Pet Food articles and Information

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Pet Food articles and Information

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Posted by Blanche on: Sat Aug 02, 2008 6:09 pm


What's Really in Pet Food

Plump whole chickens, choice cuts of beef, fresh grains, and all the wholesome nutrition your dog or cat will ever need.
These are the images pet food manufacturers promulgate through the media and advertising. This is what the $11 billion per year U.S. pet food industry wants consumers to believe they are buying when they purchase their products.
This report explores the differences between what consumers think they are buying and what they are actually getting. It focuses in very general terms on the most visible name brands -- the pet food labels that are mass-distributed to supermarkets and discount stores -- but there are many highly respected brands that may be guilty of the same offenses.
What most consumers don't know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a market for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered "unfit for human consumption," and similar waste products to be turned into profit. This waste includes intestines, udders, esophagi, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts.
Three of the five major pet food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of major multinational companies: Nestlé (Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog, and Ralston Purina products such as Dog Chow, ProPlan, and Purina One), Heinz (9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles-n-Bits, Nature's Recipe), Colgate-Palmolive (Hill's Science Diet Pet Food). Other leading companies include Procter & Gamble (Eukanuba and Iams), Mars (Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba, Waltham's), and Nutro. From a business standpoint, multinational companies owning pet food manufacturing companies is an ideal relationship. The multinationals have increased bulk-purchasing power; those that make human food products have a captive market in which to capitalize on their waste products, and pet food divisions have a more reliable capital base and, in many cases, a convenient source of ingredients.
There are hundreds of different pet foods available in this country. And while many of the foods on the market are similar, not all of the pet food manufacturing companies use poor quality or potentially dangerous ingredients.
Ingredients
Although the purchase price of pet food does not always determine whether a pet food is good or bad, the price is often a good indicator of quality. It would be impossible for a company that sells a generic brand of dog food at $9.95 for a 40-lb. bag to use quality protein and grain in its food. The cost of purchasing quality ingredients would be much higher than the selling price.
The protein used in pet food comes from a variety of sources. When cattle, swine, chickens, lambs, or other animals are slaughtered, the choice cuts such as lean muscle tissue are trimmed away from the carcass for human consumption. However, about 50% of every food-producing animal does not get used in human foods. Whatever remains of the carcass -- bones, blood, intestines, lungs, ligaments, and almost all the other parts not generally consumed by humans -- is used in pet food, animal feed, and other products. These "other parts" are known as "by-products," "meat-and-bone-meal," or similar names on pet food labels.
The Pet Food Institute -- the trade association of pet food manufacturers -- acknowledges the use of by-products in pet foods as additional income for processors and farmers: "The growth of the pet food industry not only provided pet owners with better foods for their pets, but also created profitable additional markets for American farm products and for the byproducts of the meat packing, poultry, and other food industries which prepare food for human consumption."1
Many of these remnants provide a questionable source of nourishment for our animals. The nutritional quality of meat and poultry by-products, meals, and digests can vary from batch to batch. James Morris and Quinton Rogers, two professors with the Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California at Davis Veterinary School of Medicine, assert that, "There is virtually no information on the bioavailability of nutrients for companion animals in many of the common dietary ingredients used in pet foods. These ingredients are generally by-products of the meat, poultry and fishing industries, with the potential for a wide variation in nutrient composition. Claims of nutritional adequacy of pet foods based on the current Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient allowances ('profiles') do not give assurances of nutritional adequacy and will not until ingredients are analyzed and bioavailability values are incorporated."2
Meat and poultry meals, by-product meals, and meat-and-bone meal are common ingredients in pet foods. The term "meal" means that these materials are not used fresh, but have been rendered. What is rendering? Rendering, as defined by Webster's Dictionary, is "to process as for industrial use: to render livestock carcasses and to extract oil from fat, blubber, etc., by melting." Home-made chicken soup, with its thick layer of fat that forms over the top when the soup is cooled, is a sort of mini-rendering process. Rendering separates fat-soluble from water-soluble and solid materials, removes most of the water, and kills bacterial contaminants, but may alter or destroy some of the natural enzymes and proteins found in the raw ingredients. Meat and poultry by-products, while not rendered, vary widely in composition and quality.
