Do you know that Canada has no pet food regulations? Canadian made (and sold in Canada) pet foods are held to NO nutritional standards. Canadian pet owners pay a significant sales tax on each pet food product, but they get nothing in return. No regulatory authority governing pet food can lead to health problems for Canadian pets.
Dr. Karen Becker has initiated a GoFundMe campaign to test some popular raw pet foods in Canada.
This testing is VERY needed. Depending on the results, it could be a foundation for future pet food safety regulations in Canada. Our pet loving friends in Canada certainly deserve some government oversight of pet food.
To read more and donate – Click Here.
Please donate if you can. And please share with other pet owners. The more funds raised, more pet foods can be tested. It’s my hope the results can be taken to the Canadian government as evidence their lack of oversight of pet food is harming pets, forcing some much needed change.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
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The 2020 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here to learn more.
PHYL
December 3, 2020 at 12:28 pm
ALL PET FOOD MUST PASS A CODE OF STRONG NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES &
SAFETY MEASURES. PUNISHMENT TO ANIMAL FOOD SUPPLIERS WHO DON’T PROMOTE HEALTHY FOODS FOR ANIMALS.
Tyler
December 4, 2020 at 12:49 am
We love the K9 Petfood from Toefeild Alberta. From farm to table they say… whole ground animal with wild Canadian berries 7 carrots, our Spoo loves it. But be nice to have some standards set up. Since there are none i use three different types of food, local whole raw (k9) Purina Pro Puppy Large dog for kibbles (vet says Local Acana may have issues), and wet is use some premium human grade cat food & Farmina N & D Puppy canned-no fillers.
Geraldine
May 18, 2021 at 11:43 am
Although Canadian companies are not subject to the same regulations as US brands which have USDA FDA oversight (which addresses food safety and not nutrient compliance), Canadians should still have a lot of confidence in Canadian pet foods brands.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is composed of state, federal and international regulatory officials responsible for the enforcement of state laws regulating the safe production and labeling of animal feed, including petfood. FDA and AAFCO work together in the area of feed regulation, particularly in the establishment of definitions to describe new feed ingredients.
Canadian pet food companies would not have the oversight of AAFCO however, pet food sold in Canada is currently subject to the following Canadian and international regulations:
The labelling and advertising of pet food is regulated by the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and the Competition Act, administered by Industry Canada.
The Guidelines also help to ensure that Canadian consumers clearly understand the contents of each package of pet food. They were developed by a working group including Canadian pet food manufacturers and importers, representatives from the Competition Bureau and the Government of Canada, as well as consumers.
The Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act mandates that the following items be included on pet food labels.
– [ ] Common or generic name: e.g. “Dog Food” or “Cat Food”
– [ ] Net weight: amount of product within the package, measured in metric units
– [ ] The manufacturer’s or importer’s contact information
The Guidelines, an accepted standard in the pet food industry, recommend pet food labels should contain at least the following information in addition to the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act items.
– [ ] List of ingredients: listed in descending order by percentage of weight
– [ ] Feeding instructions
– [ ] Guaranteed analysis: information on the minimum and maximum nutritional quantities. For example, the analysis will include the maximum or minimum percentage of protein, fat, fiber and moisture.
– [ ] Nutritional adequacy or intended life stage for which the food is suitable
– [ ] Ingredients must be listed and identified by their common name. When an ingredient or combination of ingredients makes up 90% or more of the total weight of all ingredients, these ingredients may also form a part of the product name. For example, if the product contains 90% or more beef, it may be called “My Brand Beef Dog Food”.
Additionally most Canadian raw brands provide a lot of consumer transparency regarding sourcing and processing.
Most pet specialty retailers in Canada also verify the nutrient claims of the pet food brand they have on their shelves.
Canadian pet consumers should be diligent in determining that the products they are purchasing for their pets, but we would object to the statement that Canadian pet food is unregulated. The regulatory nature of pet food is not given to AAFCO or CFIA (FDA comparable in Canada) but is covered by other laws that accomplish the similar objective.
We would argue that these regulations are a lot less biased than US regulations as AAFCO and the FDA, and serve to protect the Canadian consumers just as well.
Susan Thixton
May 18, 2021 at 1:18 pm
Geraldine – you neglected to mention the biggest concern for Canadian pet owners…there is no authority in Canada to enforce the voluntary guidelines. Why would that leave any pet owner feeling confident? What you are discussing are voluntary – NOT required – guidelines. They are not law.