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Get
The Facts:
What’s
Really in Pet Food
Plump
whole chickens, choice cuts of beef, fresh grains,
and all the wholesome nutrition your dog or cat
will ever need.
These
are the images pet food manufacturers promulgate
through the media and advertising. This is what
the $16.1 billion per year U.S. pet food industry
wants consumers to believe they are buying when
they purchase their products.
This
report explores the differences between what consumers
think they are buying and what they are actually
getting. It focuses in very general terms on the
most visible name brands — the pet food labels
that are mass-distributed to supermarkets and
discount stores — but there are many highly respected
brands that may be guilty of the same offenses.
What
most consumers don’t know is that the pet food
industry is an extension of the human food and
agriculture industries. Pet food provides a convenient
way for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered
“unfit for human consumption,” and similar waste
products to be turned into profit. This waste
includes intestines, udders, heads, hooves, and
possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts.
The
Players
The
pet food market has been dominated in the last
few years by the acquisition of big companies
by even bigger companies. With $15 billion a year
at stake in the U.S. and rapidly expanding foreign
markets, it’s no wonder that some are greedy for
a larger piece of the pie.
- Nestlé’s
bought Purina to form Nestlé Purina Petcare
Company (Fancy Feast, Alpo, Friskies, Mighty
Dog, Dog Chow, Cat Chow, Puppy Chow, Kitten
Chow, Beneful, One, ProPlan, DeliCat, HiPro,
Kit’n’Kaboodle, Tender Vittles, Purina Veterinary
Diets).
- Del
Monte gobbled up Heinz (MeowMix, Gravy Train,
Kibbles ’n Bits, Wagwells, 9Lives, Cycle, Skippy,
Nature’s Recipe, and pet treats Milk Bone, Pup-Peroni,
Snausages, Pounce).
- MasterFoods
owns Mars, Inc., which consumed Royal Canin
(Pedigree, Waltham’s, Cesar, Sheba, Temptations,
Goodlife Recipe, Sensible Choice, Excel).
Other
major pet food makers are not best known for pet
care, although many of their household and personal
care products do use ingredients derived from
animal by-products:
- Procter
and Gamble (P&G) purchased The Iams Company
(Iams, Eukanuba) in 1999. P&G shortly thereafter
introduced Iams into grocery stores, where it
did very well.
- Colgate-Palmolive
bought Hill’s Science Diet (founded in 1939)
in 1976 (Hill’s Science Diet, Prescription Diets,
Nature’s Best).
Private
labelers (who make food for “house” brands like
Kroger and Wal-Mart) and co-packers (who produce
food for other pet food makers) are also major
players. Three major companies are Doane Pet Care,
Diamond, and Menu Foods; they produce food for
dozens of private label and brand names. Interestingly,
all 3 of these companies have been involved in
pet food recalls that sickened or killed many
pets.
Many
major pet food companies in the United States
are subsidiaries of gigantic multinational corporations.
From a business standpoint, pet food fits very
well with companies making human products. The
multinationals have increased bulk-purchasing
power; those that make human food products have
a captive market in which to capitalize on their
waste products; and pet food divisions have a
more reliable capital base and, in many cases,
a convenient source of ingredients.
The
Pet Food Institute — the trade association of
pet food manufacturers — has acknowledged the
use of by-products in pet foods as additional
income for processors and farmers: “The growth
of the pet food industry not only provided pet
owners with better foods for their pets, but also
created profitable additional markets for American
farm products and for the byproducts of the meat
packing, poultry, and other food industries which
prepare food for human consumption.”1
Label
Basics
There
are special labeling requirements for pet food,
all of which are contained in the annually revised
Official Publication of AAFCO.2
While AAFCO does not regulate pet food, it does
provide model regulations and standards that are
followed by U.S. pet food makers.
The
name of the food provides the
first indication of the food’s content. The use
of the terms “all” or “100%” cannot be used “if
the product contains more than one ingredient,
not including water sufficient for processing,
decharacterizing agents, or trace amounts of preservatives
and condiments.”
The
“95% Rule” applies when the ingredient(s) derived
from animals, poultry, or fish constitutes at
least 95% or more of the total weight of the product
(or 70% excluding water for processing). Because
all-meat diets are not nutritionally balanced
and cause severe deficiencies if fed exclusively,
they fell out of favor for many years. However,
due to rising consumer interest in high quality
meat products, several companies are now promoting
95% and 100% canned meats as a supplemental feeding
option.
The
“dinner” product is defined by the “25% Rule,”
which applies when “an ingredient or a combination
of ingredients constitutes at least 25% of the
weight of the product (excluding water sufficient
for processing)”, or at least 10% of the dry matter
weight; and a descriptor such as “recipe,” “platter,”
“entree,” and “formula.” A combination of ingredients
included in the product name is permissible when
each ingredient comprises at least 3% of the product
weight, excluding water for processing, and the
ingredient names appear in descending order by
weight.
The
“With” rule allows an ingredient name to appear
on the label, such as “with real chicken,” as
long as each such ingredient constitutes at least
3% of the food by weight, excluding water for
processing.
The
“flavor” rule allows a food to be designated as
a certain flavor as long as the ingredient(s)
are sufficient to “impart a distinctive characteristic”
to the food. Thus, a “beef flavor” food may contain
a small quantity of digest or other extract of
tissues from cattle, or even an artificial flavor,
without containing any actual beef meat at all.
The
ingredient list is the other major
key to what’s really in that bag or can. Ingredients
must be listed in descending order of weight.
