Import Records Show China Remains Leading Pet Food Ingredient Exporter

China, Thailand, India,… Import records tell us what ingredients and foods are being imported, but the pet food industry succeeds at hiding most of the manufacturers names that are sourcing ingredients outside of the US.

Few pet food manufacturers are transparent with consumers regarding the country of origin of all ingredients. Some manufacturers have provided pet owners their ‘Pledge’ to ingredient quality and country of origin (Click Here), but in most cases pet owners are forced to become a private detective to learn where the ingredients in their pet’s food are sourced from or forced to trust the pet food with no country of origin information.

China has been a country of origin of concern for many pet owners since the 2007 pet food recalls. Perhaps those recalls and hundreds of thousands of pet deaths in 2007 has led manufacturers today to be less than forthcoming with country of origin information. In our recent (May 2020) search of import records, we found many instances of the pet food industry resorting to utilizing various ‘middle-men’ as the official consignee of imported ingredients, perhaps as a way to prevent curious outsiders from learning pertinent country of origin information. As example…

A Bank Importing Water Buffalo?

Over the past several years, AAFCO meetings have included discussions of pet food manufacturers using Water Buffalo ingredients while listing “Buffalo” on the pet food label. U.S. Buffalo/Bison farmers complained to AAFCO that consumers were not being informed what the ingredient actually is, which finally resulted in two separate definitions of Buffalo ingredients – Bison and Water Buffalo – in 2019.

J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, Cleveland, Ohio imported from India “Cooked Frozen Buffalo Offals Pet Food Ingredients containing Water Buffalo”. This bank was the consignee for the following shipments of cooked frozen water buffalo offals (dates are arrival date in U.S.):

4/8/20 – 54,498 lbs.
4/8/20 – 57,004 lbs.
4/8/20 – 57,004 lbs.
4/8/20 – 57,004 lbs.
4/8/20 – 57,004 lbs.
4/8/20 – 57,004 lbs.
4/8/20 – 57,004 lbs.

J.P. Morgan Chase Bank isn’t a pet food manufacturer, we can assume they were acting as the middle-man for an undisclosed pet food company perhaps not wishing to be known for importing Water Buffalo ingredients.

Pegasus Maritime – an “International Freight Forwarder” – imported “Water Buffalo Meat and Bone Meal, Blood, Meat, Heart Liver, Kidneys” from India for an unknown pet food manufacturer or ingredient supplier; 2/12/20 – 45,679 lbs. and 1/20/20 – 45,679 lbs.

Taurine

Since the news broke of a potential link of grain free pet foods to heart disease in dogs, many dog foods have begun adding taurine supplements to their formulas (cat foods currently require a minimum taurine level). The pet food supplement taurine is almost exclusively sourced from China. Over the past two years – more than 1,800 shipments of taurine were received in the US (not solely pet food taurine supplements). 96% of those 1,800 taurine shipments were sourced from China; 50% of the taurine shipments were sourced from Wuhan, China. The remaining 4% of taurine supplements originated out of Japan.

Pea Protein and Pea Starch

Many pet foods contain these bulk pea ingredients, assumed by many to be sourced from peas grown in North America. We found multiple shipments originating from China with no information to which pet food manufacturer or ingredient supplier was importing.

Pea Protein
To: De Well Container Shipping
From: China
5/5/20 – 92,594 lbs.
5/5/20 – 257,400 lbs.

To: Gal Group Inc.
From: China
5/5/20 – 90,940 lbs.

Pea Starch
To: Sea Dominion Express
From: China
3/8/20 – 68,684 lbs.
1/24/20 – 103,026 lbs.

Carrageenan

Carrageenan is commonly used in wet pet foods, as well as many human foods (such as ice cream). We found many import records for this ingredient, from many different countries of origin. The only confirmed pet food carrageenan we found was:

To: Royal Canin
From: Indonesia
5/10/20 – 27,379 lbs.
5/10/20 – 27,478 lbs.

Diversified Ingredients

Diversified Ingredients is a pet food supplier that made news in 2018 for playing a role in selling misbranded poultry ingredients to Blue Buffalo Pet Food. We found the following import records for this company:

Ingredient: “Native Tapioca Starch”
From: Shanghai, China
4/11/20 – 54,406 lbs.

Ingredient: “Ovine Meat and Bone Meal Max 25% Ash Pet Food Product”
From: Sydney, AU
5/6/20 – 86,152 lbs.
5/6/20 – 173,712 lbs.

