This email arrived this morning....

 

Hi Rebecca

 

Thanks for you patience with this one. This is the information that has been referred to me by our Quality Control Manager in Brisbane.

 

"With regard to the breeders 'results', as there are a number of variables involved, it would be unwise to speculate how this conclusion was reached. I would love to know how his research was conducted and where he got the information that the process for our mixes involved freeze drying.

 

Our raw materials and the process we use does not involved freeze drying at any stage. I have attached a general run down of our process.

 

The exact same seeds are used across all brands and the process is the same for each brand.

 

Blocks, cones and gumnuts are processed off site but the mixing is done here and then packed in bulk bags fro distribution to the co-manufacturer. The products are air dried.

 

Our products undergo strict quality checks prior to sale and that our range has been on the market for a number of years without any such problem.

 

We have a number of breeders that we use for consultation who also use our products, we have not received any feedback like this from them. We also have an aviary on site, all of the birds are fed from our range and we have not seen any deaths that would indicate that our seed is a problem".

 

 

 

Just out of interest is there any way you could provide the website where this information is posted?

 

I hope this helps.

 

Kindest Regards

 

 

 

Michelle Herbert

Customer Enquiries Co-ordinator

Masterfoods Australia/New Zealand - Petcare

Ph : 02 60555721

Fax : 02 60555318

Email : michelle.herbert@ap.effem.com

 

The attatchment that came with the email I cannot open because something in my computer says it is unsafe and won't open it. I have not replied yet but just wanted some feedback from you all...

Just out of interest is there any way you could provide the website where this information is posted?

I hope what members have brought up wont cause our site problems.

Thanks the post.

There's no need to take it any further, the mystery of how the seeds are prepared is explained in this attatchment that I can't seem to open. I will email her letting her know that I am assured that the products are just as I thought 100% safe and will tell anyone who asks just that, and it was just an enquiry into how Trill prepares their products and I do not wish to "dob" anyone in for their own personal opinion in which we are all entiltled to she is a nice lady she will understand.

Yes, that problem will be fixed by saving the attachment , ie to the desktop, then open it from there Sounds good. It was good of them to reply

Thanks for posting that. Will you tell us the secret when you get the attatchment to open?

Because I am ever the skeptic, I'm now wondering what sort of treatment their aviary birds receive. Seems a little icky to raise birds purely to test food. Unless, of course, they're kept in proper conditions. That's a whole other can of worms though, I suppose.

They have a massive place over in the UK down the road from me. They have started to buy lots of things for the birds they have in the aviaries. The husbandry/keepers are great and look after the birds well. I'm trying to arrange a visit to have a lot at their set-up.

That would be interesting to hear about!

Well if they allow me to visit then I'll post an update.

I am having serious problems with my computer....a few days ago it was put back to factory settings and ALL my stuff was gone....the computer is still playing up. I really want open the attatchment and was wondering if anybody knows what this means..."OE removed access to the following unsafe attatchments in your mail :Trill.doc" that is what it says when I try to open it. I also tried saving it to the desktop but it is the same. Do you think if I emailed it to someone else they could open it and post it????

Yeah, it's a security thing and I honestly can't remember exactly how you get past it. I would have to be looking at it, that's the only way my brain works anymore. Memory is a thing of the past for me!

 

If you forward it to me I think I can get it open for you. terri @ budgietalk.com

Thanks will do..

 

......Just sent it....

Edited January 11, 200619 yr by Bec

Here it is. The format is going to look a bit wonky as it's copied from a Microsoft Corporation ® Word file but it's pretty straightforward:

 

 

 

The process for production of all our birdseed ranges is exactly the same.

 

The seeds are exactly the same across all the brands i.e. the same sunflower is used in GOLDEN COB as in TRILL The only difference between the brands would be the ratio of seed blends, and multivitamins are included in the TRILL range. Some mixes may contain one extra seed type compared to another brand.