The ingredient names are legally defined. For
instance, “meat” refers to only cows, pigs, goats
and sheep, and only includes specified muscle
tissues. Detailed definitions are published in
AAFCO’s Official Publication, revised
annually, but can also be found in many places
online.
The
guaranteed analysis provides a
very general guide to the composition of the food.
Crude protein, fat, and fiber, and total moisture
are required to be listed. Some companies also
voluntarily list taurine, Omega fatty acids, magnesium,
and other items that they deem important — by
marketing standards.
Pet
Food Standards and Regulations
The
National Research Council (NRC) of the Academy
of Sciences set the nutritional standards for
pet food that were used by the pet food industry
until the late 1980s. The original NRC standards
were based on purified diets, and required feeding
trials for pet foods claimed to be “complete”
and “balanced.” The pet food industry found the
feeding trials too restrictive and expensive,
so AAFCO designed an alternate procedure for claiming
the nutritional adequacy of pet food, by testing
the food for compliance with “Nutrient Profiles.”
AAFCO also created “expert committees” for canine
and feline nutrition, which developed separate
canine and feline standards.
While
feeding trials are sometimes still done, they
are expensive and time-consuming. A standard chemical
analysis may also be used to make sure that a
food meets the profiles. In either case, there
will be a statement on the label stating which
method was used. However, because of the “family
rule” in the AAFCO book, a label can say that
feeding tests were done if it is “similar” to
a food that was actually tested on live animals.
There is no way to distinguish the lead product
from its “family members.” The label will also
state whether the product is nutritionally adequate
(complete and balanced), and what life stage (adult
or growth) the food is for. A food that says “all
life stages” meets the growth standards and can
be fed to all ages.
Chemical
analysis, however, does not address the palatability,
digestibility, or biological availability of nutrients
in pet food. Thus it is unreliable for determining
whether a food will provide an animal with sufficient
nutrients. To compensate for the limitations of
chemical analysis, AAFCO added a “safety factor,”
which was to exceed the minimum amount of nutrients
required to meet the complete and balanced requirements.
In
2006, new NRC standards were published; but it
will take several years for AAFCO’s profiles to
be updated and adopted, let alone accepted by
the states.
The
pet food industry loves to say that it’s more
highly regulated than human food, but that’s just
not true. Pet food exists in a bit of a regulatory
vacuum; laws are on the books, but enforcement
is another story. The FDA has nominal authority
over pet foods shipped across state lines. But
the real “enforcers” are the feed control officials
in each state. They are the ones who actually
look at the food and, in many instances, run basic
tests to make sure the food meets its Guaranteed
Analysis, the chart on the label telling how much
protein, fat, moisture, and fiber are present.
But regulation and enforcement vary tremendously
from state to state. Some, like Texas, Minnesota,
and Kentucky, run extensive tests and strictly
enforce their laws; others, like California, do
neither.
The
Manufacturing Process: How Pet Food Is Made
Dry
Food
The
vast majority of dry food is made with a machine
called an extruder. First, materials are blended
in accordance with a recipe created with the help
of computer programs that provide the nutrient
content of each proposed ingredient. For instance,
corn gluten meal has more protein than wheat flour.
Because the extruder needs a consistent amount
of starch and low moisture to work properly, dry
ingredients — such as rendered meat-and-bone-meal,
poultry by-product meal, grains, and flours —
predominate.
The
dough is fed into the screws of an extruder. It
is subjected to steam and high pressure as it
is pushed through dies that determine the shape
of the final product, much like the nozzles used
in cake decorating. As the hot, pressurized dough
exits the extruder, it is cut by a set of rapidly
whirling knives into tiny pieces. As the dough
reaches normal air pressure, it expands or “puffs”
into its final shape. The food is allowed to dry,
and then is usually sprayed with fat, digests,
or other compounds to make it more palatable.
When it is cooled, it can be bagged.
Although
the cooking process kills bacteria in the ingredients,
the final product can pick up more bacteria during
the subsequent drying, coating, and packaging
process. Some experts warn that getting dry food
wet can allow the bacteria on the surface to multiply
and make pets sick. Do
not mix dry food with water, milk, canned food,
or other liquids.
A
few dog foods are baked at high temperatures (over
500°F) rather than extruded. This produces a sheet
of dense, crunchy material that is then broken
into irregular chunks, much like crumbling crackers
into soup. It is relatively palatable without
the sprayed-on fats and other enhancers needed
on extruded dry food.
Semi-moist
foods and many pet treats are also made with an
extruder. To be appealing to consumers and to
keep their texture, they contain many additives,
colorings, and preservatives; they are not a good
choice for a pet’s primary diet.
Wet
Food
Wet
or canned food begins with ground ingredients
mixed with additives. If chunks are required,
a special extruder forms them. Then the mixture
is cooked and canned. The sealed cans are then
put into containers resembling pressure cookers
and commercial sterilization takes place. Some
manufacturers cook the food right in the can.
Wet
foods are quite different in content from dry
or semi-moist foods. While many canned foods contain
by-products of various sorts, they are “fresh”
and not rendered or processed (although they are
often frozen for transport and storage). Wet foods
usually contain much more protein, and it’s often
a little higher quality, than dry foods. They
also have more moisture, which is better for cats.
They are packaged in cans or pouches.
Comparing
Food Types
Because
of the variation in water content, it is impossible
to directly compare labels from different kinds
of food without a mathematical conversion to “dry
matter basis.” The numbers can be very deceiving.
For instance, a canned food containing 10% protein
actually has much more protein than a dry food
with 30% protein.
To
put the foods on a level playing field, first
calculate the dry matter content by subtracting
the moisture content given on the label from 100%.
