Should pet food manufacturers be more transparent about their products? Today, the plethora of cat food brands and the variety of flavors marketed for sale makes it much easier for kitty guardians to help our fur-family members from getting bored with their everyday hum-drum dinners. But in order for cats to remain healthy they must eat regularly. Being able to serve up several choices of diffferent foods to our kitties can whet both their appetites and mealtime enjoyment.
Although variety is the spice of life, how do we really know precisely what kinds of ingredients are contained in our cat’s food? How can we be absolutely certain that the food we are giving our kitties is not only nutritionally complete, but that it’s safe?
But before you say, “The label lists it’s ingredients”, read on McDuff!
I am an avid cat food label reader. But I must admit that when I ran across an article on the Truth about Pet Food website, I was completely stunned while I devoured all the information it contained. I was so aghast by what I was reading, that my chin literally dropped to my chest.
While I am not at all savy about the regulations concerning cat food products manufactured and sold outside the United States, I am relatively sure that some of the things I learned about how these products are made and what goes into them most likely applies to countries outside the United States.
For example: here in the USA, for any preservatives added to ingredients in the food that are made by the ingredient supplier – not by the manufacturer – there is no law that requires the name of that preservative to be listed on the product label.
What makes this even more worrisome is that ethoxyquin, a fat preservative that is added to many popular brands of dog food is considered by canine experts to be “dangerous”. Ethoxyquin is used to harden rubber and it is also a pesticide. This chemical is not legal for use in human food products, however the Food and Drug Administration considers it safe in “small quantities”. What are “small quantities”?
You can bet your bottom dollar that if it ain’t safe for humans, how can it be safe as a preservative in dog food? Will pet food manufactures add this ingredient to cat food too?
Don’t we, as pet food purchasers, have the right to know that there is no requirement to list processing aids such as this one, which is potentially dangerous? This being the case, is it fair that we are not informed that this preservative is contained in the product?
There are some food dyes used in the manufacture of pet foods to make the product more appealing to the eye. But these dyes have no nutritional value to our pets and some may also be risky; some causing tumors and cancers.
Those beautiful mouth-watering vegetable photos on some cans and bags of cat food may look extremely nutritious and inviting. Since regulations pertaining to pets here in the United States do not require any standards for these ingredients, what you see may certainly not be what you get.
Furthermore, according to The Truth About Pet Food, while Federal law prohibits the use of dead, diseased, dying or disabled livestock, (4 D animals) for human consumption, the FDA allows 4 D meats to be used as a meat source in pet food. Without providing a warning on the label on the product’s meat source, pet food manufactures can outright claim that their food is “made with real beef, real chicken or pork”. It may be real alright – but did these sources come from healthy animals?
Additionally, due to the absence of crucial regulations requiring manufacturers to list precisely what type and kind of meat is contained in their products, the word “chicken” on the label might actually end up containing a very small percentage of muscle and organ meat. In reality the majority of the “meat” may be from only the animal’s skin and bones.
When it comes to manufacturing pet food, stricter regulations must be put in place in all countries around the world to help ensure that we are feeding our companion animals only the best quality food and not feeding them products that may even shorten their lives. What do you think? Share your opinion in a comment.
Jo
Photo credit: Flickr User Annie Mole
When I was at college I studied animal nutrition – specifically on cats (I love those Damn felines) and when we actually broke the constituent ingredients down I was horrified thst some brands have almost 0 nutrition in them. I always remember one of our final tests was to collate Information from pet food boxes and was shocked that 3 (which r probably the most sold 3) had less than 10% OF adequate nutrition xxx
Yes, and most of them advertise “total nutrition”.
We are being conned by big business which is not uncommon.
Big businesses don’t care about the people buying the food or about their cats, they only care about the amount of money they can make selling their products.
Yes and we should all remember that at all times when we make choices.
You know me by now. I dislike big business. Pet food manufacturers are big business. The longer you live and the more you think, the more you realise that what you see is not what is.
The people who run these companies don’t genuinely care about cat health. Their first priority is profit for the company which will lead to a share bonus for the directors. Directors of companies are there to serve their self-interest primarily. That is not always inline with the company’s interests.
Whatever it takes to make a profit will do and that means getting cats to like the food. To like the food is the first objective.
Whether it is good for the cat or not is the second objective.
Oh I agree! Discovering truth about cat food is jaw dropping. No fun when your kitty is sick and not many good alternatives available. I think to regulate pet food industry more will be the same task as banning selling sigarettes – huge money involved. I’d love vets selling quality pet food (which I get elsewhere). The way to go could be to make so it’s beneficial for them to sell that food. Or to have more shops selling it. It’s easier to find such shops in US than in other countries. In Oz I found only one brand that’s of the most quality selling here. Not much choice here. It’s a huge industry, big money. But anything is possible.
The FDA is disgusting. In America people are sold GM foods and the companies don’t have to lable to source ingredients as being GM – no doubt there is a hell of a lot of cancer in the US. It’s disgusting that your own government doesn’t even have your health in mind. It’s a scandal.
Meanwhile I can’t imagine if they give humans GM foods what they think animals are ok to eat. I hate to think what they allow. They are awful awful bought and owned people who work for the gov. THANK god GM foods are illegal over here.
Jo – sorry to tangent but have you heard from Vincent and his friend the tortoiseshell cat? I am worried they will or have been euthanized.
Marc,
Be assured that Vincent and Torti are living happily at the Sanctuary, in fact with two more kitties in a special section. They are not caged. I spoke with the Sanctuary owner a couple of weeks ago to learn about their progress.
They are happy and playing together, according to the owner. She was very busy with other rescue work when I called, but she assured me they are doing fine and have a permanent home with them.
I will call again in another few weeks for an update. But all seems fine.
Thanks for letting me know Jo. If something happened to them I’d hate myself for not insisting and coming and getting them myself.
I hope they are happy and having a nice time I really do. I’m relieved they aren’t in cages too. It’s so sad that Vincent had this life the way it turned out. I wish I could make him happy.
We had real difficulty getting information. I emailed the organisation who run the sanctuary and no response. It is not good, really. In fact, is downright poor considering we were committed to donating considerable funds. The usual niceties of life like responding to correspondence have disappeared.
Ye I was wondering about that Michael. I am still good for the money and want to give it for Vincent – I’d really love to pay for some nice catnip toys and maybe some extra special cardboard scratcher or something that could be just for him if he likes it.
Hey Marc,
They actually “refused” the donation- asking us to donate it to another charity instead. I have no idea why they didn’t want to take it- It would seem to me that the Sanctuary that is still under construction could certainly need it…….
Michael is correct- they don’t respond really well. Perhaps it’s because they are busy- but heck, how much time does it take to drop a reply? I guess they don’t realize how much we really worry about these kitties.
Jo, good communication is the life blood of business. They need to rethink their work culture.
It’s all about money and the people who make regulations (agencies of politicians) working with big business when they should be independent and working for the health and welfare of animals and people.
i agree we have the right to know, as we want to make sure our pets are getting the right proper diet nutrition. That wrong food materials arent being put in.