# Chewy's own brand-- American Journey



## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

So Chewy.com seems to have a new house brand of dog food. The nutritional specs look pretty good, but I'm disappointed that I cannot find out who is the manufacturer. 

Several posts online mention that Chewy declines to name the company producing the food (excepting to name the state that it is from) which is mildly sketchy to me.

Anyone tried "American Journey" or have any further info on where it is made? 50% off a first bag and a reasonable price afterwards got my attention but more info would be nice.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Third time trying to type this out. Dang backspace! The idea of what I've been trying to say is I'd be interested in trying it if they'd give some more info as it is same price and quality as Quill's current food (maybe even slightly better quality!).

I just tried asking and got this response: "American Journey is manufactured through a third-party facility so any information such as their name, for example, belongs solely to them. We're unable to share the facility's name due to their independent ownership." 

I then said, "So there is no way to know who is manufacturing, or their history with manufacturing products?" 

And was told: "At this time we don't have access to that information, although we do know the manufacturing facility has rigorous quality systems in place to manage food safety risks and provide safe products. The facility has a current Hazard Analysis Critical Control Plan (HACCP) in place, received SQF Level 3 certification, and performs continuous quality checks on the food. Chewy has tested all formulas to ensure it provides quality nutrients, good digestibility and excellent taste."

So, yeah, that's about all they want to give regarding who is producing it. So unless someone has some inside info, it may remain a secret!


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## bowie (Apr 26, 2010)

Those responses are so shady to me, and I don't believe their reasoning. I was looking at this food too but I think I'll pass.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Absolutely unacceptable answer for me. Both 'not knowing' or 'not sharing' means I will not be buying that product.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Yeah, if they are willing to keep it quiet at the risk of losing a lot of customers, it makes you wonder what they worry would happen if they said who was manufacturing it...


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

I just sent them an email because I find this very infuriating for some reason... And will update this thread with whatever response I get. But any good facility would want to share its name with dog owners, don't you think? This is all very fishy to me.


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## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

Wow I agree hat does seem really weird! Following for updates.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Only thing I could find was some speculation on a breed-specific forum because one person got a response that it was manufactured in Kansas. But another person in the same thread got the response Marvel got-- a whole lot of nothing.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Well, I will give them an A for replying promptly. But still, not gonna by the food if this is the answer:

"At this time we can't tell you the name of the third-party facility because they make kibble for other brands however I can tell you that these Recipes are produced in Kansas and the manufacturing facility has rigorous quality systems in place to manage food safety risks and provide safe products."


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Shell said:


> Only thing I could find was some speculation on a breed-specific forum because one person got a response that it was manufactured in Kansas. But another person in the same thread got the response Marvel got-- a whole lot of nothing.


And if it IS made in Kansas you can't even narrow it down by state.... there's apparently over a dozen dog food manufacturing facilities in Kansas! http://www.petfoodindustry.com/blog...obal-pet-food-industry-centered-in-us-midwest


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Pet food companies like to have their plants in states with favorable tax laws and lax worker's rights laws. North Sioux City, SD has Iams and Royal Canin. That way they get the tax/worker's laws of South Dakota but the work force of Sioux City. So the dog food plants do tend to cluster up. 

The bag sort of looks like Nature's Variety. Not that that means anything  (darn it, NV is made in Lincoln NE). But why wouldn't the manufacturer want to claim it? Weird.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

gingerkid said:


> And if it IS made in Kansas you can't even narrow it down by state.... there's apparently over a dozen dog food manufacturing facilities in Kansas! http://www.petfoodindustry.com/blog...obal-pet-food-industry-centered-in-us-midwest


Exactly. It doesn't narrow it down at all and I would expect they know that when they are giving their reply. Many, many contract manufacturers for private label foods around Kansas City. 

Many companies use co-packers rather than produce all their food in-house. Not a big deal but if you don't know who is making the food, then you can't look at their recall history and quality control. 
Truth About Pet Food site has an older list of who makes what, things have probably changed but it shows who the big players are

As a wild guess, Simmons Pet Foods might be who Chewy is using and I only say that because they've had some recent expansions in their manufacturing capabilities that are timed similarly to getting a new large contract for dog/cat food.


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## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

I wonder if they had some sort of non-disclosure agreement as part of the contract? But that seems so weird for a dog food company.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Pro Pet also advertises custom dog food manufacturing: http://www.propet.com/services/

I imagine it'll get out eventually. I know that Whole Dog Journal now prioritizes transparency in their "approved dog food list" so I think companies will adjust to those expectations.


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## BarkAtTheMoon (Feb 21, 2017)

Meh. I'll stick to my one star supermarket food with American sourced ingredients, research & development and feeding trials behind it.


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## MarieLovesChis (Mar 21, 2014)

I love Chewy. Best prices I could find for my dog's food and excellent customer service. But I'll have to pass on this one. I don't like my dog food to sound like a secret lol. Fromm is working well for us anyway.


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

I ordered 2 bags today. I will see how it works out. It is weird that they wouldn't want to say. Hmmmm.


