Take a look at these pet food ingredients. Would you ever feed these ingredients to your own pet? Do you think its fair to label them as a dog food or cat food?
Before you look at the ingredients of these popular pet foods, realize that ingredients are listed on a pet food label in order of pre-cooking weight; heaviest to lightest.
Dog Food (This is a real dog food – all ingredients listed below are the actual dog food ingredients)
Ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), soy protein concentrate, soy flour, water, rice flour, pearled barley, sugar, tricalcium phosphate, propylene glycol, animal digest, dicalcium phosphate, salt, phosphoric acid, sorbic acid (a preservative), calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, dried spinach, dried apples, dried sweet potatoes, choline chloride, calcium propionate (a preservative), added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Yellow 6), Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, DL-Methionine, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.
The ONLY two possible animal protein sources in this dog food are ‘Animal Fat’ (listed fourth on the ingredient panel) and ‘Animal Digest’ (listed 13th on the ingredient panel). Yes, this pet food contains spinach, apples, and sweet potatoes, but it contains more sugar (listed 10th on the ingredient panel) than animal protein (animal digest would be the only possible meat protein source listed 13th) and it contains more sugar than spinach, apples, and sweet potatoes (listed 21st, 22nd, 23rd respectively). Both of these ingredients, Animal Fat and Animal Digest, were determined by the FDA to be likely to contain a euthanized animal and the lethal drug Pentobarbital. http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/CVM/CVMFOIAElectronicReadingRoom/ucm129134.htm
Cat Food (this is a real cat food – all ingredients listed below are the actual cat food ingredients)
Ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, meat and bone meal, soybean meal, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), turkey by-product meal, powdered cellulose, animal liver flavor, soybean hulls, malt extract, phosphoric acid, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried cheese powder, added color (Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 2, and other color), parsley flakes, taurine, calcium phosphate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.
This cat food contains four possible animal protein sources; chicken by-product meal, meat and bone meal, beef tallow, and turkey by-product meal. Two of these ingredients, meat and bone meal and beef tallow were determined by the FDA to be likely to contain a euthanized animal and the lethal drug Pentobarbital.
Both of these pet foods show chunks of meat on the label along with other perceived healthy ingredients. And, both of these pet foods aren’t exactly cheap.
Now…besides the slew of other concerns with these popular pet foods (dyes, lack of health promoting ingredients such as probiotics, and more), would you feed either of these foods to your pet? Do you think its fair to label them as a dog food or cat food?
My answers…Never and No. I’m appalled that these are actual pet foods, never the less highly popular pet foods. Both of these pet foods would be considered adulterated and prohibited for sale if the FDA would only enforce existing Federal Food Safety Laws (the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act) instead of allowing pet food to use any waste ingredient.
Read your pet food and treat ingredients; if you see the ingredients Animal Fat, Meat and Bone Meal, and or Animal Digest you could be feeding your pet a euthanized animal and the lethal drug used to kill them (not my opinion – FDA opinion).
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author, Buyer Beware
Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
PetsumerReport.com
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 2500 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. www.PetsumerReport.com
Have you read Buyer Beware? Click Here
Cooking for pets made easy, Dinner PAWsible
Are you subscribed to Truth About Pet Food Newsletter? Click Here to subscribe
Follow Truth about Pet Food on Twitter
Become a Fan of Truth about Pet Food, Dinner PAWsible, Buyer Beware on Facebook
Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area Click Here
