Mauri: gum removal and new name

[lisamarie12]

For those feeding Mauri or those interested in feeding Mauri but concerned about the heavy gum use in their formulas (there were three), the company has removed all three gums and replaced with "dried egg product."

They are also changing their name and will no longer be known as Mauri but instead "Koha" pet food.

http://www.kohapet.com/mauri-pet-food-is-now-koha-pet-food/

The new ingredients are not on the web site yet, or at least I haven't found it doing a quick search, however, I saw a printout of the new ingredients at the indy store where I work. Stay tuned.

 

[ruthm]

Well, that's good to know a company will listen to consumers once in awhile! I avoided feeding my diabetic Tiger this food for this very reason; might have to reconsider. Thanks for letting us know!

 

[9flowers]

I bought the Koha (Mauri) Goat flavor yesterday - there are still 3 gums in it, they are 9th, 10th & 11th on the list. Not ideal (at all)  but both of my kitties seemed to really like it (so far) - which is an astonishing feat in this house.

I've had so much trouble feeding them for various reasons. At any given moment, if you open up my fridge, there are anywhere between 11 - 15 different brands or flavors of food. 98% of which end up in the garbage.

So for those of you struggling, I think goat is a great novel protein option. I'm not sure of the consistency of the other flavors, but this one is not dense, it's fairly light & mousse like. No chunks or shreds.

I'm going to write to them & question the gum situation. Surely there must be a better way? If NV (which my darlings won't eat) can do it, why can't others? All of the other ingredients in this brand seem top notch.

 

[lisamarie12]

 
I bought the Koha (Mauri) Goat flavor yesterday - there are still 3 gums in it, they are 9th, 10th & 11th on the list. Not ideal (at all)  but both of my kitties seemed to really like it (so far) - which is an astonishing feat in this house.

I've had so much trouble feeding them for various reasons. At any given moment, if you open up my fridge, there are anywhere between 11 - 15 different brands or flavors of food. 98% of which end up in the garbage.

So for those of you struggling, I think goat is a great novel protein option. I'm not sure of the consistency of the other flavors, but this one is not dense, it's fairly light & mousse like. No chunks or shreds.

I'm going to write to them & question the gum situation. Surely there must be a better way? If NV (which my darlings won't eat) can do it, why can't others? All of the other ingredients in this brand seem top notch.

That's interesting re: the gums in the new line. When I saw the printout of Koha's new formulas, I briefly skimmed the flyer but noticed no gums, maybe it's just certain meats that are gumless? Do you see "dried egg product" in the goat formula? I think that's a good idea if you can send the company an email and inquire.  I also heard from another TCS member who contacted Mauri a couple months ago, she was told of the new name and the removal of gums.

 

[9flowers]

No dried egg product. The label has the new Koha name on it & the ingredients are as follows;

Goat liver, goat broth, goat tripe, goat lung, goat kidney, pumpkin, ovine plasma, fish oil, locust bean gum, xanathan gum, guar gum, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, biotin, sodium selenate, folic acid, calcium iodate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine monorate, copper amino acid chelate, maganese amino acid chelate, calcium pantothenate, niacin supplement, iron amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, cranberries, taurine, new zealand green mussel, choline chloride.

I'm not sure about the other flavors & the pet store I was at yesterday is almost 2 hours away from my house, or else I'd stop by & check.

 

[lisamarie12]

 
No dried egg product. The label has the new Koha name on it & the ingredients are as follows;

Goat liver, goat broth, goat tripe, goat lung, goat kidney, pumpkin, ovine plasma, fish oil, locust bean gum, xanathan gum, guar gum, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, biotin, sodium selenate, folic acid, calcium iodate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine monorate, copper amino acid chelate, maganese amino acid chelate, calcium pantothenate, niacin supplement, iron amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, cranberries, taurine, new zealand green mussel, choline chloride.