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## LennyandRogue (Jun 25, 2016)

Made a quick video of the food in case anyone is curious. I have a verbal processing disorder so no laughing at me for saying "this is where the company is manufactured." I meant to say based. ;(

If you're tight on cash and your dog doesn't have allergies to chicken then go for it. If not, eh.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

LennyandRogue said:


> Made a quick video of the food in case anyone is curious. I have a verbal processing disorder so no laughing at me for saying "this is where the company is manufactured." I meant to say based. ;(
> 
> If you're tight on cash and your dog doesn't have allergies to chicken then go for it. If not, eh.


Dog, adorable. Especially the high five. Wouldn't have noticed the verbal slip actually as better than many home vids narration wise anyways.

Useful to see the kibble size, some very very small kibble isn't easy to eat for large dogs and vice versa.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Awesome, thanks! It looks similar in shape/size to TotW


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## bowie (Apr 26, 2010)

I posted a negative review of this food on chewy.com, the review has not been posted. I received this email instead...

"Thank you for leaving a review on the American Journey line of food. As I read your review I understand completely what you mean about transparency being very important. I wanted to reach out to you personally and let you know that American Journey is our line of food. We've just recently released our formulas under this brand name and we're hoping to build it into it's own entity. Since it's our product it definitely falls under our 100% satisfaction guarantee, we've also done in house testing and many of our office pups have enjoyed our yummy food. If you have any more in depth questions please feel free to reach out to us."

I responded and asked if they could let me know which company manufactured their food. We'll see if they respond.


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## TGKvr (Apr 29, 2015)

I love Chewy, and I'm always exceptionally pleased with their customer service. But that just seems sketchy! Why wouldn't they say? I also wonder if it has something to do with a NDA because otherwise, it just seems like shooting themselves in the foot. How do we know they don't source their protein from China, for example? Being told that the plant has "rigorous quality standards" is simply not enough. I work in Quality, and I know that having a compliance standard is only part of it. I'm disappointed in their lack of transparency on this issue, which is a shame, because I think they are a great company overall.


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## Lucillle (Dec 31, 2008)

I have loved Chewy too but did not like the response I received from them via email this morning. I decided to try American Journey, bought 2 bags, am halfway through one. I fed it to my two larger dogs.
Subsequently they had digestive issues with it after a week, one had loose stools and the other vomited. The two small dogs that ate other food had no issues. I then fed the larger dogs home made rice and chicken and they seem OK.
I notified Chewy, and mentioned that they might want to look into the food from the same manufacturing run in case something was wrong with the food. When they responded, they avoided any mention of checking out the run, they told me they would refund my $. When I asked that they send me a different brand instead, they told me they couldn't do that.
Then they told me that instead of returning the unopened bag, I could donate it to a shelter. That did not sit well with me. I think shelter dogs are as good as any other dogs, and if there is a possibility that something is wrong with the food, why would anyone suggest to give it to a shelter?
The remaining American Journey went in the trash.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

did I see that chewy is being bought out by PetsMart?


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

PatriciafromCO said:


> did I see that chewy is being bought out by PetsMart?


Yes, apparently they are.


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## Effisia (Jun 20, 2013)

Lucillle said:


> Then they told me that instead of returning the unopened bag, I could donate it to a shelter. That did not sit well with me. I think shelter dogs are as good as any other dogs, and if there is a possibility that something is wrong with the food, why would anyone suggest to give it to a shelter?
> The remaining American Journey went in the trash.


From what I've experienced, this is their standard suggestion with dog food a customer doesn't want anymore. Don't worry about sending it back to us, if you're not going to use it you can donate it. Personally, I think it's a great policy! And like I said, it's something they tell you to do instead of returns for whatever reason. If you think there's something wrong with the food, obviously don't donate it, but it's not like they're trying to say shelter dogs are lesser and deserve bad food or something.


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## Lucillle (Dec 31, 2008)

Effisia said:


> From what I've experienced, this is their standard suggestion .


I think my issue deserved more than a cut and paste from standard suggestions. If they don't care enough to pay attention to what they are saying, then who knows what they are saying.
Their avoidance of talking about the issue and checking on the run was disturbing as well.


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## k_harrison (May 20, 2017)

Marvel said:


> Third time trying to type this out. Dang backspace! The idea of what I've been trying to say is I'd be interested in trying it if they'd give some more info as it is same price and quality as Quill's current food (maybe even slightly better quality!).
> 
> I just tried asking and got this response: "American Journey is manufactured through a third-party facility so any information such as their name, for example, belongs solely to them. We're unable to share the facility's name due to their independent ownership."
> 
> ...


I work in the food safety industry, so I can shed *alittle* light on this. As others have stated, there is a dog food manufacturing facility in Kansas that Chewy contacted to produce their dog food. This is not uncommon. Chewy would have given them their requirements and recipe, and the manufacturer is producing it to their standards. They are withholding the facility name at this time, but this is also not uncommon. I have worked with several facilities that are extremely protective of which brands/products they produce. These are always protected with an NDA. This may or may not be the case with Chewy. 