Then divide the ingredient by the dry matter content.
For example, a typical bag of dry cat food contains
30% protein on the label, but 32% on a dry-matter
basis (30% divided by its dry matter content,
100-6% moisture = 94%). A can of cat food might
contain 12% protein on the label, but almost 43%
on a dry-matter basis (12% divided by its dry
matter content, 100-72% moisture = 28%). Dry food
typically contains less than 10% water, while
canned food contains 78% or more water.
Pet
Food Ingredients
Animal
Protein
Dogs
and cats are carnivores, and do best on a meat-based
diet. The protein used in pet food comes from
a variety of sources. When cattle, swine, chickens,
lambs, or other animals are slaughtered, lean
muscle tissue is trimmed away from the carcass
for human consumption, along with the few organs
that people like to eat, such as tongues and tripe.
However,
about 50% of every food animal does not get used
in human foods. Whatever remains of the carcass
— heads, feet, bones, blood, intestines, lungs,
spleens, livers, ligaments, fat trimmings, unborn
babies, and other parts not generally consumed
by humans — is used in pet food, animal feed,
fertilizer, industrial lubricants, soap, rubber,
and other products. These “other parts” are known
as “by-products.” By-products are used in feed
for poultry and livestock as well as in pet food.
The
nutritional quality of by-products, meals, and
digests can vary from batch to batch. James Morris
and Quinton Rogers, of the University of California
at Davis Veterinary School, assert that, “[pet
food] ingredients are generally by-products of
the meat, poultry and fishing industries, with
the potential for a wide variation in nutrient
composition. Claims of nutritional adequacy of
pet foods based on the current Association of
American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient
allowances (‘profiles’) do not give assurances
of nutritional adequacy and will not until ingredients
are analyzed and bioavailability values are incorporated.”3
Meat
or poultry “by-products” are very common in wet
pet foods. Remember that “meat” refers to only
cows, swine, sheep, and goats. Since sheep and
goats are rare compared to the 37 million cows
and 100 million hogs slaughtered for food every
year, nearly all meat by-products come from cattle
and pigs.
The
better brands of pet food, such as many “super-premium,”
“natural,” and “organic” varieties, do not use
by-products. On the label, you’ll see one or more
named meats among the first few ingredients, such
as “turkey” or “lamb.” These meats are still mainly
leftover scraps; in the case of poultry, bones
are allowed, so “chicken” consists mainly of backs
and frames—the spine and ribs, minus their expensive
breast meat. The small amount of meat left on
the bones is the meat in the pet food. Even with
this less-attractive source, pet food marketers
are very tricky when talking about meat, so this
is explained further in the section on “Marketing
Magic” below.
Meat
meals, poultry meals, by-product meals, and meat-and-bone
meal are common ingredients in dry pet foods.
The term “meal” means that these materials are
not used fresh, but have been rendered. While
there are chicken, turkey, and poultry by-product
meals there is no equivalent term for mammal “meat
by-product meal” — it is called “meat-and-bone-meal.”
It may also be referred to by species, such as
“beef-and-bone-meal” or “pork-and-bone-meal.”
What
is rendering? As defined by Webster’s Dictionary,
to render is “to process as for industrial use:
to render livestock carcasses and to extract oil
from fat, blubber, etc., by melting.” In other
words, raw materials are dumped into large vat
and boiled for several hours. Rendering separates
fat, removes water, and kills bacteria, viruses,
parasites, and other organisms. However, the high
temperatures used (270°F/130°C) can alter or destroy
natural enzymes and proteins found in the raw
ingredients.
Because
of persistent rumors that rendered by-products
contain dead dogs and cats, the FDA conducted
a study looking for pentobarbital, the most common
euthanasia drug, in pet foods. They found it.
Ingredients that were most commonly associated
with the presence of pentobarbital were meat-and-bone-meal
and animal fat. However, they also used very sensitive
tests to look for canine and feline DNA, which
were not found. Industry insiders admit
that rendered pets and roadkill were used in pet
food some years ago. Although there are still
no laws or regulations against it, the practice
is uncommon today, and pet food companies universally
deny that their products contain any such materials.
However, so-called “4D” animals (dead, dying,
diseased, disabled) were only recently banned
for human consumption and are still legitimate
ingredients for pet food.
Vegetable
Protein
The
amount of grain and vegetable products used in
pet food has risen dramatically over time. Plant
products now replace a considerable proportion
of the meat that was used in the earliest commercial
pet foods. This has led to severe nutritional
deficiencies that have been corrected along the
way, although many animals died before science
caught up.
Most
dry foods contain a large amount of cereal grain
or starchy vegetables to provide texture. These
high-carbohydrate plant products also provide
a cheap source of “energy” — the rest of us call
it “calories.” Gluten meals are high-protein extracts
from which most of the carbohydrate has been removed.
They are often used to boost protein percentages
without expensive animal-source ingredients. Corn
gluten meal is the most commonly used for this
purpose. Wheat gluten is also used to create shapes
like cuts, bites, chunks, shreds, flakes, and
slices, and as a thickener for gravy. In most
cases, foods containing vegetable proteins are
among the poorer quality foods.
A
recent fad, “low-carb” pet food, has some companies
steering away from grains, and using potatoes,
green peas, and other starchy vegetables as a
substitute. Except for animals that are allergic
to grains, dry low-carb diets offer no particular
advantage to pets. They also tend to be very high
in fat and, if fed free-choice, will result in
weight gain. Canned versions are suitable for
prevention and treatment of feline diabetes, and
as part of a weight loss program, as well as for
maintenance.
