Note: The 2025 List will be available in early December 2024.
Overview:
- The 2024 List includes 43 different pet food brands; 30 brands offer cat foods, 42 offer dog foods.
- Styles of pet foods include cooked (sold frozen and shelf stable), raw, freeze dried, dehydrated, can (one option).
- 42 brands sell in the US, some regionally.
- 14 brands sell in Canada.
- 10 brands sell outside of North America.
All companies provided verification of:
- Human grade food ingredients;
- Human grade supplements (if applicable);
- Organic or non-GMO ingredients (if applicable); and
- Meats sourced from humanely raised animals (if applicable).
Click Here to order.
Note: The 2024 List is a digital product.
No refunds on digital products.
Please read the detailed information below before purchase.
What is the 2024 List?
The most common question I am asked is “What should I feed my pet?” I cannot answer this question – for two reasons. First, as a consumer advocate I cannot/do not endorse any brand. A recommendation could be perceived as an endorsement. But significantly, second, no one can ever tell another the best food for their pet. While one pet food might be perfect for one pet, that same food might not be best for another. Choosing the right pet food is a personal decision.
What I can share with pet owners is options of pet foods that I would trust to give my own pets. This is what the List is…my ‘list’ of pet foods that I trust to give my pets.
The List is a pdf document you will receive via email (download link) providing detailed, verified information regarding 43 different pet food brands.
Why charge for the List?
TruthaboutPetFood.com, our consumer stakeholder organization AssociationforTruthinPetFood.com, and myself personally (Susan Thixton) are 100% consumer supported. We have been actively advocating for pet owners since 2006, attending AAFCO meetings since 2011. We could not do the work we do without consumer support.
Why is there a need for a ‘list’, aren’t all pet foods the same?
No, they are not. Although all are labeled as “food” – cat food, dog food – most pet foods in the US are not food at all. Most do not contain legal food ingredients, and most are not manufactured to the legally required safety standards of food.
Most pet foods in the US are feed, not food. By definition, feed grade pet foods and feed grade ingredients are permitted to violate federal and state law. The FDA itself gives specific permission to feed grade ingredients to violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act laws. These laws prohibit the use of diseased animals or animals that have died other than by slaughter to be processed into any food (human or animal foods). BUT, the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine blatantly ignores those laws in pet food (they call it “selective enforcement”).
We have filed official requests with FDA (twice) asking the agency to stop allowing illegal ingredients to be processed into pet food. The FDA keeps telling us “No”. In response to our second petition submitted to FDA, Dr. Steven Solomon, Director of FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine stated in April of 2019:
“We do not believe that the use of diseased animals or animals that died otherwise than by slaughter to make animal food poses a safety concern and we intend to continue to exercise enforcement discretion.”
Below is one example of what this FDA selective enforcement allows in pet food:
This image is from Google Earth of Baker Commodities in Vernon, CA. This is one of many rendering facilities across the US (and around the world) that takes dead animal carcasses and condemned animal parts and repurposes the material into pet food/animal feed ingredients. Ingredients do not travel under refrigeration (they are decomposing), ingredients are dumped onto the ground and bulldozed into large pits where they are ground and cooked.
But the worst part of this is…pet owners are NOT informed if their pet food contains these types of ingredients. Manufacturers do not disclose (are not required to disclose) if their pet foods include these illegal, waste feed grade ingredients.
This is why there is a List. I will ONLY give my own pets a human grade ingredient pet food.
How are pet foods selected for the List?
We often learn of new pet foods from consumers, but sometimes manufacturers themselves reach out asking to be considered for the List.
The consideration process begins with a company responding to a list of questions regarding their pet foods – such as quality of ingredients, country of origin of ingredients, what testing is performed on pet foods or ingredients. If all responses seem to be a pet food I would consider to give my own pets, the next step is verification. Manufacturers are required to provide us evidence of human grade ingredients, human grade supplements (if applicable), organic ingredients (if applicable), and meats sourced from certified humanely raised animals (if applicable). After all verification documents are examined, the pet food is added to the List.
For pet food brands that were included in last year’s List – the exact same consideration process occurs. New responses to questions, new verification documents are required each year.
The entire process – from initial contact to publishing the List – takes about 3 months.
No pet food company pays a fee to be considered for or included in the List. A few years ago, a pet food company gave a pet owner false information stating they were not included in the List because “we opted not to pay for our review.” Not true. Every company on the List voluntarily responds to questions and submits verification documents; no pet food company ever pays to be considered for the List. The website or myself personally NEVER accepts money/gifts from pet food manufacturers.
Why Are Some Companies Excluded?
If you know of a pet food – perhaps even a human grade pet food – that is not on this List, it could be as simple as I am not aware of the brand or the company didn’t respond to my emails. Another reason a brand might not be included in the List is information I have been provided by pet owners. I have been forwarded many emails over the years by pet owners of their correspondence with a pet food brand. I have read emails where a company gave the pet owner false information (such as about regulations), and emails where a pet food company insulted the pet owner. If I find a company treats a pet owner poorly or misleads or lies to a pet owner – that is not a brand I would trust to give my own pets.
I do not share why any brand is not included in or was removed from the List. It is always our hope that an issue that prevented a pet food from being included in the List will be corrected and they can be considered again in the future.
Click Here to Order.
The 2024 List pet foods are not commonly found in big box stores, most of these brands are available in your locally owned independent pet food stores or many are available direct from the manufacturer, shipped to your home.
Price ranges of pet foods on the 2024 List:
- from $0.61 to $6.75 to feed a 10 pound cat per day;
- from $1.69 to $15.00 to feed a 30 pound dog per day.
The 2024 List is a digital document that is downloaded to your computer after purchase. The document can be downloaded directly in your shopping cart…
…or it can be downloaded in your receipt email.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
Become a member of our pet food consumer Association. Association for Truth in Pet Food is a a stakeholder organization representing the voice of pet food consumers at AAFCO and with FDA. Your membership helps representatives attend meetings and voice consumer concerns with regulatory authorities. Click Here to learn more.
What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients? Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘rest of the story’ on over 5,000 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Click Here to preview Petsumer Report. www.PetsumerReport.com
Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area Click Here
The 2024 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here to learn more.
The 2023 Treat List
Susan’s List of trusted pet treat manufacturers. Click Here to learn more.