The information given to Marvel by Chewy is actually very helpful! The facility having a HACCP Plan is standard. It is actually required in most food facilities, including those that process meat, juice, and seafood. The fact that the facility is SQF Level 3 certified is a big hint! SQF stands for Safe Quality Food. Basically, SQF is a standard that was created for food production facilities. If a company wants to become SQF certified, they must undergo an audit of that standard and pass. This is not easy. Level 3 is the highest certification level, most strict, and hardest to achieve. The records of those companies that are SQF-certified is *public*. You can search the database and find locations in Kansas, that are also SQF Level 3 certified, and voila! You now have a very short list of possibilities (3 at my count). I am not sure if I should post the site names, so I'll say you can message me if you have any questions or would like to get a link to the database and look for yourself


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## Flyinirish33 (Mar 3, 2018)

So although the manufacturer of American Journey refuses to make itself known, what I did discover is that there are quite a number of the BIG, well-known animal food manufacturers in the midwest (makes senses to be in the center of the U.S. for logistical and supply chain reasons). Kansas (the state where the makers of AJ is apparently located), has nearly a dozen. http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article19980897.html

My guess is that one of these big, well-known companies mentioned below is manufacturing American Journey but wants to stay under the radar and build customer base by offering a decent quality food that cannot be associated with their other 'bad' brands (see list at very bottom). They know that we consumers are smarter than that and may refuse to buy the product simply because of who the manufacturer is. We all know that there has been much controversy generated against and backlash received by nearly all of these major pet food manufacturers at one time or another because of the lesser quality products they have on the market and their lack of genuine care for our pets. So maybe one of these big companies is making AJ and wants to stay anonymous for that reason?? *My guess is: HILLS PET NUTRITION, whose HQ is located in Topeka, KS*. *Hill's "Science Diet"* line has a pretty bad reputation among consumers who know how crappy their food really is - despite that so many veterinarians are willing to carry the product line in their offices. I hate that Hill's gives such substantial kickbacks the vets (even MY vet carries their stuff! UGH!!!) 

READ THE ARTICLE to get all of the information! Here's just a few snipets:

"there are highly paid scientists and veterinarians working in labs at Hill’s Pet Nutrition in Topeka, Kansas and Nestlé Purina PetCare in St. Joseph, Missouri. 

Hill’s, Nestlé Purina, Mars Petcare and J.M. Smucker’s Big Heart Pet Brands represent 56 percent of global retail pet food sales. Hill’s Pet Nutrition has its corporate headquarters, a manufacturing plant, and a lab all in Topeka, and Hill’s owns another manufacturing operation in Emporia, Kan. The other large pet food companies are headquartered elsewhere but maintain substantial manufacturing operations in the region.

J.M. Smucker recently completed its purchase of Big Heart Pet Brands in a $6 billion transaction. A year ago, Mars bought Procter & Gamble’s pet food business, including Iams, for $2.9 billion. Mars also owns other brand names such as Pedigree, Whiskas and Greenies. Mars has a factory at 1315 N. Chouteau Trafficway in Kansas City.

*COMPANIES IN KANSAS MANUFACTURING PET FOOD:*

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, LLC (makes Rachel Ray's Nutrish line) 
1601 West Mckay Street
Frontenac, KS 66763
(620) 231-7779

NOTE: Ainsworth bought Triple T foods, a a family-owned, super premium pet food co-manufacturer, in 2017so that they could have a manufacturing and distribution location located in the central midwest (Frontenac, KS). ""This acquisition is a logical evolution in our supply chain, creating an even more robust national footprint for Ainsworth that accelerates our five-year strategic plan to become the leader in super premium pet nutrition," Mr. Watters said." 

Del Monte Pet Products
727 North Iowa Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
(785) 841-7600

Emporia Pet Foods / Emporia Pet Products, Inc.
841 Graphic Arts Road
Emporia, KS 66801
(620) 342-1650

NOTE: In 2013, the pet food plant in Emporia of Emporia Pet Food Products was acquired by Cargill, Inc. Cargill Agri Purina, Inc. makes a variety of animal nutrition products (marketed under Diamond V label and Purina) and Purina Pet Products is owned by Nestle. Cargill, incidentally, is located in Seoul, Korea. Nestle Purina also owns manufactures the Merrick brand of pet food AND owns/operates Petfinder.com 

Hill's Pet Products
320 Ne Crane Street
Topeka, KS 66603
(785) 231-2812

Mars Petcare US Inc
1084 Arapaho Road
Inman, KS 67546

Nature's Select Pet Foods
8863 Lenexa Drive
Lenexa, KS 66215
(913) 451-7387

Redbarn Premium Pet Products
30 SE 10 Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
(620) 792-1316

Simmons Pet Food Inc
1300 East Logan Avenue
Emporia, KS 66801
(620) 340-0123

Star-Kist
2200 Nw Brickyard Road
Topeka, KS 66618
(785) 338-9240

Triple - T Foods, Inc
1601 West Mckay St
Frontenac, KS 66763
(620) 231-7779


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