Animal
and Poultry Fat
There’s
a unique, pungent odor to a new bag of dry pet
food — what is the source of that smell? It is
most often rendered animal fat, or vegetable fats
and oils deemed inedible for humans. For example,
used restaurant grease was rendered and routed
to pet foods for several years, but a more lucrative
market is now in biodiesel fuel production.
These
fats are sprayed directly onto extruded kibbles
and pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful
product palatable. The fat also acts as a binding
agent to which manufacturers add other flavor
enhancers such as “animal digests” made from processed
by-products. Pet food scientists have discovered
that animals love the taste of these sprayed fats.
Manufacturers are masters at getting a dog or
a cat to eat something she would normally turn
up her nose at.
What
Happened to the Nutrients?
Cooking
and other processing of meat and by-products used
in pet food can greatly diminish their nutritional
value, although cooking increases the digestibility
of cereal grains and starchy vegetables.
To
make pet food nutritious, pet food manufacturers
must “fortify” it with vitamins and minerals.
Why? Because the ingredients they are using are
not wholesome, their quality may be extremely
variable, and the harsh manufacturing practices
destroy many of the nutrients the food had to
begin with.
Proteins
are especially vulnerable to heat, and become
damaged, or “denatured,” when cooked. Because
dry foods ingredients are cooked twice — first
during rendering and again in the extruder — problems
are much more common than with canned or homemade
foods. Altered proteins may contribute to food
intolerances, food allergies, and inflammatory
bowel disease.
Additives
in Processed Pet Foods
Many
chemicals are added to commercial pet foods to
improve the taste, stability, characteristics,
or appearance of the food. Additives provide no
nutritional value. Additives include emulsifiers
to prevent water and fat from separating, antioxidants
to prevent fat from turning rancid, and artificial
colors and flavors to make the product more attractive
to consumers and more palatable to their companion
animals.
A
wide variety of additives are allowed in animal
feed and pet food, not counting vitamins and minerals.
Not all of them are actually used in pet food.
Additives can be specifically approved, or they
can fall into the category of “Generally Recognized
as Safe” (GRAS).
Anticaking
agents
Antigelling agents
Antimicrobial agents
Antioxidants
Color additives
Condiments
Curing agents
Drying agents
Emulsifiers
Essential oils
Flavor enhancers
Flavoring agents
Grinding agents
Humectants
Leavening agents
Lubricants
Palatants
Pelleting agents and binders
Petroleum derivatives
pH control agents
Preservatives
Seasonings
Spices
Stabilizers
Sweeteners
Texturizers
Thickeners
Chemical
vs. Natural Preservatives
All
commercial pet foods must be preserved so they
stay fresh and appealing to our animal companions.
Canning is itself a preserving process, so canned
foods need little or no additional help. Some
preservatives are added to ingredients or raw
materials by the suppliers, and others may be
added by the manufacturer. The U.S. Coast Guard,
for instance, requires fish meal to be heavily
preserved with ethoxyquin or equivalent antioxidant.
Evidently, spoiling fish meal creates such intense
heat that ship explosions and fires resulted.
Because
manufacturers need to ensure that dry foods have
a long shelf life (typically 12 months) to remain
edible through shipping and storage, fats used
in pet foods are preserved with either synthetic
or “natural” preservatives. Synthetic preservatives
include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated
hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, propylene
glycol (also used as a less-toxic version of automotive
antifreeze), and ethoxyquin. For these antioxidants,
there is little information documenting their
toxicity, safety, interactions, or chronic use
in pet foods that may be eaten every day for the
life of the animal. Propylene glycol was banned
in cat food because it causes anemia in cats,
but it is still allowed in dog food.
Potentially
cancer-causing agents such as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin
are permitted at relatively low levels. The use
of these chemicals in pet foods has not been thoroughly
studied, and long term build-up of these agents
may ultimately be harmful. Due to questionable
data in the original study on its safety, ethoxyquin’s
manufacturer, Monsanto, was required to perform
a new, more rigorous study. This was completed
in 1996. Even though Monsanto found no significant
toxicity associated with its own product, in July
1997 the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine
requested that manufacturers voluntarily reduce
the maximum level for ethoxyquin by half, to 75
parts per million. While some pet food critics
and veterinarians believe that ethoxyquin is a
major cause of disease, skin problems, and infertility
in dogs, others claim it is the safest, strongest,
most stable preservative available for pet food.
Ethoxyquin is approved for use in human food for
preserving spices, such as cayenne and chili powder,
at a level of 100 ppm — but it would be very difficult
for even the most hard-core spice lover to consume
as much chili powder every day as a dog would
eat dry food. Ethoxyquin has never been tested
for safety in cats. Despite this, it is commonly
used in veterinary diets for both cats and dogs.
Many
pet food makers have responded to consumer concern,
and are now using “natural” preservatives such
as Vitamin C (ascorbate), Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols),
and oils of rosemary, clove, or other spices,
to preserve the fats in their products. The shelf
life is shorter, however — only about 6 months.
Individual
ingredients, such as fish meal, may have preservatives
added before they reach the pet food manufacturer.
Federal law requires fat preservatives to be disclosed
on the label; however, pet food companies do not
always comply with this law.
Danger
Ahead
Potential
Contaminants
Given
the types of things manufacturers put in pet food,
it is not surprising that bad things sometimes
happen. Ingredients used in pet food are often
highly contaminated with a wide variety of toxic
substances. Some of these are destroyed by processing,
but others are not.
- Bacteria.