I'm not sure about the other flavors & the pet store I was at yesterday is almost 2 hours away from my house, or else I'd stop by & check.

Very strange - next time I'm in the store, I'll see if I can find the p/o and make a copy of it. If you do end up contacting the company about this, if you get a chance to follow up, I'd be curious to hear their response, thanks.  

Edit: I see that they are still using tetrasodium pyrophosphate, however, an ingredient that can cause hives / itchiness in humans, it's a flavor enhancer that I'd be wary of.

 

[9flowers]

Very strange - next time I'm in the store, I'll see if I can find the p/o and make a copy of it. If you do end up contacting the company about this, if you get a chance to follow up, I'd be curious to hear their response, thanks.  

Edit: I see that they are still using tetrasodium pyrophosphate, however, an ingredient that can cause hives / itchiness in humans, it's a flavor enhancer that I'd be wary of.

 

[9flowers]

I'll definitely follow up if I hear anything. Hopefully I will!

Thanks for the heads up about the ingredient. I wasn't aware of it.

 

[lisamarie12]

Koha new ingredient label dog formulas2.jpg

• lisamarie12
• Mar 16, 2016

It was my understanding that the gums were also being removed from the cat food.  I called Koha today to inquire, however, customer service (just one person apparently) is out of the office until next week.

Well, we'll get it figured out.

You are right though - if NV's Instinct line can make a gum free formula, why not other companies? Nature's Logic is also gum free although if you are looking for novel proteins, I don't think they have a single novel protein source, however (I tried checking their web site but my antivirus just blocked it - yikes)!
 

Sorry you are going through so many brands of cat food that end up in the garbage. I'm assuming you've tried toppers? I've had luck with Whole Life (turkey) and occasionally Orijen treats.  A couple drops of Omega 3 fish oil (krill/sardine) has also worked when I've needed to get my cats to eat food they wouldn't otherwise touch.

If I find out any info I'll update the post.

 

[9flowers]

Thanks for the info! Maybe they're only improving the dog food & keeping the cat food as is? I did email Erik from Mauri/Koha & I'm waiting to hear back.

I have tried many toppers and treats. The only ones that have worked with any consistency have been Orijen. Clive can't have fowl, rabbit or lamb so I'm thankful for the Tundra & Regional Red treats.

I've tried Nordic Naturals Omega 3 drops - they want nothing to do with it. :-(

Even with the Koha food, I'll crush some on top, but once they eat that layer, they stop eating the food. So I have to keep putting layers until the eat it all. If I actually mix it in the food it doesn't work as well. It's nuts!

I really love the options Koha has for unique novel proteins so I'm really hoping they are improving it. And even though it takes some coaxing, both Clive & Penelope are eating the same food & she's even gaining weight now.

Fingers crossed. Hopefully we'll have an update soon!

 

[9flowers]

Just heard back! Here is the reply:

Yes, we will have the new and improved formulas with just Agar Agar gum. The goat formula will be temporarily discontinued because of the raw material price increase and we may put it into a stew format so its more affordable.

Did you ever consider our Kangaroo formula? Its our best seller, low in phosphorus and very lean.

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Best,
Erik

 

[mfena0720]

Has anyone got an update on the gum situation? I just checked Koha's website and still see gums listed. I've never tried this brand, but I really would like to. It's a little weird to me that if they said they'd change to just Agar Agar gum in March (per the last post in this thread) then why isn't the website updated to reflect this?

Thanks!

Emm

 

[lisamarie12]

Has anyone got an update on the gum situation? I just checked Koha's website and still see gums listed. I've never tried this brand, but I really would like to. It's a little weird to me that if they said they'd change to just Agar Agar gum in March (per the last post in this thread) then why isn't the website updated to reflect this?

Thanks!

Emm

I talked with the owner of Koha, formerly Mauri, several months ago and he indicated there would be a stew for cats that would contain agar agar and not the gums currently present in the pates.