Import records for this ingredient states the name very differently than what is commonly listed on pet food labels. Import records state this ingredient is “meat and bone meal” of sheep, pet food labels state the ingredient is simply ‘lamb meal’. AAFCO provides a separate definition for meat meal (such as lamb meal) and meat and bone meal (such as these import records describe). Regarding the difference between these two ingredients, AAFCO tells consumers meat and bone meal ingredients “can include added bone in addition to what is normally found in whole carcasses.”

Ingredient: “Pea Protein“
From: Cabezon De Pisuer, Spain
5/3/20 – 98,252 lbs.

DSM Nutritional Products

DSM Nutritional Products is the company that sold Hill’s Pet Food the vitamin premix which resulted in a recall and the death of many pets (excess Vitamin D). This company appears to have locations worldwide, and perhaps provides manufacturers with a middle-man service with “DHL Global Forwarding.” We found many import records for this company, shipping all types of ingredients (from supplements to oils) all around the world. The following import records of this company are believed to be specific to animal food shipped into the U.S.:

Ingredient: “Vitamin K3 Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex“
From: Shanghai, China
4/21/20 – 22,880 lbs.
2/23/20 – 22,880 lbs.
1/31/20 – 22,880 lbs.
1/27/20 – 22,880 lbs.

ADM Animal Nutrition

ADM Animal Nutrition provides ingredients and supplements to the pet food industry and the animal feed industry. Import records show the following that could be pet food supplements:

Ingredient: “D-Calcium Pantothenate“
From: Qingdao, China
5/4/20 – 42,768 lbs.

Ingredient: “Vitamin B1“
From: Qingdao, China
4/24/20 – 127,732 lbs.
4/1/20 – 23,320 lbs.
4/1/20 – 23,320 lbs.

Ingredient: “Choline Chloride“
From: Shanghai, China
12/16/2019 – 40,779 lbs.
12/16/2019 – 40,779 lbs.
12/16/19 – 40,779 lbs.

Prairie Petfood Ingredients

Dun & Bradstreet states “Prairie Petfood Ingredients LLC is located in Rice, TX, United States and is part of the Food Wholesalers Industry.” Import records show the following ingredients imported by this company:

Ingredient: “Poultry Meal“
From: Navegantes, Brazil
5/12/20 – 201,324 lbs.
5/5/20 – 486,026 lbs.
5/2/20 – 618,933 lbs.
5/2/20 – 133,219 lbs.
4/14/20 – 200,664 lbs.
4/7/20 – 634,729 lbs.

Ingredient: “Poultry By-Product Meal“
From: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
5/4/20 – 637,714 lbs.

Ingredient: “Fish Meal (Fish Scrap), Stabilized Antioxidant Treated“
From: Tangua, Brazil
5/12/20 – 336,930 lbs.
5/12/20 – 331,100 lbs.

From the above “Stabilized Antioxidant Treated” – it is a requirement of US federal laws that fish meals must be treated with an antioxidant before entering a US port. A commonly used fish meal antioxidant is ethoxyquin which is linked to cancer in pets. A pet food manufacturer is not required to disclose on the label if a fish meal is preserved with ethoxyquin – pet owners are forced to ask the manufacturer about this preservative/stabilizer (and trust the manufacturer is being honest). Click Here to read a 1992 letter from veterinarian Gloria Dodd to FDA regarding the risk of ethoxyquin. The above import records does not disclose what stabilizer was used in these shipments.

Ingredient: “Ovine (Sheep) Meat and Bone Meal“
From: Sydney, Australia
5/2/20 – 300,740 lbs.
5/2/20 – 213,884 lbs.

Canned Pet Food

Thailand exports a lot of canned pet food into the U.S. With this category, we do have information on which pet food manufacturers are importing. Just searching recent records we found…

To: Whitebridge Pet Brands (includes Dogswell Pet Food)
From: Asian Alliance International Company – Thailand
Canned Pet Food
4/4/20 – 36,868 lbs.
4/4/20 – 31,154 lbs.
4/4/20 – 38,170 lbs.

To: Smucker Manufacturing, Inc.
From: Songkla Canning – Thailand
Cartons Pet Food
4/3/20 – 160,563 lbs.

To: Smucker Manufacturing
From: Asian Alliance International – Thailand
Dog Multi Pack Pet Food
4/3/20 – 211,499 lbs.

To: US Pet Nutrition
From: Songkla Canning – Thailand
Canned Pet Food
4/3/20 – 36,351 lbs.
4/3/20 – 37,477 lbs.
4/3/20 – 37,477 lbs.
4/3/20 – 37,477 lbs
4/3/20 – 37,477 lbs.
4/3/20 – 37,477 lbs.
4/3/20 – 41,518 lbs.
4/3/20 – 41,206 lbs.

To: US Pet Nutrition – Pure Balance Brand (Walmart)
From: Songkla Canning – Thailand
5/5/20 – 17,204 lbs.