Slaughtered animals, as well as those that have
died because of disease, injury, or natural
causes, are sources of meat, by-products, and
rendered meals. An animal that died on the farm
might not reach a rendering plant until days
after its death. Therefore the carcass is often
contaminated with bacteria such as Salmonella
and E. coli. Dangerous E. Coli
bacteria are estimated to contaminate more than
50% of meat meals. While the cooking process
may kill bacteria, it does not eliminate the
endotoxins some bacteria produce during their
growth. These toxins can survive processing,
and can cause sickness and disease. Pet food
manufacturers do not test their products for
bacterial endotoxins. Because sick or dead animals
can be processed as pet foods, the drugs that
were used to treat or euthanize them may still
be present in the end product. Penicillin and
pentobarbital are just two examples of drugs
that can pass through processing unchanged.
Antibiotics used in livestock production are
also thought to contribute to antibiotic resistance
in humans.
- Mycotoxins.
Toxins from mold or fungi are called mycotoxins.
Modern farming practices, adverse weather conditions,
and improper drying and storage of crops can
contribute to mold growth. Pet food ingredients
that are most likely to be contaminated with
mycotoxins are grains such as wheat and corn,
and fish meal.
- Chemical
Residue. Pesticides and fertilizers
may leave residue on plant products. Grains
that are condemned for human consumption by
the USDA due to residue may legally be used,
without limitation, in pet food.
- GMOs.
Genetically modified plant products are also
of concern. By 2006, 89% of the planted area
of soybeans, 83% of cotton, and 61% of maize
(corn) in the U.S. were genetically modified
varieties. Cottonseed meal is a common ingredient
of cattle feed; soy and corn are used directly
in many pet foods.
- Acrylamide.
This is a carcinogenic compound formed at cooking
temperatures of about 250°F in foods containing
certain sugars and the amino acid asparagine
(found in large amounts in potatoes and cereal
grains). It is formed in a chemical process
called the Maillard reaction.4, 5
Most dry pet foods contain cereal grains or
potatoes, and they are processed at high temperatures
(200–300°F at high pressure during extrusion;
baked foods are cooked at well over 500°F);
these are perfect conditions for the Maillard
reaction. In fact, the Maillard reaction is
considered desirable in the production
of pet food because it imparts a palatable taste,
even though it reduces the bioavailability of
some amino acids, including taurine and lysine.6
The content and potential effects of acrylamide
formation in pet foods are unknown.
Pet
Food Recalls
When
things go really wrong and serious problems are
discovered in pet food, the company usually works
with the FDA to coordinate a recall of the affected
products. While many recalls have been widely
publicized, quite a few have not.
- In
1995, Nature’s Recipe recalled almost a million
pounds of dry dog and cat food after consumers
complained that their pets were vomiting and
losing their appetite. The problem was a fungus
that produced vomitoxin contaminating the wheat.
- In
1999, Doane Pet Care recalled more than a million
bags of corn-based dry dog food contaminated
with aflatoxin. Products included Ol’ Roy (Wal-Mart’s
brand) and 53 other brands. This time, the toxin
killed 25 dogs.
- In
2000, Iams recalled 248,000 pounds of dry dog
food distributed in 7 states due to excess DL-Methionine
Amino Acid, a urinary acidifier.
- In
2003, a recall was made by Petcurean “Go! Natural”
pet food due to circumstantial association with
some dogs suffering from liver disease; no cause
was ever found.
- In
late 2005, a similar recall by Diamond Foods
was announced; this time the moldy corn contained
a particularly nasty fungal product called aflatoxin;
100 dogs died.
- Also
in 2005, 123,000 pounds of cat and dog treats
were recalled due to Salmonella contamination.
- In
2006, more than 5 million cans of Ol’ Roy, American
Fare, and other dog foods distributed in the
southeast were recalled by the manufacturer,
Simmons Pet Food, because the cans’ enamel lining
was flaking off into the food.
- Also
in 2006, Merrick Pet Care recalled almost 200,000
cans of “Wingalings” dog food when metal tags
were found in some samples.
- In
the most deadly recall of 2006, 4 prescription
canned dog and cat foods were recalled by Royal
Canin (owned by Mars). The culprit was a serious
overdose of Vitamin D that caused calcium deficiency
and kidney disease.
- In
February 2007, the FDA issued a warning to consumers
not to buy “Wild Kitty,” a frozen food containing
raw meat. Routine testing by FDA had revealed
Salmonella in the food. FDA specifically
warned about the potential for illness in humans,
not pets. There were no reports of illness or
death of any pets, and the food was not recalled.
- In
March 2007, the most lethal pet food in history
was the subject of the largest recall ever.
Menu Foods recalled more than 100 brands including
Iams, Eukanuba, Hill’s Science Diet, Purina
Mighty Dog, and many store brands including
Wal-Mart’s. Thousands of pets were sickened
(the FDA received more than 17,000 reports)
and an estimated 20% died from acute renal failure
caused by the food. Cats were more frequently
and more severely affected than dogs. The toxin
was initially believed to be a pesticide, the
rat poison “aminopterin” in one of the ingredients.
In April, scientists discovered high levels
of melamine, a chemical used in plastics and
fertilizers, in wheat gluten and rice protein
concentrate imported from China. The melamine
had been purposefully added to the ingredients
to falsely boost their protein content. Subsequent
tests revealed that the melamine-tainted ingredients
had also been used in feed for cows, pigs, and
chickens and thousands of animals were quarantined
and destroyed. In early May, scientists identified
the cause of the rapid onset kidney disease
that had appeared in dogs and cats as a reaction
caused by the combination of melamine and cyanuric
acid, both unauthorized chemicals. The fallout
from this recall is ongoing as of May 2007 so
please be sure to check
the FDA website for the most recent updates.
