Two Issues in Pet Food That Are Not Monitored

Pet food is regulated on two levels, state laws and federal laws. Even though the pet food industry has many laws that govern it, very few are actually monitored by regulatory authorities.

Such as…

Nutritional Adequacy
Most pet foods include this statement: “(name of pet food) is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles for (Adult Maintenance or All Life Stages).” 

This statement is termed the Nutritional Adequacy statement, it is meant to provide pet owners assurances that the pet food includes all of the required nutrients, at the appropriate levels. 

Some state pet food authorities check pet food labels to assure the Nutritional Adequacy Statement is included on the label, but…no regulatory authority performs laboratory analysis to validate the pet food actually does ‘meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO Nutrient Profiles’. Not once a year, not every five years. To our knowledge, never.

Instead of properly monitoring the pet food industry through random testing, regulators use an honor system. Their ‘logic’ is that the statement on the pet food label is sufficient. Regulatory authorities believe that pet food manufacturers will hold themselves accountable simply because the statement is printed on their label.

Ingredients
Pet food manufacturers are required to list all ingredients included in the cat food or dog food on the product label. No regulatory authority performs validation testing that the ingredients listed (and only the ingredients listed) are included in the pet food. Not once a year, not every five years. To our knowledge, never.

Instead of random audits and DNA analysis, regulatory authorities believe the honor system will be sufficient. They believe pet food manufacturers will include all of the ingredients listed on the label and only the ingredients listed on the label simply because they are printed on the label. 

How’s That Working for Us?

Since 2018, more than 12.5 million pounds of pet food has been recalled for excess or insufficient vitamins and minerals. The largest being Hill’s Science Diet in 2019. These pet food were tested for nutritional adequacy ONLY AFTER pets became sick and died.

Numerous studies have proven that pet foods contain additional ingredients not listed on the label. In one study performed by the University of New Mexico, of six pet foods tested:
Sample 1 – contained 12 undisclosed ingredients.
Sample 2 – contained 14 undisclosed ingredients.
Sample 3 – contained 17 undisclosed ingredients.
Sample 4 – contained 12 undisclosed ingredients.
Sample 5 – contained 17 undisclosed ingredients.
Sample 6 – contained 13 undisclosed ingredients. 

Worse yet, dog DNA was found in two dog foods tested.

The pet food industry knows that no one in regulatory is performing random full nutritional analysis testing, the pet food industry knows that no one in regulatory is validating their ingredient list. History has evidenced – from recalls to 3rd party testing – many manufacturers cannot be trusted on the honor system. 

We need the FDA and State regulatory authorities to perform random testing on pet foods. My suggestion would be to help pay for expensive testing, if a pet food was tested and determined to be out of compliance – the manufacturer would be required to pay for the initial testing and five years of future testing (to monitor honor system violators). Also, all test results should be made public on the FDA website in order for pet food consumers to know which brands can be trusted and which cannot. 

Some pet food companies perform ongoing random testing of their ingredients and pet foods, and voluntarily participate in 3rd party audits. Ask your pet food manufacturer what testing is consistently performed on ingredients and finished pet foods, and ask if the manufacturing facility is certified by any 3rd party audits.

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Consumer Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food

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