ABOUT PELLETS (some also referred to as lab blocks) 

You may see commercial hamster food manufacturers advertising that pellets are necessary for a complete diet, but this is so untrue. They claim to have put in a lot of research, some even stating "veterinary" input and approval...one has to wonder what exotics vet or veterinary nutritionist even glanced at any of these. Was it merely a cat, dog, bird, or horse vet? 

The reason why many previously good brands changed their formulas from having a decent variety of whole foods to pelleting most of the ingredients was to extend shelf-life and reduce their own costs. A long shelf-life does not bode well for quality anyway, be it whole or pelleted ingredients. Be that as it may, not all good ingredients were captured into the pellets and the quality of the product is sadly much reduced.

• Many well-known brands aren't very regulated since there aren't strict rules regarding ingredients and nutrition for rodents. In fact, one particular brand got away with using a dangerous preservative in the pellets for many years and only changed it after the number of complaints became difficult to ignore (fortunately the mix never entered SA). 

• Pellets/lab blocks that are/were often recommended for hamsters are basically unhealthy and simply not species appropriate.

• Pellets usually contain mostly corn, soy, wheat, and then loaded with synthetic vitamins in an attempt to bridge several nutritional gaps. Such synthetic additives are not even be digestible. Your hamster will only really benefit from vitamins & minerals via whole foods (a balanced variety of good quality seeds & grains, and fresh foods). While a little corn, wheat and soy may not be completely bad, it is a BIG problem when that is all/mostly what the food consists of (in the case of pellet-heavy or pellet-only mixes). 

• Some brands have attractively coloured pellets and likely adding a fruit and/or vegetable content. These are the same as above, but with sugars, artificial colourants and flavourings thrown in.

• Then you get the filler pellets. Those things that 99.99% of hamsters will not eat! All they are is basically compressed hay to bulk up the bag and you think you're getting a nice big stash at a great price (although not always a great price). Hay features so low down on the list of foods that a hamster can eat that it's not even worth listing, and is also pretty hard on the digestive system. Hay should be kept as a nesting & bedding substrate (if you can even find the correct third-cut for hamsters in SA!) 

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MAJORITY OF HAMSTERS DO NOT LIKE PELLETS AND YOU END UP THROWING THEM AWAY!