Have the recalls changed people's views about pet foods?

I know most everyone here knows what is and isn't good food but a big part of the general public does not. I just watched a segment on CBS up to the minute-they interviewed a lady whose cat died from eating recalled food so she says she's more careful about what she feeds. Then she opened up a can of Fancy Feast for her surviving cat. Fancy Feast wasn't on the recall list AFAIK but it's full of wheat gluten and by products and one of the other mentions in the segment (not the same part where they spoke with this cat lady) was how by products aren't good for your pet.

If anyone you know was feeding a food on the recall list did the recall make them switch to a premium brand?

Probably 98% of this forum was on a premium brand before the recall. I certainly hope other people have stopped to think about what they are feeding

It changed how I look at dog and people food. I don't get anything from China that is intended to be consumed, for anyone in my family now.

There were plenty of so-called premium brands included in the recall. I've always fed what I consider to be top quality foods with good ingredients but that's no guarantee there will not be a recall on any of those foods. Also, there have been plenty of recalls on pet products that didn't get the kind of press the "big one" did.

The recall has made me an ingredient sleuth & I'm even more picky than I was before the big recall. I've also become far more concerned about where each & every ingredient originates.

From the people I know, it has not changed anything. They just sought out another cheap brand that wasn't recalled at the time

For me personally it was the wake up call needed to get into making my own raw mix--now I know for sure exactly what goes into my dogs body

Not MINE, my dogs have been eating the good stuff since a bit before I joined this forum (I was just lurking) but the recent Pedigree recall has a certain MOTHER of mine finally cracking down and buying good food.
Its about TIME she listened to me. From what I understand since she started on the Innova, Bear's skin has gotten better and better. I hate to say I told ya so but... I DID!!! lol

Changed nothing for me, as I'd been feeding Innova for ages and EVO since it came out

Most of the people I encountered - and still do - had never even heard about the recall. Some don't even believe it was real. But they think it's fine to feed their kids Twinkies and Happy Meals too.

Oh YES.

If it hadn't, why else would se so suddenly be seeing HIGH QUALITY brands in chain stores now? (Excluding that one that you all have up north, don't remember the name of it.. it seems like a nice place to shop, and has had good brands of food for ages) Why else would there be a sudden surge in crappy companies that sell crappy food re-labeling their products so that they look healthier and could suck in an uninformed consumer? I think the pet food companies are hurting right now, with all the people dumping their pets or switching to a higher quality food because of the recalls.. I bet a significant percentage of their profit has been lost.

For some people, yes, for others, no. Why? Because the latter group doesn't care to know about nutrition and what's good. They follow their hearts as they see the mushy pedigree commercials or want an Iams dog like the one on tv! And their ads are so convincing!

I think it even changed my opinion about foods, even though I KNOW about the higher quality products out there. It just seems that no company is very trustworthy anymore. I feel that if the giant that was Canidae can make stupid mistakes, then the rest are just as capable as well.

Only raw and fresh made mixes in our house now, with the last of kibble as treats as I don't want it to go to waste. *knocks on wood* Hopefully everyone transitions well to their new diet(s) because I don't see going back to kibble as a good choice.

ETA: This isn't to say that I won't recommend the higher quality products anymore, I will. But I am wary of them all, just because of what has happened in the past.

Absolutely true. During the recall I switched to completely home cooked because I just never knew which food would be implicated next.

And now I feed 1/2 cooked 1/2 kibble and I also sleuth ingredients before making a decision on a food to try.

I believe it's made an impact not only on consumers who actually CARE to pay attention, but also on the industry as Noludoru has pointed out.

In the long run, it might have been a good thing.........not good in the fact that so many fur babies had to suffer, but definitely good in the fact of how many people and companies have attempted to make change.