The pet food industry has denied the rumors for years. Yet the reports just keep coming. They claim a number of companies continue to use diseased and euthanized pets to make dog food.
Within the past month, the FDA has openly admitted the agency does not enforce law with pet food – not once, but twice.
“We’re going to allow animals that have died other than by slaughter that are further processed - we will allow those ingredients in pet food.”
This disturbing report was published by Ms. Susan Thixton, who currently holds advisory positions on two pet food-related committees charged with developing pet food regulations for the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) – the Pet Food Committee and the Ingredient Definitions Committee.
Are you feeding your pet a processed canned or kibble product that contains any of the following ingredients:
- chicken by-products
- chicken by-product meal
- turkey by-products
- turkey by-product meal
- meat meal
- beef meal
- lamb meal
- venison meal
- meat and bone meal
- animal fat and animal digest
According to the FDA's website, "there is no requirement that pet food products have pre-market approval by their organization". However, FDA ensures that the ingredients used in pet food are safe and have an appropriate function in the pet food.
Many ingredients such as meat, poultry and grains are considered safe and do not require pre-market approval.
This means that, although the FDA is telling you, the consumer, that the product is safe for your pet to consume, in reality, there is NO actual inspection performed on many of the ingredients that you're currently feeding Fido or Fluffy.
What does this mean for you, the consumer?
Read the labels on any store-bought food you're putting in your pet's dishes. Understand that the ingredient lists must be declared in the proper order of predominance by weight. If you're buying a "beef" or "tuna" product, then those should be the first ingredients listed.
For example, according to the AAFCO, if the first ingredient is 'meat and bone meal', the rendered product 'comes from mammal tissues, including bone, exclusive of any:
This means that, although the FDA is telling you, the consumer, that the product is safe for your pet to consume, in reality, there is NO actual inspection performed on many of the ingredients that you're currently feeding Fido or Fluffy.
What does this mean for you, the consumer?
Read the labels on any store-bought food you're putting in your pet's dishes. Understand that the ingredient lists must be declared in the proper order of predominance by weight. If you're buying a "beef" or "tuna" product, then those should be the first ingredients listed.
For example, according to the AAFCO, if the first ingredient is 'meat and bone meal', the rendered product 'comes from mammal tissues, including bone, exclusive of any:
- added blood
- hair
- hoof
- horn
- hide trimmings
- manure
- stomach
- rumen contents
Except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.' This extends to all meat/chicken/fish products down the line.
Cost paid for pet food has NO baring on quality of ingredients used. Just because you pay more for the food, that does not guarantee that decomposed, diseased or euthanized animals have not been used to make the food.
The FDA's Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act does require that pet foods, like human foods, be "safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled", if the items in it are already pre-approved, you may be rolling the dice with your pet's health.
References: FDA: Pet Food, The Examiner, Naturally Healthy Pets, The Truth About Pet Foods