The FDA website – specifically about pet food – states this:
“The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) requires that all animal foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled.”
Is this pet food truthfully labeled?
This Meow Mix cat food displays images of grilled chicken breast, roasted turkey breast, salmon fillet, and white fish fillet on the label. BUT, when you read the ingredients you find something VERY different than those images; chicken by-product meal, turkey by-product meal, salmon meal, and ocean fish meal.
This is an image of poultry by-product meal:
Clearly, the actual ingredient in the cat food looks NOTHING similar to what is pictured on the label.
We sent Meow Mix the following message:
“Your packaging on the Meow Mix Original Choice cat food displays images of a grilled piece of chicken breast, a piece of roasted turkey, and two fillets of fish. Your ingredients don’t seem to match the images on your label – all of the meat and fish ingredients in your cat food are meal ingredients instead of whole food ingredients as displayed on your label. Can you explain why you place the whole food images on your label?”
We received the following response:
“Thank you for contacting The J.M. Smucker Co. to inquire about Meow Mix® Original Choice Cat Food.
We wanted to let you know that our team is currently looking into your inquiry. We sincerely appreciate your patience and will contact you as soon as we can.
Sincerely,
Gracia,
Consumer Relations Representative
Ref # 17188548″
The J.M. Smucker Co has not provided any additional response.
We also sent the following email to FDA:
“On the FDA website, the agency states ‘The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) requires that all animal foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled.’ With regards to ‘truthfully labeled’, can the FDA explain why no regulatory action has been taken on the Meow Mix Original Choice cat food label? This particular cat food label includes images of a grilled piece of chicken breast, a piece of roasted turkey, and two fillets of fish. However the ingredients included in this pet food are meal ingredients; chicken by-product meal, turkey by-product meal, salmon meal, and ocean fish meal.
Please provide a full explanation for us to share with pet owners to how this pet food is ‘truthfully labeled’ as required by federal law.”
The FDA has not responded.
AAFCO regulations state this:
“A vignette, graphic, or pictorial representation on a pet food or specialty pet food label shall not misrepresent the contents of the package.”
This AAFCO regulation is part of state laws in each US state. Many US states require label approval for each product, each year. Which means, not one US state authority bothers to enforce their state label regulations (which they are charged with enforcing).
While no pet food regulatory authority is taking any action to prevent pet food labels from misleading consumers, many unknowing pet owners ARE being misled.
If your pet food contains images of ingredients on the label or website, ask them if those actual quality of ingredients are in the pet food. If they do not confirm (in writing) grilled chicken or steak, or salmon fillets are in the pet food – find another pet food.
If a company is willing to place misleading images on their label (in violation of state and federal laws), what else are they willing to mislead you about?
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
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Heidi W
January 29, 2026 at 1:07 pm
Thank you for continuing to advocate for pet owners and enthusiasts! I am forever grateful for your focused work to push this industry to stop mislabeling, misleading, and putting profits above integrity when it comes to their (unknowing) consumers. It’s because of superheroes like you that I no longer purchase this crap and have more confidently switched to biologically appropriate diets for my rescue dogs.
Dennis Boecker
January 29, 2026 at 4:28 pm
Thank you, Susan, for helping pet parents understand labeling.
Caroline Snyder
January 29, 2026 at 1:34 pm
Thank You Susan! It is very sad when regulatory authorities do NOT do their job of consumer protection.
The practice of using healthy, whole ingredient images on rendered meal-based pet foods (one form of “GREENWASHING”) is a disgrace. However, when you see “Chicken is te #1 Ingredient” with images of a slab of chicken breast etc. folks should be aware as to what defines ‘CHICKEN” in America when used as a pet food ingredient
CHICKEN, 3 Star – This is the Bony Carcass and Skin AFTER Breasts, Legs, Thighs, wings are removed, “Chicken” will include SKIN and FAT .. unlike “De-boned Chicken” which is typically breast meat. Can legally be from DEAD, DYING, DISEASED or DISABLED animals (4-D) so can be unfit for human consumption. It adds weight to dry food, less protein nutrition because once the water is sucked out, the chicken can ends up WAY down the list –1% to 6% of dry contents – in the FINISHED kibble. Likely very high in “ASH” due to the high bone content which is an issue for cats with CKD. This will be an “INEDIBLE” feed grade product UNLESS it says otherwise, so CHECK SOURCING with the company. If they won’t tell you what you need to know, look elsewhere!
Susan Thixton
January 29, 2026 at 1:51 pm
The legal definition of pet food chicken is: “Poultry is the clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts or whole carcasses of slaughtered poultry, or a combination thereof, exclusive of feathers (except as unavoidable in good processing practices, heads, feet, and viscera. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind, it must correspond thereto. If the bone has been removed, the process may be so designated by use of the appropriate feed term. It shall be suitable for use in animal food.”
Bonnie S Morris
January 29, 2026 at 10:59 pm
It seems time to start hitting these companies where it really hurts. LET’S STOP buying their human products until they clean up their pet products.