You are correct to note the Koha pates still contain the gums. Even worse, in my opinion, is the addition of tetrasodium pyrophosphate to all their formulas, formerly in only two, the goat and chicken. TP is a flavor enhancer (used in e.g., toothpaste) an ingredient that I personally would prefer to avoid having in my cats food.

 

[psychomama]

I just bought all the new Koha flavors, the regular and the Roos but did not find anyTetrasodium Phodphate. I did see Tricalcium Phosphate which I don t think is the same. So far Psycho loves the Gueneafowl. Does anyone know about this phosphate.

 

[mfena0720]

 Does anyone know about this phosphate.

I found this regarding tricalcium phosphate:

"Tricalcium phosphate is a mineral salt used in dietary supplements, baked goods, baking ingredients and processed foods. Phosphates, naturally occurring minerals, are essential nutrients in human and animal diets. Calcium and phosphorus work together to build strong bones and phosphorus helps the body eliminate waste. Tricalcium phosphate is not in most pet foods, but those that do use it are safe for Kitty to eat."

 And this:

"As a nutritional supplement, tricalcium phosphate is comparable to other calcium."

I did a little more reading, and it sounds like it's basically a type of calcium that needs to binds to phosphates, and is converted in the body to calcium. People can take it as a supplement. HOWEVER, The only worry I would have is if a kitty has high calcium levels already. My kitty has near high levels (he has renal failure) so I'd probably avoid tricalcium phosphate, or only feed him something that contains it occasionally. 

Emm

 

[psychomama]

Thank you for letting me know that. I m trying to get him to eat better wet food than Nutro and Sheba which he loves . It would be in a rotation. Thanks again.

 

[psychomama]

I looked at all the Koha flavors and
only 3 have tricalcium phosphate. The others have calcium panthenate and they are low on the ingredients list.
It seems there is something wrong with every wet cat food out there.

 

[mfena0720]

Thank you for letting me know that. I m trying to get him to eat better wet food than Nutro and Sheba which he loves . It would be in a rotation. Thanks again.

It seems there is something wrong with every wet cat food out there.

You're welcome! 

I know exactly what you mean about something being wrong with so many foods. It's very frustrating to narrow it down. The worst is when the brand itself is inconsistent (like with those Koha flavors) and one flavor may be optimal but another flavor has something weird in it. 

Have you tried Hound & Gatos brand? The reason is, Blondie used to love Nutro and Sheba like Psycho does, but now I give him H&G. The company's philosophy is making food that is ALL meat based, no grains. They also don't put any yucky stuff in like by-products or other weirdness. I like it because there's low phosphorus levels, and it's always inhaled by Blondie; it's one of his faves now. The only caveat is if Psycho doesn't like pate style, as all their formulas are like this. 

Emm

 

[psychomama]

Psycho loves pate. He only has4 teeth so pate is what he eats. I did try H &G and he wasn't t crazy about it. I may try again. Nutro & Sheba have the synthetic Vit k but no carrageen ( I feed only flavors with out it ) . If I had to pick I think I would skip the carrageen and go with the vit k. What do you think?

 

[mfena0720]

Blondie isn't too fond of some of the H&G flavors either, and really only favors the trout formula. He'll eat any except the chicken & beef. He also is in sort of the same situation as Psycho, in that he has six teeth (yeah, I admit to being bad about brushing). So we only do pate too, and if it's not pate, I make it into pate! I have a Kitchen Aid hand blender and it's awesome. Every can of food comes out like baby food in less than 5 minutes. Love it.

Have you tried any of the Weruva brand? You seem very conscious of ingredients like I am, and I know that Weruva is definitely one of the handful of brands that I trust to not have the yucky stuff. Weruva however is one of those that I have to use the hand blender on. In fact, there's lots of people who dislike Weruva because it needs to be chopped or blended. 

Good call as far as skipping the carrageenan! I would definitely avoid it because of its inflammatory properties. I've read it's been thought to cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome, among other things. 

Emm