Letter to Dr. Oz

Until very recently, I was a faithful fan of your show.  I’ve loved how you teach the benefit of real foods, natural alternatives, explain medicine in common language, and so much more.  However, this week I saw that your show is now sponsored by Pedigree Pet Food.  Now I have serious questions.

Millions of people trust you, millions of those who follow you have pets.  If you allow me, below is a bit of pet food education for you…

To provide you with some pet food education…
Here are the ingredients of Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition for Dogs:  “GROUND WHOLE CORN, MEAT AND BONE MEAL, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, ANIMAL FAT (PRESERVED WITH BHA AND CITRIC ACID), GROUND WHOLE WHEAT, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, BREWER’S RICE, DRIED PLAIN BEET PULP, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, VEGETABLE OIL (SOURCE OF LINOLEIC ACID), VITAMINS (dl-ALPHA TOCOPHEROL ACETATE [SOURCE OF VITAMIN E], L-ASCORBYL-2-POLYPHOSPHATE [SOURCE OF VITAMIN C*] VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], BIOTIN, d-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT [VITAMIN B2], VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT), CHOLINE CHLORIDE, MINERALS (ZINC SULFATE, ZINC PROTEINATE, COPPER SULFATE, COPPER PROTEINATE, MANGANESE PROTEINATE, POTASSIUM IODIDE), ADDED FD&C COLORS (RED 40, YELLOW 5, BLUE 2).”

How can this be true you ask?  Aren’t there laws to prevent euthanized animals to be processed into any food?  Well, yes Dr. Oz there is.  The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act specifically states no food (food being defined as anything consumed by humans OR animals – Section 201 (f) of the Act) can contain any part of a diseased animal or an animal that has died other than by slaughter (Section 402 (a)(5) of the Act).  However, the FDA provides pet food manufacturers with loopholes (known as FDA Compliance Policies) to bypass Federal Food Safety laws.

Briefly CPG Sec. 690.300 states “Pet food consisting of material from diseased animals or animals which have died otherwise than by slaughter…will not ordinarily be actionable,…”

CPG Sec. 675.400 states “No regulatory action will be considered for animal feed ingredients resulting from the ordinary rendering process of industry, including those using animals which have died otherwise than by slaughter,…”

Pedigree Pet Foods also include food dyes.  The Center for Science in the Public Interest published a report titled Rainbow of Risks.  Per this report, none of these food dyes should be allowed in foods.  And considering that dogs don’t see colors, do you really think food dyes are worth the risk in dog food?

I certainly understand that business is business and your show depends on sponsors.  I must ask you however, do you wish to be sponsored by a company that uses ingredients determined by FDA testing to be linked to euthanized animals?

I have believed thus far that your success is due in large part to your high level of integrity.  I certainly hope that your integrity will demand a full investigation into this pet food sponsorship of your show.  Ask Pedigree some tough questions.  Ask them to prove to you that no ingredient in their foods contain a euthanized or diseased animal.  Ask them to prove to you the health benefit of food dyes to the pet.

Sincerely and respectfully,