What can the feeding of such products do to your companion animal? Some veterinarians claim that feeding slaughterhouse wastes to animals increases their risk of getting cancer and other degenerative diseases. The cooking methods used by pet food manufacturers -- such as rendering, extruding (a heat-and-pressure system used to "puff" dry foods into nuggets or kibbles), and baking -- do not necessarily destroy the hormones used to fatten livestock or increase milk production, or drugs such as antibiotics or the barbiturates used to euthanize animals.
Animal and Poultry Fat
You may have noticed a unique, pungent odor when you open a new bag of pet food -- what is the source of that delightful smell? It is most often rendered animal fat, restaurant grease, or other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans.
Restaurant grease has become a major component of feed grade animal fat over the last fifteen years. This grease, often held in fifty-gallon drums, may be kept outside for weeks, exposed to extreme temperatures with no regard for its future use. "Fat blenders" or rendering companies then pick up this used grease and mix the different types of fat together, stabilize them with powerful antioxidants to retard further spoilage, and then sell the blended products to pet food companies and other end users.
These fats are sprayed directly onto extruded kibbles and pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. The fat also acts as a binding agent to which manufacturers add other flavor enhancers such as digests. Pet food scientists have discovered that animals love the taste of these sprayed fats. Manufacturers are masters at getting a dog or a cat to eat something she would normally turn up her nose at.
Wheat, Soy, Corn, Peanut Hulls, and Other Vegetable Protein
The amount of grain products used in pet food has risen over the last decade. Once considered filler by the pet food industry, cereal and grain products now replace a considerable proportion of the meat that was used in the first commercial pet foods. The availability of nutrients in these products is dependent upon the digestibility of the grain. The amount and type of carbohydrate in pet food determines the amount of nutrient value the animal actually gets. Dogs and cats can almost completely absorb carbohydrates from some grains, such as white rice. Up to 20% of the nutritional value of other grains can escape digestion. The availability of nutrients for wheat, beans, and oats is poor. The nutrients in potatoes and corn are far less available than those in rice. Some ingredients, such as peanut hulls, are used for filler or fiber, and have no significant nutritional value.
Two of the top three ingredients in pet foods, particularly dry foods, are almost always some form of grain products. Pedigree Performance Food for Dogs lists Ground Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, and Corn Gluten Meal as its top three ingredients. 9 Lives Crunchy Meals for cats lists Ground Yellow Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, and Poultry By-Product Meal as its first three ingredients. Since cats are true carnivores -- they must eat meat to fulfill certain physiological needs -- one may wonder why we are feeding a corn-based product to them. The answer is that corn is a much cheaper "energy source" than meat.
In 1995, Nature's Recipe pulled thousands of tons of dog food off the shelf after consumers complained that their dogs were vomiting and losing their appetite. Nature's Recipe's loss amounted to $20 million. The problem was a fungus that produced vomitoxin (an aflatoxin or "mycotoxin," a toxic substance produced by mold) contaminating the wheat. In 1999, another fungal toxin triggered the recall of dry dog food made by Doane Pet Care at one of its plants, including Ol' Roy (Wal-Mart's brand) and 53 other brands. This time, the toxin killed 25 dogs.
Although it caused many dogs to vomit, stop eating, and have diarrhea, vomitoxin is a milder toxin than most. The more dangerous mycotoxins can cause weight loss, liver damage, lameness, and even death as in the Doane case. The Nature's Recipe incident prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to intervene. Dina Butcher, Agriculture Policy Advisor for North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer, concluded that the discovery of vomitoxin in Nature's Recipe wasn't much of a threat to the human population because "the grain that would go into pet food is not a high quality grain."3
Soy is another common ingredient that is sometimes used as a protein and energy source in pet food. Manufacturers also use it to add bulk so that when an animal eats a product containing soy he will feel more sated. While soy has been linked to gas in some dogs, other dogs do quite well with it. Vegetarian dog foods use soy as a protein source.
