Some disgusting things are found in pet food and reported to manufacturers on Twitter. Here are some recent examples.
Foreign Objects
A pet owner tweeted to Nutro they found a dead “rat” in a bag of Nutro Essentials.
Another dead mouse/rat was found in a bag of Canidae pet food.
An unknown object was found in Blue Buffalo.
A piece of metal was found in Purina One.
A pet owner reported this piece of “blue plastic” to Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
These blue plastic pieces were found in Purina Pro Plan.
And this unknown substance was found in Purina Pro Plan by another pet owner.
This unknown substance was found in a can of Wellness cat food.
And this pet owner found blue plastic in dry Wellness.
Two different pet owners reported finding these dangerous objects (a nail and what appears to be a pocket knife blade) in Nutrish Pet Food.
Mold
This pet owner found mold in dry Pedigree.
This pet owner reported to Blue Buffalo what appears to be mold inside a can of dog food.
More mold from dry Blue Buffalo pet food.
Mold in Purina One.
What appears to be mold was reported to Acana Pet Food.
Bugs
This pet owner found “larvae” in Pedigree wet food.
What appears to be bugs was found in Purina Friskies.
But…there was good news found in the Tweets to pet food. The one provided below shows that more and more pet owners are learning about the differences between pet feed and pet food! (Thanks to our army of educated pet owners and pet professionals!!!)
And by the way @Nutrish – your response to this pet owner is incorrect. The members of the Association of American Feed Control Officials do NOT prohibit the use of 3D and 4D (dead, dying, diseased and disabled) in pet food. Specifically, AAFCO member FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine states “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.”
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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Nina
May 18, 2021 at 3:14 pm
This is horrible. I’m glad I have never purchased any ofvthese brands.
I thank you for your notifications andcresearch.
Sheila
May 18, 2021 at 3:25 pm
I used to buy Purina Horse feed until I found dead rodents in it! I guess I can understand how some of these plastic bits and knife pieces get into the kibble. The knife blade and some plastic pieces could accidentally fall into the vats during the manufacturing process (human error, sloppiness). I have been in feed manufacturing mills and know people who work in them! But when I found the dead rodents and pieces of them in my horse feed, I got sick, thinking of botulism, etc!! This could KILL my horses and I am sure it happens in EVERY plant. EVEN for human food! There is NO way they could prevent anything from possibly happening. It just does! This is NO Way an excuse for them, however! I would expect a company who is supposed to be manufacturing so called premium pet food to GET BACK with their customer’s complaints immediately! But I never heard back from Purina Horse feed! I learned later, that they had the oldest, worst, worn out facility in the country at that time! A close friend of mine used to work for Purina. He told me that a HIGH ranking, Nutritionist quit because he was going to be fired because the Executives wanted him to sign his name to a formulation that had better values than what the tag CLAIMED about the nutrition! He was sickened by working for Purina! He quit because he would not lie and valued his ethics more than a company that asked him lie to the public about what that company was producing for dog and cat food consumption! Unfortunately , I believe this happens everywhere! Mistakes included! This is why I try to always make my own cat and dog food!
Sherri
May 18, 2021 at 5:08 pm
Considering that pet food is often made with rendered ingredients, which can and do include plastic packaging on spoiled meats picked up from stores, along with whatever tags may be on dead livestock sent to the rendering plant, and items on other animals from shelters sent for rendering, none of this is truly surprising. So it doesn’t matter what brand of pet feed you use, this kind of thing is always a possibility and speaks clearly as to the grotesque nature of the ingredients used. Utter and complete disgusting garbage. And we wonder why the cancer rate is so high in our beloved dogs!
Tina
May 18, 2021 at 6:13 pm
Thank you for this notification. I have tweeted at Nutrish.
Nicole
May 19, 2021 at 3:31 am
Ewww, so gross! When I used to feed canned cat food, I found clear and blue plastic on separate occasions as well. Took pictures and reported it to the company. I don’t remember the brand.
Concerned
May 19, 2021 at 6:11 pm
From the leader in Palatants for PFI:
https://afbinternational.com/downloads/palatability-with-less-phosphorus-is-possible/
Blending the product in the tank will also prevent potential formation of a water layer on top created by condensation when temperature differences occur. A watery layer will change the pH and preservative concentration causing a potential risk for mold and other bacteria to grow on top of the product.
Safe upper limit?
There is currently no established safe upper limit for dietary phosphorus. However, research has demonstrated that excess inorganic phosphorus can have a harmful effect on cats with existing renal disease. Recent studies suggest there may also be a link between high dietary inorganic phosphorus and renal function in healthy cats. In response, the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) has added a specific footnote regarding recommended nutrient levels for cats as it pertains to inorganic phosphorus: High intake of inorganic phosphorus compounds (such as NaH2 PO4) may affect indicators of renal function in cats (Alexander et al. 2019, Dobenecker et al. 2018a, Dobenecker et al. 2018b). More research is needed to clarify potential risk.
The pet food industry recognizes that palatants are a main contributor of inorganic phosphorus in finished cat food. It is also acknowledged that it is quite a challenge to lower the level of phosphorus while maintaining the palatability required to ensure cats receive the vital nutrients they need.