5. WHY ORGANIC?

In addition to following the strict organic guidelines specified by the USDA we have some high standards of our own to ensure the very best quality product for your bird.

• Premium grains and other ingredients are contracted by HBD to be grown on fertile organic farms throughout North America.

• A third party organic certifier verifies the certification of the raw ingredients, making sure they meet the requirements designated under the USDA's rules regarding organic certification.

• All grains and other ingredients are tested (via independent laboratory) throughout the manufacturing process for mycotoxins and rancidity.

• For the extrusion process, the ingredients are ground and thoroughly mixed. Then the various sized and formulated nuggets are extruded, toasted, cooled and then packaged under careful supervision.


• Our state-of-the-art packaging  (the Harrison’s bag) protects the freshness of the products, which have only natural tocopherols as preservatives.



 The foods are shipped to and stored at the HBD Distribution Center in Brentwood, TN.  Products remain in this climate-controlled environment until being shipped for customer orders.






Why Certified Organic?

The term "certified organic" cannot be used casually. In this country, there are strict guidelines set up by the United States Department of Agriculture (as well as private certifying agencies) in order to authorize a facility to use the term "certified organic." And being part of the organic culture demands a significant commitment to the entire system.

In today’s market people use the terms “all natural,” “organic” and “certified organic” interchangeably, when there really is a significant difference. Only “certified organic” has been approved by a 3rd party agency after a thorough study of the entire process of growing the ingredients and manufacturing the final product to ensure that all steps have been performed within the strict guidelines.

In order to qualify as "certified organic," all products must adhere to the following standards:

• Crops must be grown without the use of artificial fertilizers or pesticides.

• There is generally a required conversion period to organic methods, being two years (for ground crops) or three years (for perennials).

• In order to break the cycles of pests and diseases, appropriate crop rotation is practiced for ground crops, which also helps to maintain soil fertility and structure.

• No post-harvest chemical treatments are allowed.

• Fertility is provided by natural organic manures, composts and fertilizers -- the use of synthetic chemicals is prohibited.

• The use of genetically modified (GM) seeds or other materials is not permitted.

During the production phase, all organic producers must:

• Be certified by a recognized certification body and undergo a rigorous  annual inspection by qualified inspectors.

• Adhere to very strict standards that cover every aspect of food production, such as growing, packaging, processing and transport.

• Maintain fully audited records of every stage of production to ensure complete traceability from farm to table.

• Provide official certification numbers or logos of each certification body on the packaging, as this is the consumer's guarantee of authenticity.

If foods are to be produced, the manufacturers must also be:

• Certified by an organic certification body.

• Keep all ingredients used in organic products separate from ingredients for use in conventional products at all times.

• Maintain detailed routine records, including cleaning and processing schedules, which must be made available for audit by certification inspectors at all times.

• The stringent controls associated with the production and processing of organic products ensure consistent adherence to guidelines set up by the recognized certification bodies.

6. THE THREAT OF PESTICIDES

PESTICIDES KILL
The Migratory Bird Council projects annual wild bird deaths due to pesticide poisoning to
exceed 67 million.

It is well-documented that birds in the wild are dying in mass numbers due to exposure to pesticides. Birds are killed, sickened or weakened by poisons or affected by the loss of food or habitat resources. Be it from direct contact or ingestion of toxic residues, pesticide poisoning kills more birds than any other cause.




Pesticides sprayed from planes saturate the ground
and every living thing in the area.

We know that pesticides are devastating the wild bird population, but what do we know about pesticides and pet birds?

It is not a secret that parrots are especially sensitive to environmental toxins, such as certain metals, chemical cleaners, and overheated plastic-coated cookware

Chemicals that normally are only irritating to humans and other animals can be extremely toxic to parrots. Yet little thought is given to the potential cancers, neurological problems, hormonal imbalances, allergies and disruptions of the immune system that may be attributed directly to pesticide residues on foods that parrots ingest.






Pesticide run-off contaminates
waterways and has the potential to
poison every living being that depends on
these sources of water.

The EWG (Environmental Working Group) concluded that more than half of the total dietary risk from pesticides was concentrated in just 12 foods from the produce section of the supermarket: strawberries, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, cantaloupe, celery, apples, apricots, green beans, grapes and cucumbers.

Organic farming, or sustainable agriculture, is the first step toward moving away from this dangerous trend. Proper crop rotation breaks the cycles of pest and disease problems and balances the nutrient demands of specific crops. Alternative pest controls, such as certain insects or plantings, are incorporated into agriculture.

Organic farming works to bring you safer and healthier products, keep the farmlands in tip-top shape and leave the surrounding environment uncontaminated.

The overall impact of the organic culture involves the entire world's ecosystem, because the battle against toxic contaminants threatens all life on earth in one way or another.