Additives and Preservatives
Many chemicals are added to commercial pet foods to improve the taste, stability, characteristics, or appearance of the food. Additives provide no nutritional value. Additives include emulsifiers to prevent water and fat from separating, antioxidants to prevent fat from turning rancid, and artificial colors and flavors to make the product more attractive to consumers and more palatable to their companion animals.
Adding chemicals to food originated thousands of years ago with spices, natural preservatives, and ripening agents. In the last 40 years, however, the number of food additives has greatly increased.
All commercial pet foods must be preserved so they stay fresh and appealing to our animal companions. Canning is a preserving process itself, so canned foods contain less preservatives than dry foods. Some preservatives are added to ingredients or raw materials by the suppliers, and others may be added by the manufacturer. Because manufacturers need to ensure that dry foods have a long shelf life to remain edible after shipping and prolonged storage, fats used in pet foods are preserved with either synthetic or "natural" preservatives. Synthetic preservatives include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, propylene glycol (also used as a less-toxic version of automotive antifreeze), and ethoxyquin. For these antioxidants, there is little information documenting their toxicity, safety, interactions, or chronic use in pet foods that may be eaten every day for the life of the animal.
Potentially cancer-causing agents such as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are permitted at relatively low levels. The use of these chemicals in pet foods has not been thoroughly studied, and long term build-up of these agents may ultimately be harmful. Due to questionable data in the original study on its safety, ethoxyquin's manufacturer, Monsanto, was required to perform a new, more rigorous study. This was completed in 1996. Even though Monsanto found no significant toxicity associated with its own product, in July 1997, the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine requested that manufacturers voluntarily reduce the maximum level for ethoxyquin by half, to 75 parts per million. While some pet food critics and veterinarians believe that ethoxyquin is a major cause of disease, skin problems, and infertility in dogs, others claim it is the safest, strongest, most stable preservative available for pet food. Ethoxyquin is approved for use in human food for preserving spices, such as cayenne and chili powder, at a level of 100 ppm -- but it would be very difficult to consume as much chili powder every day as a dog would eat dry food. Ethoxyquin has never been tested for safety in cats.
Some manufacturers have responded to consumer concern, and are now using "natural" preservatives such as Vitamin C (ascorbate), Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols), and oils of rosemary, clove, or other spices, to preserve the fats in their products. Other ingredients, however, may be individually preserved. Most fish meal, and some prepared vitamin-mineral mixtures, contain chemical preservatives. This means that your companion animal may be eating food containing several types of preservatives. Federal law requires preservatives to be disclosed on the label; however, pet food companies only recently started to comply with this law.
Additives in Processed Pet Foods
Anticaking agents
Antimicrobial agents
Antioxidants
Coloring agents
Curing agents
Drying agents
Emulsifiers
Firming agents
Flavor enhancers
Flavoring agents
Flour treating agents
Formulation aids
Humectants
Leavening agents
Lubricants
Nonnutritive sweeteners
Nutritive sweeteners
Oxidizing and reducing agents
pH control agents
Processing aids
Sequestrants
Solvents, vehicles
Stabilizers, thickeners
Surface active agents
Surface finishing agents
Synergists
Texturizers
While the law requires studies of direct toxicity of these additives and preservatives, they have not been tested for their potential synergistic effects on each other once ingested. Some authors have suggested that dangerous interactions occur among some of the common synthetic preservatives.4 Natural preservatives do not provide as long a shelf life as chemical preservatives, but they are safe.
