Kona’s Chips of Oakdale, Calif., reported that its chicken jerky dog treats, which are marketed under the same name as the company, received ‘Made in the USA’ certification from Made in USA Certified Inc. of Delray Beach, Fla. It is the first dog treat to receive such certification from the third party auditor.

“This will give our customers the peace of mind and assurance in knowing that we’re not just saying Kona’s Chips are made in the USA, but that we’ve been independently certified and, in fact, all of the products used in the Kona’s Chips are made in the USA and grown in the USA,” said Cynthia Darmstandler, co-owner of Kona’s Chips.

Kona’s Chips got its start in 2007 after Darmstandler’s 6-month-old puppy, Kona, became ill due to what she attributes to foreign-made chicken jerky. At that time, Darmstander said she could not find an all-American product to replace the foreign-made jerky. As a result, Darmstandler said she began making her own chicken jerky treats out of human-grade chicken breast for Kona and other dogs.

As part of the certification process, Made in USA Certified works to verify whether the product meets the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) policy in that the product is “all or virtually all” made in the United States. “All or virtually all” means that all significant parts and processing that go into the product are of U.S. origin. That is, the product should contain no, or negligible, foreign content, according to FTC’s website.

To that end, Julie Reiser, co-founder and president of Made in USA Certified, said the company’s team of auditors conduct a supply chain analysis to determine the country of origin for each ingredient/component, the size and weight of each component in relationship to the entire product and the cost of each component compared to the overall cost of the product.

In the case of Kona’s Chips, the product uses all U.S.-sourced ingredients and is processed and packaged in the United States, Reiser said.

“Kona’s Chips’ commitment to manufacturing in the USA and insistence on nothing less than made in USA quality has created a product that will surely be in demand by dog lovers worldwide,” Reiser said. “America’s economic recovery, as well as its economic standing in the world, is tied to manufacturing, so American consumers should support companies like Kona’s Chips who are providing U.S. jobs.” <HOME>