To: Earthborn Brand Canned Pet Food/DHL Global Forwarding
From: Songkla Canning – Thailand
5/6/20 – 41,514 lbs.
4/3/20 – 36,348 lbs.
4/3/20 – 37,477 lbs.
4/3/20 – 37,477 lbs.
4/3/20 – 37,477 lbs.
4/3/20 – 37,477 lbs.
4/3/20 – 41,204 lbs.

To: Almo Nature
From: Songkla Canning – Thailand
5/6/20 – 32,908 lbs.

To: Solid Gold Brand
From: Songkla Canning – Thailand
4/11/20 – 37,756 lbs.
4/11/20 – 36,949 lbs.
4/11/20 – 37,286 lbs.
4/11/20 – 33,700 lbs.
4/11/20 – 45,621 lbs.
4/11/20 – 41,749 lbs.
4/11/20 – 45,089 lbs.

To: Pets Global – Fussie Cat
From: Southeast Asian Packaging – Thailand
5/6/20 – 29,535 lbs.
5/6/20 – 29,484 lbs.

To: WellPet
From: Southeast Asian Packing – Thailand
5/2/20 – 15,523 lbs.
5/2/20 – 20,585 lbs.
5/2/20 – 17.013 lbs.
5/2/20 – 35,611 lbs.
5/2/20 – 31,480 lbs.

To: Weruva
From: Southeast Asian Packing – Thailand
5/9/20 – 39,224 lbs.
5/9/20 – 37,294 lbs.
5/7/20 – 38,562 lbs.
5/7/20 – 34,707 lbs.
5/7/20 – 38,397 lbs.
5/7/20 – 37,961 lbs.
5/7/20 – 37,336 lbs.

No information could be found to the country of origin of ingredients used by these Thailand pet food manufacturers.

Pony Express Foods

Pony Express Foods is the manufacturer of Earth Animal’s No Hide dog treats. Through Freedom of Information Act acquired documents, we learned in February 2019 that Pony Express Foods also imports rolled rawhide dog treats from China. Pony Express Foods explained to investigators in 2019 that the similar shaped and size rawhide imports are sold in bulk at the Green Dragon Farmers Market, 955 N State St, Ephrata, PA (open 1 day a week – Friday). Import records show that Pony Express Foods continues to import from China. From January and February 2020, records show Pony Express Foods imported from Qingdao Ideal Jingmao Co.,LTD in Shanghai, China – more than 350 thousand pounds of “Dog Chews“.

2/12/20 – 23,870 lbs.
2/12/20 – 22,616 lbs.
2/4/20 – 23,870 lbs.
2/4/20 – 23,870 lbs.
2/4/20 – 23,870 lbs.
2/4/20 – 23,870 lbs.
1/28/20 – 23,870 lbs.
1/28/20 – 23,870 lbs.
1/28/20 – 22,616 lbs.
1/28/20 – 23,870 lbs.
1/28/20 – 23,870 lbs.
1/28/20 – 23,870 lbs.
1/28/20 – 23,870 lbs.
1/24/20 – 23,870 lbs.
1/14/20 – 23,870 lbs.

Nestle Purina pet food packaging (only the packaging)

And last but not least, import records showed that Nestle Purina received – via “CPPC MKTNG PRM” – 1.8 million pounds of “Empty bags – laminated poly propylene made with plastic” (pet food packaging) since March 1, 2020 from from Laem Chabang, Thailand.

5/3/20 – 152,275 lbs.
4/30/20 – 98,397 lbs.
4/29/20 – 116,692 lbs.
4/27/20 – 62,922 lbs.
4/21/20 – 66,561 lbs.
4/20/20 – 58,287 lbs.
4/10/20 – 83,118 lbs.
4/9/20 – 63,204 lbs.
4/6/20 – 64,130 lbs.
4/2/20 – 52,525 lbs.
4/1/20 – 64,009 lbs.
3/30/20 – 61,809 lbs.
3/26/20 – 82,095 lbs.
3/23/20 – 67,144 lbs.
3/19/20 – 122,993 lbs.
3/18/20 – 63,111 lbs.
3/15/20 – 60,581 lbs.
3/12/20 – 115,951 lbs.
3/11/20 – 65,630 lbs.
3/8/20 – 63,166 lbs.
3/5/20 – 27,676 lbs.
3/5/20 – 160,871 lbs.
3/1/10 – 60,014 lbs.

Country of origin of ingredients (or country of manufacturing origin) is pertinent information for all pet owners. Always ask your pet food manufacturer where the pet food is manufactured and the country of origin of all ingredients (including all supplements). If the company does not provide you with full transparency, find another pet food manufacturer that will.

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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What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
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