The Manufacturing Process
How Pet Food Is Made
Although feeding trials are no longer required for a food to meet the requirements for labeling a food "complete and balanced," most manufacturers perform palatability studies when developing a new pet food. One set of animals is fed a new food while a "control" group is fed a current formula. The total volume eaten is used as a gauge for the palatability of the food. The larger and more reputable companies do use feeding trials, which are considered to be a much more accurate assessment of the actual nutritional value of the food. They keep large colonies of dogs and cats for this purpose, or use testing laboratories that have their own animals.
Most dry food is made with a machine called an expander or extruder. First, raw materials are blended, sometimes by hand, other times by computer, in accordance with a recipe developed by animal nutritionists. This mixture is fed into an expander and steam or hot water is added. The mixture is subjected to steam, pressure, and high heat as it is extruded through dies that determine the shape of the final product and puffed like popcorn. The food is allowed to dry, and then is usually sprayed with fat, digests, or other compounds to make it more palatable. Although the cooking process may kill bacteria in pet food, the final product can lose its sterility during the subsequent drying, fat coating, and packaging process. A few foods are baked at high temperatures rather than extruded. This produces a dense, crunchy kibble that is palatable without the addition of sprayed on palatability enhancers. Animals can be fed about 25% less of a baked food, by volume (but not by weight), than an extruded food.
Ingredients are similar for wet, dry, and semi-moist foods, although the ratios of protein, fat, and fiber may change. A typical can of ordinary cat food reportedly contains about 45-50% meat or poultry by-products. The main difference between the types of food is the water content. It is impossible to directly compare labels from different kinds of food without a mathematical conversion to "dry matter basis."5 Wet or canned food begins with ground ingredients mixed with additives. If chunks are required, a special extruder forms them. Then the mixture is cooked and canned. The sealed cans are then put into containers resembling pressure cookers and commercial sterilization takes place. Some manufacturers cook the food right in the can.
There are special labeling requirements for pet food, all of which are contained in the annually revised Official Publication of AAFCO.6 The use of the terms "all" or "100%" cannot be used "if the product contains more than one ingredient, not including water sufficient for processing, decharacterizing agents, or trace amounts of preservatives and condiments." Products containing multiple ingredients are covered by AAFCO Regulation PF3(b) and (c). The "95% rule" applies when the ingredient(s) derived from animals, poultry, or fish constitutes at least 95% or more of the total weight of the product (or 70% excluding water for processing).
Because all-meat diets are usually not nutritionally balanced, they fell out of favor for many years. However, due to rising consumer interest in high quality meat products, several companies are now promoting 95% and 100% canned meats as a supplemental feeding option.
The "dinner" product is defined by the 25% Rule, which applies when "an ingredient or a combination of ingredients constitutes at least 25% of the weight of the product" (excluding water sufficient for processing) as long as the ingredient(s) shall constitute at least 10% of the total product weight; and a descriptor that implies other ingredients are included in the product formula is used on the label. Such descriptors include "recipe," "platter," "entree," and "formula." A combination of ingredients included in the product name is permissible when each ingredient comprises at least 3% of the product weight, excluding water for processing, and the ingredient names appear in descending order by weight.
The "with" rule allows an ingredient name to appear on the label, such as "with real chicken," as long as each such ingredient constitutes at least 3% of the food by weight, excluding water for processing.
The "flavor" rule allows a food to be designated as a certain flavor as long as the ingredient(s) are sufficient to "impart a distinctive characteristic" to the food. Thus, a "beef flavor" food may contain a small quantity of digest or other extract of tissues from cattle, without containing any actual beef meat at all.
What Happened to the Nutrients?
Dr. Randy L. Wysong is a veterinarian and produces his own line of pet foods. A long-time critic of pet food industry practices, he said, "Processing is the wild card in nutritional value that is, by and large, simply ignored. Heating, cooking, rendering, freezing, dehydrating, canning, extruding, pelleting, baking, and so forth, are so commonplace that they are simply thought of as synonymous with food itself."7 Processing meat and by-products used in pet food can greatly diminish their nutritional value, but cooking increases the digestibility of cereal grains.
