Think twice before purchasing that "all natural" expensive pet food. Even the critically acclaimed brands sold by high-end pet shops can contain these 5 nasty ingredients... The subject of misleading ingredients in pet food is always a touchy one. Oftentimes I'm faced with angry disbelief: "How could that be allowed? There's NO way that's legal..." "Why would a company intentionally sell dangerous products...?" Many have this distorted view of pet related products; if it's being sold for pets, there's no way it could be bad. Unfortunately that's not how the world works. There are plenty of products out there sold for humans that are exponentially bad for us. For some reason, many can't fathom the possibility of this being a relevant issue for animals as well. Lifting the Veil Off Kibble I'm asked quite frequently what kibbles I think are appropriate for ferrets. My answer has always been, and will always be, none of them due to this simple fact; it's kibble. The bulk of them contain a significant portion of carcinogens and toxins, along with starches and carbohydrates. Kibble requires these things in order for it to be...well, kibble. Without binders holding it together, the food would simply crumble apart. While there are some companies that appear to care a bit more than the average, placing focus on utilizing mostly whole food sources of nutrients and very minimal synthetics, in the end it's all processed pet food. What about canned/wet foods? Sadly, it's all pretty much the same across the board. Wet foods are owned by the same "Big Kibble" companies. They do contain added moisture, crucial for optimal ferret health, but the ingredients are often very similar. One of the first things you learn when researching pet food is everything is not what it seems on the label. I really loved reading, "Decoding Pet Food" by the Cornucopia Institute (it's free!) along with the Canine and Feline Nutrition textbook. Let's jump into just 5 examples of misleading ingredient names. #1 4D Meats / Low quality "feed grade" meat Although AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) regulates pet food labels, they do not regulate quality of ingredients. This information is not required on the label. You will never know if a brand is using 4D/ low quality meats. It's purposefully hidden from pet owners, or else no one would buy the product. What's the difference between human grade and feed grade meat? Human grade
(Note: due to label regulations, raw pet foods can't mark themselves as "fit for human consumption"). 4D meat consists of animals that are dead, dying, diseased, and disabled. Festering organs, cancerous tumors, and more may be included. Unfortunately, it's near impossible to ascertain whether or not a company is using low quality meats. In fact, the FDA discourages companies from declaring they don't use 4D meats on the label. This protects companies that use lower quality ingredients (no idea why this is even a thing...but many companies buddy buddy with the FDA are Big Kibble). While all feed grade products may not contain the bad, the important thing is they very well could! If they aren't legally required to specify...what's stopping them? It's much more cost efficient to source. I personally only feed my animals human grade meats for these reasons. #2 Middlings, and other "trash grains" According to the Official Publication by AAFCO; "Middlings are “fine particles of wheat bran, wheat shorts, wheat germ, wheat flour, and some of the offal [waste] from the tail of the mill." Many love to claim this a myth, but grain industry employees call this ingredient, "floor sweepings." Used to fill gaps in the food, to keep costs as low as possible. Some other examples of "trash grains" you may find on the label:
#3 Monosodium glutamate (MSG) MSG is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Asian style cuisine, and...pet food. The FDA has marked MSG as "probably safe" but it's still a controversial topic among pet owners. "MSG has been linked with obesity, metabolic disorders, Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, neurotoxic effects and detrimental effects on the reproductive organs." There are many common ingredients added to pet food that are hidden MSGs:
MSG works by over-stimulating the brain and kick starts dopamine production, adding an addictive factor to the food, making it harder for your animals to feel "full." This is especially dangerous for breeds prone to obesity. #4 Vitamin Pre-mix I've discussed the potential detriments from artificial vitamins (also called isolated nutrients) in pet foods many times on my platforms. Unlike natural supplements, synthetic nutrients may have the same chemical constituents, but are created via chemical manipulations in a lab, often imported from China. There are many studies that support the differences in bio-availability of synthetics vs food-derived vitamins in animals. To name a few facts:
One of the more well known cases of vitamin pre-mix oversight began in December 2018 with several recalls of kibbles containing excess levels of vitamin D. In fact, it was 70 times the intended amount of vitamin D, which can create kidney failure and death. More recently, canned foods sold by Hill's Pet Nutrition were recalled in January 2019, and expanded to May 2019. According to the FDA, "Hill's had determined that unsafe levels of vitamin D were a result of an ingredient that it received and accepted in the form of a vitamin premix from a supplier." Despite being researched for years, we're nowhere close to nailing the efficiency of synthetic nutrients and how they react in the bodies of our animals. Fortunately, we have a much safer alternative in the form of whole food nutrient sources, but are not often utilized in pet foods due to the nature of how kibble is made. #5 Toxic preservatives What if I told you pet foods can contain preservatives considered unsafe for humans? The three I'll be focusing on in this post is:
BHA is a preservative marked as, "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" by the U.S. National Toxicology Program used to extend shelf life. BHA has been linked to tumors in lab animals, and is listed as a known carcinogen in California. BHA toxicity can cause kidney, liver, and thyroid issues. BHT is a similar preservative that helps extend shelf life and is often added in conjunction to BHA. We generally use this ingredient in beauty products, jet fuels, and pharmaceuticals. Considered a possible carcinogen, BHT is banned for food use in Australia, Japan, Sweden, and Romania. Preservatives are inevitable in processed pet foods. They're needed to maintain shelf life and keep fats from degrading. Another note: any aspect of the pet's diet can be harmful in excess amounts. That being said, there are safer alternatives to these chemical preservatives. The Bottom Line Your animals will never be free from these toxic ingredients if fed processed pet foods. Even the foods that cost an arm and a leg, the ones that contain "all natural" products... Many harmful ingredients are covered with fancy names and some aren't even required to be listed on the label. The only way you can be sure to avoid these ingredients (and much more not even listed here!) is to feed a home prepared diet. These diets can have their imperfections and dangers of their own, but when properly researched and fed, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks, especially when the major risk is nutrient imbalance due to errors by the pet parent, not by the diet itself. I always like to tell people to treat their animals like family. Feed them like you would yourself (not always literally...) we balance our diets overtime, not in every single sitting. We don't cover all the basis by consuming large quantities of synthetic nutrients and "complete" meal products. We obtain proper nutrition through whole food sources and thoughtful eating. Read More:
Case, Linda P. , et al. Canine and Feline Nutrition. Third Edition. Moseby, 2000. https://www.petsafe.net/learn/good-enough-to-eat-the-truth-about-human-grade-pet-food https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/dog-food-grain-by-products/#fn-107-1 https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/msg-dog-food-can-cause-brain-damage/ https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/synthetic-vitamins-and-minerals-in-dog-foods/ https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-industry-exposed/shocking-truth-about-dog-food/
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