 

The flow path below descries the process of these bird seed blends:

 

 

Recievals of bulk seed

 

 

 

Chemical Application (pesticide)

 

 

 

Grading of bulk seed (removes trash from the farm etc)

 

 

 

Silo storage

 

 

 

Seed called to mixing bins

 

 

 

Mixer works off recipe and weighs out seed

 

 

 

Seed mix blown to mixer

 

 

 

Oils added

 

 

Seed stored in overhead bin until required for packing

 

 

 

Seed mix packed using automatic packing machine

 

 

 

Automated wrap around shipper used to pack display boxes

 

 

 

Shippers loaded on pallets

 

 

 

Note:

 

1) Quality checks are conducted at recievals to check moisture, density, infestation, odour, colour etc and retained sample are taken

2) Each period Chemical Residue testing is conducted as per a devised sample plan to verify that the correct rate of pesticide application is used

3) Samples are taken from the packing line each hour and paneled for quality – retained samples are maintained

4) Mycotoxin testing is conducted each period on one raw and one finished product as per a devised schedule

5) Freeze drying is NOT used on any of the seed products of added ingredients with any of our bird seed blends

That doesn't explain all that much really but.....it gives a very brief outline which is better than nothing I suppose..

Yeah, it's very... general. (Laughing out loud)

It's nice they responded to you with all that information. But the word "pesticide" is a little unnerving....I wonder what they use?

I am a little stressed about that.....I might make it my mission to investigate further about that!

I promised myself I wouldn't get involved in this discussion but in the end I can't help myself.

 

I actually worked for this company for a little while in their sales department. It was quite some time ago (about 10 years) and only for a short time while I lived in a country town but I felt that I had to say something in their defence. At the time I was very impressed with them. They had a vet, fully employed, who attended our meetings and talked to us about general welfare of animals. They were heavily involved in various charitable organisations that cared for animals and also treated their employees better than most companies I could name. I know that was then, and this is now, and things have changed a bit (like the way the company is set up) back then it was a family owned business, now I belive it is a public company, but I would hope that it wouldn't change too much, after all they do have a solid reputation to protect. I use their products for my birds and still have a loyalty to them in that I seem to favour their other products as well without really thinking much about it. I just trust them I guess.

 

So that, for what it is worth, is my two cents worth. I'll get off my soap box now.

Edited January 12, 200619 yr by leonie

That is good to hear, leonie. It would be nice to have some more recent research to back it up as well. There is also the factor that bird information changes so quickly. What was known to be safe ten years ago may be unsafe now. It would be nice to have more detailed information. The only way companies will be forced to raise the bar and make safe products is if they know their consumers are worried about that sort of thing. I'm not saying Trill is safe or unsafe, just that it never hurts to be skeptical when it comes to animal (and people) welfare.

Point taken eterri. You are right of course. The very reason for my trust was probably the owners of the company and I think that has changed. I was just hoping they would look after their reputation.

I don't think anything bad of them at all but I feed my birds their products and at the ARC we also use their products and I believe it's better to be safe than sorry. As a customer I believe I also have the right to ask any and all the questions I may have, they have responded to all my questions promptly and I was satisfied with their responses and I'm sure they're happy to answer any more of my questions/ queries.

I don't think anything bad of them at all but I feed my birds their products and at the ARC we also use their products and I believe it's better to be safe than sorry. :ausb: As a customer I believe I also have the right to ask any and all the questions I may have, they have responded to all my questions promptly and I was satisfied with their responses and I'm sure they're happy to answer any more of my questions/ queries.

 

Couldn't disagree with any of that Bec and the fact that they are happy to answer your questions leads me to believe that nothing much has changed with the company. Let's hope so anyway. And it's thanks to people like you who do ask the questions that companies like them do the right thing. It's just that so often big multi-national companies take all the flack and it's been my experience that in the main they are ones that are watched more closely. Anyway I said I was getting off my soapbox, but I seem to be climbing back on. Sorry about that, she says as she skulks off.

I think it's great that we are all so passionate about every aspect of our birds and their lives. It is only by people being concerned, and questioning, that the right thing gets done by these companies. Let's hope that the pesticide is something relatively harmless, and, if not, well we can all bombard the company until they use a bird friendly product

Agreed!!!

Pesticides aren't necessarily bad this is a broad term which covers many products. They could be using a preventative fungicide to stop the seeds going bad which would be more dangerous to budgies than if not used. It would be interesting though to find out what they mean. Another thing is that farmers use pesticides and perhaps it's a test to ensure that the source of the seeds they use don't exceed levels which are dangerous to budgies.