Nutrition-Related
Diseases
The
idea that one pet food provides all the nutrition
a companion animal will ever need for its entire
life is a dangerous myth.
Today,
the diets of cats and dogs are a far cry from
the variable meat-based diets that their ancestors
ate. The unpleasant results of grain-based, processed,
year-in and year-out diets are common. Health
problems associated with diet include:
- Urinary
tract disease. Plugs, crystals,
and stones are more common in cats eating dry
diets, due to the chronic dehydration and highly
concentrated urine they cause. “Struvite” stones
used to be the most common type in cats, but
another more dangerous type, calcium oxalate,
has increased and is now tied with struvite.
Manipulation of manufactured cat food formulas
to increase the acidity of urine has caused
the switch. Dogs can also form stones as a result
of their diet.
- Kidney
disease. Chronic dehydration
associated with dry diets may also be a contributing
factor in the development of kidney disease
and chronic renal failure in older cats. Cats
have a low thirst drive; in the wild they would
get most of their water from their prey. Cats
eating dry food do not drink enough water to
make up for the lack of moisture in the food.
Cats on dry food diets drink more water,
but the total water intake of a cat
eating canned food is twice as great.7
- Dental
disease. Contrary to the myth
propagated by pet food companies, dry food is
not good for teeth.8 Given that the
vast majority of pets eat dry food, yet the
most common health problem in pets is dental
disease, this should be obvious. Humans do not
floss with crackers, and dry food does not clean
the teeth.
- Obesity.
Feeding recommendations or instructions on the
packaging are sometimes inflated so that the
consumer will end up feeding — and purchasing
— more food. One of the most common health problems
in pets, obesity, may also be related to high-carb,
high-calorie dry foods. Both dogs and cats respond
to low-carb wet food diets. Overweight pets
are more prone to arthritis, heart disease,
and diabetes. Dry cat food is now considered
the cause of feline diabetes; prevention and
treatment include switching to a high protein,
high moisture, low-carb diet.
- Chronic
digestive problems. Chronic
vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and inflammatory
bowel disease are among the most frequent illnesses
treated. These are often the result of an allergy
or intolerance to pet food ingredients. The
market for “limited antigen” or “novel protein”
diets is now a multi-million dollar business.
These diets were formulated to address the increasing
intolerance to commercial foods that pets have
developed. Even so, an animal that tends to
develop allergies can develop allergies to the
new ingredients, too. One twist is the truly
“hypoallergenic” food that has had all its proteins
artificially chopped into pieces smaller than
can be recognized and reacted to by the immune
system. Yet there are documented cases of animals
becoming allergic to this food, too. It is important
to change brands, flavors, and protein sources
every few months to prevent problems.
- Bloat.
Feeding only one meal per day can cause the
irritation of the esophagus by stomach acid,
and appears to be associated with gastric dilitation
and volvulus (canine bloat). Feeding two or
more smaller meals is better.
- Heart
disease. An often-fatal heart
disease in cats and some dogs is now known to
be caused by a deficiency of the amino acid
taurine. Blindness is another symptom of taurine
deficiency. This deficiency was due to inadequate
amounts of taurine in cat food formulas, which
in turn had occurred due to decreased amounts
of animal proteins and increased reliance on
carbohydrates. Cat foods are now supplemented
with taurine. New research suggests that some
dog breeds are susceptible to the same condition.
Supplementing taurine may also be helpful for
dogs, but as yet few manufacturers are adding
extra taurine to dog food.
- Hyperthyroidism.
There is also evidence that hyperthyroidism
in cats may be related to diet. This is a relatively
new disease that first surfaced in the 1970s.
Some experts theorize that excess iodine in
commercial cat food is a factor. New research
also points to a link between the disease and
pop-top cans, and flavors including fish or
“giblets.” This is a serious disease, and treatment
is expensive.
Many
nutritional problems appeared with the popularity
of cereal-based commercial pet foods. Some have
occurred because the diet was incomplete. Although
several ingredients are now supplemented, we do
not know what ingredients future researchers may
discover that should have been supplemented in
pet foods all along. Other problems may occur
from reactions to additives. Others are a result
of contamination with bacteria, mold, drugs, or
other toxins. In some diseases the role of commercial
pet food is understood; in others, it is not.
The bottom line is that diets composed primarily
of low quality cereals and rendered meals are
not as nutritious or safe as you should expect
for your cat or dog.
Pet
Food Industry Secrets
Co-Packing
The
2007 Menu Foods recall brought to light some of
the pet food industry’s dirtiest secrets.
Most
people were surprised — and appalled — to learn
that all Iams/Eukanuba canned foods are not made
by The Iams Company at all. In fact, in 2003 Iams
signed an exclusive 10-year contract for the production
of 100% of its canned foods by Menu.
This
type of deal is called “co-packing.” One company
makes the food, but puts someone else’s label
on it. This is a very common arrangement in the
pet food industry. It was first illustrated by
the Doane’s and Diamond recalls, when dozens of
private labels were involved. But none were as
large or as “reputable” as Iams, Eukanuba, Hill’s,
Purina, Nutro, and other high-end, so-called “premium”
foods.
The
big question raised by this arrangement is whether
or not there is any real difference between the
expensive premium brands and the lowliest generics.
The recalled products all contained the suspect
ingredient, wheat gluten, but they also all contained
by-products of some kind, including specified
by-products such as liver or giblets.
