My Letter to President Obama, AAFCO, PFI, and FDA/CVM

Because you are a Pet Owner, I write you in hopes that you will care and will as President, take a strong stance.

Recently Pet Owners were provided with some very frightening pet food testing results.  Spex CertiPrep released the abstract of a soon to be published paper; the paper is currently under peer review.  The findings from this pet food testing was shocking to say the least.

Spex CertiPrep tested 59 different dog foods and cat foods, both canned and dry of discount price range through premium price range.  For comparison purposes, the laboratory tested canned human foods as well.  Below are some of their findings…

Arsenic – max found in a pet food 290 ppb (parts per billion); max found in human food 30 ppb (sardines).
Beryllium – max found in a pet food 74 ppb; max found in human food 6.1 ppb (tuna).
Cadmium – max found in a pet food 130 ppb; max found in human food 36 ppb (tuna).
Chromium – max found in a pet food 2500 ppb; max found in human food 41 ppb (sardines).
Mercury – max found in a pet food 560 ppb; max found in human food 89 ppb (tuna).
Molybdenum – max found in a pet food 2300 ppb; max found in human food 23 ppb (chicken).
Lead – max found in a pet food 5900 ppb; max found in human food 11 ppb (sardines).
Uranium – max found in pet food 860 ppb; max found in human food 6 ppb (sardines).

Toxic levels of heavy metals in pet food at much higher levels than that of human food.  How can this happen?

Over 60% of U.S. households are proud Pet Owners.  Most Pet Owners consider their pet a family member.  I’m confident no Pet Owner would intentionally feed their beloved furry family member lethal elements, this recent pet food testing proves this is exactly what they are doing; unknowingly.

Can you please help?  With all due respect Mr. President, thousands of Pet Owners have felt betrayed by the FDA since the deadly 2007 recall (of which by the way the $24 million settlement has yet to be disbursed to grieving pet owners still paying interest on vet bills).   Mr. President, are you aware that FDA Compliance Policies allow commercial pet food to violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act?  And with these new findings, pet foods being sold in every major retail store across the country (and known to be consumed by the poor and elderly)  would violate Federal Food Safety Laws (animal feed food safety law) by containing dangerously high levels of heavy metals.  Isn’t it time to call the FDA Administration into the Oval Office and have a face to face discussion on what’s really going on in the multi-billion dollar a year pet food industry?   I certainly hope so.

Think of Bo and how much your children love him.  Would you want your children to suffer the heartbreak of Bo’s death because a dog food contained lethal amounts of mercury or lead?  With all due respect Mr. President, neither do other families.  Please do something to assure the safety of pet food.  Please.

Concerned Pet Owner,
Susan Thixton

Dear Pet Food Institute,

As you may have already heard, Spex CertiPrep released an abstract of a soon to be published paper regarding heavy metal testing of commercial pet foods; the paper is currently under peer review.  The findings from this pet food testing was shocking to say the least.

Spex CertiPrep tested 59 different dog foods and cat foods, both canned and dry of discount price range through premium price range.  For comparison purposes, the laboratory tested canned human foods as well.  Below are some of their findings…

Arsenic – max found in a pet food 290 ppb (parts per billion); max found in human food 30 ppb (sardines).
Beryllium – max found in a pet food 74 ppb; max found in human food 6.1 ppb (tuna).
Cadmium – max found in a pet food 130 ppb; max found in human food 36 ppb (tuna).
Chromium – max found in a pet food 2500 ppb; max found in human food 41 ppb (sardines).
Mercury – max found in a pet food 560 ppb; max found in human food 89 ppb (tuna).
Molybdenum – max found in a pet food 2300 ppb; max found in human food 23 ppb (chicken).
Lead – max found in a pet food 5900 ppb; max found in human food 11 ppb (sardines).
Uranium – max found in pet food 860 ppb; max found in human food 6 ppb (sardines).

Toxic levels of heavy metals in pet food at much higher levels than that of human food.  How can this happen?

Since the Pet Food Institute represents a majority of pet food manufacturers, what are your feelings of these results?  I would like to provide Pet Owners with a statement from the PFI regarding the Spex CertiPrep testing results.  Attached to this email is the Spex CertiPrep abstract.

Thank you.

Concerned Pet Owner,
Susan Thixton

Dear AAFCO,

As you may have already heard, Spex CertiPrep released an abstract of a soon to be published paper regarding heavy metal testing of commercial pet foods; the paper is currently under peer review.  The findings from this pet food testing was shocking to say the least.

Spex CertiPrep tested 59 different dog foods and cat foods, both canned and dry of discount price range through premium price range.  For comparison purposes, the laboratory tested canned human foods as well.  Below are some of their findings…

Arsenic – max found in a pet food 290 ppb (parts per billion); max found in human food 30 ppb (sardines).
Beryllium – max found in a pet food 74 ppb; max found in human food 6.1 ppb (tuna).
Cadmium – max found in a pet food 130 ppb; max found in human food 36 ppb (tuna).
Chromium – max found in a pet food 2500 ppb; max found in human food 41 ppb (sardines).
Mercury – max found in a pet food 560 ppb; max found in human food 89 ppb (tuna).
Molybdenum – max found in a pet food 2300 ppb; max found in human food 23 ppb (chicken).
Lead – max found in a pet food 5900 ppb; max found in human food 11 ppb (sardines).
Uranium – max found in pet food 860 ppb; max found in human food 6 ppb (sardines).

Toxic levels of heavy metals in pet food at much higher levels than that of human food.  How can this happen?

I would like to provide Pet Owners with a statement from AAFCO regarding the Spex CertiPrep testing results.  Attached to this email is the Spex CertiPrep abstract.

Thank you.

Concerned Pet Owner,
Susan Thixton

Dear FDA/CVM,

As you may have already heard, Spex CertiPrep released an abstract of a soon to be published paper regarding heavy metal testing of commercial pet foods; the paper is currently under peer review.  The findings from this pet food testing was shocking to say the least.

Spex CertiPrep tested 59 different dog foods and cat foods, both canned and dry of discount price range through premium price range.  For comparison purposes, the laboratory tested canned human foods as well.  Below are some of their findings…

Arsenic – max found in a pet food 290 ppb (parts per billion); max found in human food 30 ppb (sardines).
Beryllium – max found in a pet food 74 ppb; max found in human food 6.1 ppb (tuna).
Cadmium – max found in a pet food 130 ppb; max found in human food 36 ppb (tuna).
Chromium – max found in a pet food 2500 ppb; max found in human food 41 ppb (sardines).
Mercury – max found in a pet food 560 ppb; max found in human food 89 ppb (tuna).
Molybdenum – max found in a pet food 2300 ppb; max found in human food 23 ppb (chicken).
Lead – max found in a pet food 5900 ppb; max found in human food 11 ppb (sardines).
Uranium – max found in pet food 860 ppb; max found in human food 6 ppb (sardines).

Toxic levels of heavy metals in pet food at much higher levels than that of human food.  How can this happen?  Does FDA/CVM approve of/allow such levels of heavy metals in pet food?

I would like to provide Pet Owners with a statement from FDA/CVM regarding the Spex CertiPrep testing results.  Attached to this email is the Spex CertiPrep abstract.

Thank you.