http://www.iams.com/en_US/jhtmls/nut...wer.jhtml?sc=C
&bc=
I&li=en_US&pti=PN&qi=149

If we can be of further service, please contact us anytime through our
E-mail Us
Now page located on our web sites at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com.
We would
also welcome your call Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
and on
Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time at 800-525-4267.

Thank you for your interest in Iams.

Sincerely,
Sharon Nichols
Iams Consumer Care, North America


Not that I am considering feeding IAMS, but any comments on the nutrient
density method being widely accepted as they claim?

I've heard making the conversion from nutrient density to dry matter
basis is possible but complicated. Can anyone enlighten me here?

To determine the amount of nutrient per kcal, just divide the nutrient
content by the energy density of the food.

This is actually the most accurate method because the actual amount of any
given nutrient that the cat consumes depends on how much food the cat eats.

Cats eat to satisfy their energy needs. When their energy needs are met
they stop eating - unless of course their satiety cues are overridden by an
exceptionally palatable diet or some behavioral problem or disease. So
the amount of food she eats, and the actual amount of nutrients she
consumes, depends on the calorie content of the food.

Here's a simple example: 2 foods can have the same DM% of protein. On a
caloric basis, diet A provides 10 g protein/100 kcal and diet B provides 7
g/100kcal. So if the cat has a DER of 180 kcal/day, she'll consume 18 g/day
protein from diet A but only 12.6 g from diet B even though both diets have
the same DM% protein.

So look for g/kcal (or g/100 kcal) when comparing foods.


Phil

Joe Canuck wrote in message ...
(...)

Not that I am considering feeding IAMS, but any comments on the nutrient
density method being widely accepted as they claim?

As Phil and Steve have said - it's arguably a better method.



I've heard making the conversion from nutrient density to dry matter
basis is possible but complicated. Can anyone enlighten me here?

It would be better to go the other way (i.e., convert %DMB to nutrient
density), but to convert from nutrient density to %DMB, you convert
the kcal to weight:

If 100kcal of food contains 20kcal from protein, then 100kcal of food
contains 100*(20/350)=5.71g of protein. (We know that 100g of protein
contains 350kcal). You can make the same calculation for the other
calorific things, i.e., fat and carbs.

The non-calorific items cannot be given as kcal per kcal of food,
because they don't contain any usable energy - so, these will have to
be given as weight per 100kcal (or similar). When working out the
%DMB, you need to remember to include the weight of these items!

So, %DMB is just the weight of the nutrient you're interested in,
divided by the total weight of all items. E.g., if you were given

Boiled Fish Ear Stew Composition:
50kcal from fat per 100kcal of food,
25kcal from protein ~ " ~,
25kcal from carbs ~ " ~,
1g of ash ~ " ~,
0.5g of fibre ~ " ~.

We know that fat contains 850kcal per 100g, and protein and fat
contain 350kcal per 100g. So, weu have, per 100kcal of food:

Fat = 100*(50/850) = 5.88g
Pr = 100*(25/350) = 7.14g
Carb = 100*(25/350) = 7.14g
Ash = 1g
Fibre =0.5g

So, proportion DMB for fat is 5.88/(5.88+7.14+7.14+1+1) = 5.88/21.66 =
0.271 (i.e., 27.1%).

Proceed similarly for the other items of interest!

HTH,
Steve.

Joe Canuck wrote in message ...
(...)

Not that I am considering feeding IAMS, but any comments on the nutrient
density method being widely accepted as they claim?

As Phil and Steve have said - it's arguably a better method.



I've heard making the conversion from nutrient density to dry matter
basis is possible but complicated. Can anyone enlighten me here?

It would be better to go the other way (i.e., convert %DMB to nutrient
density), but to convert from nutrient density to %DMB, you convert
the kcal to weight:

If 100kcal of food contains 20kcal from protein, then 100kcal of food
contains 100*(20/350)=5.71g of protein. (We know that 100g of protein
contains 350kcal). You can make the same calculation for the other
calorific things, i.e., fat and carbs.

The non-calorific items cannot be given as kcal per kcal of food,
because they don't contain any usable energy - so, these will have to
be given as weight per 100kcal (or similar). When working out the
%DMB, you need to remember to include the weight of these items!

So, %DMB is just the weight of the nutrient you're interested in,
divided by the total weight of all items. E.g., if you were given

Boiled Fish Ear Stew Composition:
50kcal from fat per 100kcal of food,
25kcal from protein ~ " ~,
25kcal from carbs ~ " ~,
1g of ash ~ " ~,
0.5g of fibre ~ " ~.

We know that fat contains 850kcal per 100g, and protein and fat
contain 350kcal per 100g. So, weu have, per 100kcal of food:

Fat = 100*(50/850) = 5.88g
Pr = 100*(25/350) = 7.14g
Carb = 100*(25/350) = 7.14g
Ash = 1g
Fibre =0.5g

So, proportion DMB for fat is 5.88/(5.88+7.14+7.14+1+1) = 5.88/21.66 =
0.271 (i.e., 27.1%).

Proceed similarly for the other items of interest!

HTH,
Steve.

Joe Canuck wrote in message ...
(...)

Not that I am considering feeding IAMS, but any comments on the nutrient
density method being widely accepted as they claim?

As Phil and Steve have said - it's arguably a better method.



I've heard making the conversion from nutrient density to dry matter
basis is possible but complicated. Can anyone enlighten me here?

It would be better to go the other way (i.e., convert %DMB to nutrient
density), but to convert from nutrient density to %DMB, you convert
the kcal to weight:

If 100kcal of food contains 20kcal from protein, then 100kcal of food
contains 100*(20/350)=5.71g of protein. (We know that 100g of protein
contains 350kcal). You can make the same calculation for the other
calorific things, i.e., fat and carbs.

The non-calorific items cannot be given as kcal per kcal of food,
because they don't contain any usable energy - so, these will have to
be given as weight per 100kcal (or similar). When working out the
%DMB, you need to remember to include the weight of these items!

So, %DMB is just the weight of the nutrient you're interested in,
divided by the total weight of all items. E.g., if you were given

Boiled Fish Ear Stew Composition:
50kcal from fat per 100kcal of food,
25kcal from protein ~ " ~,
25kcal from carbs ~ " ~,
1g of ash ~ " ~,
0.5g of fibre ~ " ~.

We know that fat contains 850kcal per 100g, and protein and fat
contain 350kcal per 100g. So, weu have, per 100kcal of food:

Fat = 100*(50/850) = 5.88g
Pr = 100*(25/350) = 7.14g
Carb = 100*(25/350) = 7.14g
Ash = 1g
Fibre =0.5g

So, proportion DMB for fat is 5.88/(5.88+7.14+7.14+1+1) = 5.88/21.66 =
0.271 (i.e., 27.1%).

Proceed similarly for the other items of interest!

HTH,
Steve.