It’s
true that a pet food company that contracts with
a co-packer can provide its own ingredients, or
it can require the contractor to buy particular
ingredients to use in its recipes. But part of
the attraction of using a co-packer is that it
can buy ingredients in larger bulk than any one
pet food maker could on its own, making the process
cheaper and the profits larger. It’s likely that
with many of the ingredients that cross all types
of pet foods, those ingredients are the same.
Are
one company’s products — made in the same plant
on the same equipment with ingredients called
the same name — really “better” than another’s?
That’s what the makers of expensive brands want
you to think. The recalled premium brands claim
that Menu makes their foods “according to proprietary
recipes using specified ingredients,” and that
“contract manufacturers must follow strict quality
standards.” Indeed, the contracts undoubtedly
include those points. But out in the real world,
things may not go according to plan. How well
are machines cleaned between batches, how carefully
are ingredients mixed, and just how particular
are minimum-wage workers in a dirty smelly job
going to be about getting everything just perfect?
Whatever
the differences are between cheap and high-end
food, one thing is clear. The purchase price of
pet food does not always determine whether a pet
food is good or bad or even safe. However, the
very cheapest foods can be counted on to have
the very cheapest ingredients. For example, Ol’
Roy, Wal-Mart’s store brand, has now been involved
in 3 serious recalls.
Menu
manufactures canned foods for many companies that
weren’t affected by the recall, including Nature's
Variety, Wellness, Castor & Pollux, Newman's
Own Organics, Wysong, Innova, and EaglePack. It’s
easy to see from their ingredient lists that those
products are made from completely different ingredients
and proportions. Again, the issue of cleaning
the machinery out between batches comes up, but
hopefully nothing so lethal will pass from one
food to another.
Animal
Testing
Another
unpleasant practice exposed by this recall is
pet food testing on live animals. Menu's own lab
animals, who were deliberately fed the tainted
food, were the first known victims. Tests began
on February 27 (already a week after the first
reports); animals started to die painfully from
kidney failure a few days later. After the first
media reports, Menu quickly changed its story
to call these experiments “taste tests.” But Menu
has done live animal feeding, metabolic energy,
palatability, and other tests for Iams and other
companies for years. Videotapes reveal the animals’
lives in barren metal cages; callous treatment;
invasive experiments; and careless cruelty.
Although
feeding trials are not required for a food to
meet the requirements for labeling a food “complete
and balanced,” many manufacturers use live animals
to perform palatability studies when developing
a new pet food. One set of animals is fed a new
food while a “control” group is fed a current
formula. The total volume eaten is used as a gauge
for the palatability of the food. Some companies
use feeding trials, which are considered to be
a much more accurate assessment of the actual
nutritional value of the food. They keep large
colonies of dogs and cats for this purpose, or
use testing laboratories that have their own animals.
There
is a new movement toward using companion animals
in their homes for palatability and other studies.
In 2006, The Iams Company announced that it was
cutting the use of canine and feline lab animals
by 70%. While it proclaims this moral victory,
the real reasons for this switch are likely financial.
Whatever the reasons, it is a very positive step
for the animals.
Finally,
it is important to remember that the contamination
that occurred in the Menu Foods recall could have
happened anywhere at any time. It was not Menu’s
fault; the toxin was unusual and unexpected. All
companies have quality control standards and they
do test ingredients for common toxins before using
them. They also test the final products. However,
there is a baseline risk inherent in using the
raw materials that go into pet foods. When there
are 11 recalls in 12 years, it’s clear that “freak
occurrences” are the rule, not the exception.
Marketing
Magic
A
trip down the pet food aisle will boggle the mind
with all the wonderful claims made by pet food
makers for their repertoire of products. Knowing
the nature of the ingredients helps sort out some
of the more outrageous claims, but what’s the
truth behind all this hype?
- Niche
claims. Indoor cat, canine athlete,
Persian, 7-year old, Bloodhound, or a pet with
a tender tummy, too much flab, arthritis, or
itchy feet — no matter what, there’s a food
“designed” just for that pet’s personal needs.
Niche marketing has arrived in a big way in
the pet food industry. People like to feel special,
and a product with specific appeal is bound
to sell better than a general product like “puppy
food.” The reality is that there are only two
basic standards against which all pet foods
are measured: adult and growth, which includes
gestation and lactation. Everything else is
marketing.
- “Natural”
and “Organic” claims. The definition
of “natural” adopted by AAFCO is very broad,
and allows for artificially processed ingredients
that most of us would consider very unnatural
indeed. The term “organic”, on the other hand,
has a very strict legal definition under the
USDA National Organic Program. However, some
companies are adept at evading the intent of
both of these rules. For instance, the name
of the company or product may be intentionally
misleading. Some companies use terms such as
“Nature” or “Natural” or even “Organic” in the
brand name, whether or not their products fit
the definitions. Consumers should also be aware
that the term “organic” does not imply anything
at all about animal welfare; products from cows
and chickens can be organic, yet the animals
themselves are still just “production units”
in enormous factory farms.
- Ingredient
quality claims. A lot of pet
foods claim they contain “human grade” ingredients.
This is a completely meaningless term — which
is why the pet food companies get away with
using it. The same applies to “USDA inspected”
or similar phrases. The implication is that
the food is made using ingredients that are
passed by the USDA for human consumption, but
there are many ways around this. For instance,
a facility might be USDA-inspected during the
day, but the pet food is made at night after
the inspector goes home. The use of such terms
should be viewed as a “Hype Alert.”
- “Meat
is the first ingredient” claim.
A claim that a named meat (chicken, lamb, etc.)
is the #1 ingredient is generally seen for dry
food. Ingredients are listed on the label by
weight, and raw chicken weighs a lot, since
contains a lot of water. If you look further
down the list, you’re likely to see ingredients
such as chicken or poultry by-product meal,
meat-and-bone meal, corn gluten meal, soybean
meal, or other high-protein meal. Meals have
had the fat and water removed, and basically
consist of a dry, lightweight protein powder.
It doesn’t take much raw chicken to weigh more
than a great big pile of this powder, so in
reality the food is based on the protein meal,
with very little “chicken” to be found. This
has become a very popular marketing gimmick,
even in premium and “health food” type brands.
Since just about everybody is now using it,
any meaning it may have had is so watered-down
that you may just as well ignore it.
- Special
ingredient claims. Many of the
high-end pet foods today rely on the marketing
appeal of people-food ingredients such as fruits,
herbs, and vegetables. However, the amounts
of these items actually present in the food
are small; and the items themselves may be scraps
and rejects from processors of human foods —
not the whole, fresh ingredients they want you
to picture. Such ingredients don’t provide a
significant health benefit and are really a
marketing gimmick.
Pet
food marketing and advertising has become extremely
sophisticated over the last few years. It’s important
to know what is hype and what is real to make
informed decisions about what to feed your pets.
What
Consumers Can Do
- Write
or call pet food companies and the Pet Food
Institute and express your concerns about commercial
pet foods. Demand that manufacturers improve
the quality of ingredients in their products.
- Print
out a copy of this report for your veterinarian
to further his or her knowledge about commercial
pet food.
- Direct
your family and friends with companion animals
to this website, to alert them of the dangers
of commercial pet food. Print out copies of
our Fact Sheet on Selecting
a Good Commercial Food.
- Stop
buying commercial pet food; or at least stop
buying dry food. Dry foods have been the subject
of many more recalls, and have many adverse
health effects. If that is not possible, reduce
the quantity of commercial pet food and supplement
with fresh, organic foods, especially meat.
Purchase one or more of the many books available
on pet nutrition and make your own food. Be
sure that a veterinarian or a nutritionist has
checked the recipes to ensure that they are
balanced for long-term use.
- If
you would like to learn about how to make healthy
food for your companion animal, read up on "Sample
Diets," which contains simple recipes and
important nutritional information.
- Please
be aware that API is not a veterinary hospital,
clinic, or service. API does not and will not
offer any medical advice. If you have concerns
about your companion animal’s health or nutritional
requirements, please consult your veterinarian.
Because
pet food manufacturers frequently change the formulations
of their products and Born Free USA united with
API would not have conducted the necessary testing,
we are unable to offer endorsements for particular
brands of pet food. Many of our staff choose to
make their own pet food or to purchase natural
or organic products found in most feed and specialist
stores but we cannot recommend brands that would
be right for your companion animal or animals.
For
Further Reading about Animal Nutrition
Born
Free USA with Animal Protection Institute recommends
the following books (listed in alphabetical order
by author), many of which include recipes for
home-prepared diets:
- Michelle
Bernard. 2003. Raising Cats Naturally —
How to Care for Your Cat the Way Nature Intended.
Available at http://www.raisingcatsnaturally.com/.
- Chiclet
T. Dog and Jan Rasmusen. 2006. Scared Poopless:
The Straight Scoop on Dog Care. Available
at http://www.dogs4dogs.com/. ISBN-10: 0977126501,
ISBN-13: 978-0977126507.
- Rudi
Edalati. 2001. Barker’s Grub: Easy, Wholesome
Home-Cooking for Dogs. ISBN-10: 0609804421,
ISBN-13: 978-0609804421.
- Jean
Hofve, DVM. 2007. What Cats Should Eat.
Available at http://www.littlebigcat.com/.
- Richard
H. Pitcairn, DVM, and Susan Hubble Pitcairn.
2005. Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide
to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. Rodale
Press, Inc. ISBN-10: 157954973X, ISBN-13: 978-1579549732.
Note: The recipes for cats were not revised
in this new edition and date back to 2000; they
may contain too much grain, according to recent
research.
- Kate
Solisti. 2004. The Holistic Animal Handbook:
A Guidebook to Nutrition, Health, and Communication.
Council Oaks Books. ISBN-10: 1571781536, ISBN-13:
978-1571781536.
- Donald
R. Strombeck. 1999. Home-Prepared Dog &
Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative. Iowa
State University Press. ISBN-10: 0813821495,
ISBN-13: 978-0813821498. Note: Veterinary nutritionists
have suggested that the taurine and calcium
are too low in some of these recipes. Clam juice
and sardines are poor sources of taurine; use
taurine capsules instead.
- Celeste
Yarnall. 2000, Natural Cat Care: A Complete
Guide to Holistic Health Care for Cats;
and 1998, Natural Dog Care: A Complete Guide
to Holistic Health Care for Dogs. Available
at http://www.celestialpets.com/.
The
books listed above are a fraction of all the titles
currently available, and the omission of a title
does not necessarily mean it is not useful for
further reading about animal nutrition.
Please
note: Born Free USA united with API is
not a bookseller, and cannot sell or send these
books to you. Please contact your local book retailer
or an online bookstore, who can supply these books
based on the ISBN provided for each title.
Who
to Write
AAFCO
Pet Food Committee
David Syverson, Chair
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Dairy and Food Inspection Division
625 Robert Street North
St. Paul, MN 55155-2538
http://www.aafco.org/
FDA
— Center for Veterinary Medicine
Sharon Benz
7500 Standish Place
Rockville, MD 20855
301-594-1728
www.fda.gov/cvm/
Pet
Food Institute
2025 M Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
202-367-1120
202-367-2120 fax
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