To make pet food nutritious, pet food manufacturers must "fortify" it with vitamins and minerals. Why? Because the ingredients they are using are not wholesome, their quality may be extremely variable, and the harsh manufacturing practices destroy many of the nutrients the food had to begin with.
Contaminants
Commercially manufactured or rendered meat meals and by-product meals are frequently highly contaminated with bacteria because their source is not always slaughtered animals. Animals that have died because of disease, injury, or natural causes are a source of meat for meat meal. The dead animal might not be rendered until days after its death. Therefore the carcass is often contaminated with bacteria such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Dangerous E. Coli bacteria are estimated to contaminate more than 50% of meat meals. While the cooking process may kill bacteria, it does not eliminate the endotoxins some bacteria produce during their growth and are released when they die. These toxins can cause sickness and disease. Pet food manufacturers do not test their products for endotoxins.
Mycotoxins -- These toxins comes from mold or fungi, such as vomitoxin in the Nature's Recipe case, and aflatoxin in Doane's food. Poor farming practices and improper drying and storage of crops can cause mold growth. Ingredients that are most likely to be contaminated with mycotoxins are grains such as wheat and corn, cottonseed meal, peanut meal, and fish meal.
Labeling
The National Research Council (NRC) of the Academy of Sciences set the nutritional standards for pet food that were used by the pet food industry until the late 1980s. The NRC standards, which still exist and are being revised as of 2001, were based on purified diets, and required feeding trials for pet foods claimed to be "complete" and "balanced." The pet food industry found the feeding trials too restrictive and expensive, so AAFCO designed an alternate procedure for claiming the nutritional adequacy of pet food, by testing the food for compliance with "Nutrient Profiles." AAFCO also created "expert committees" for canine and feline nutrition, which developed separate canine and feline standards. While feeding trials can still be done, a standard chemical analysis may be also be used to determine if a food meets the profiles.
Chemical analysis, however, does not address the palatability, digestibility, or biological availability of nutrients in pet food. Thus it is unreliable for determining whether a food will provide an animal with sufficient nutrients.
To compensate for the limitations of chemical analysis, AAFCO added a "safety factor," which was to exceed the minimum amount of nutrients required to meet the complete and balanced requirements.
The digestibility and availability of nutrients is not listed on pet food labels.
The 100% Myth -- Problems Caused by Inadequate Nutrition
The idea of one pet food providing all the nutrition a companion animal will ever need for its entire life is a myth.
Cereal grains are the primary ingredients in most commercial pet foods. Many people select one pet food and feed it to their dogs and cats for a prolonged period of time. Therefore, companion dogs and cats eat a primarily carbohydrate diet with little variety. Today, the diets of cats and dogs are a far cry from the primarily protein diets with a lot of variety that their ancestors ate. The problems associated with a commercial diet are seen every day at veterinary establishments. Chronic digestive problems, such as chronic vomiting, diarrhea, and inflammatory bowel disease are among the most frequent illnesses treated. These are often the result of an allergy or intolerance to pet food ingredients. The market for "limited antigen" or "novel protein" diets is now a multi-million dollar business. These diets were formulated to address the increasing intolerance to commercial foods that animals have developed. The newest twist is the truly "hypoallergenic" food that has had all its proteins artificially chopped into pieces smaller than can be recognized and reacted to by the immune system.
Dry commercial pet food is often contaminated with bacteria, which may or may not cause problems. Improper food storage and some feeding practices may result in the multiplication of this bacteria. For example, adding water or milk to moisten pet food and then leaving it at room temperature causes bacteria to multiply.8 Yet this practice is suggested on the back of packages of some kitten and puppy foods.
Pet food formulas and the practice of feeding that manufacturers recommend have increased other digestive problems. Feeding only one meal per day can cause the irritation of the esophagus by stomach acid. Feeding two smaller meals is better.
Feeding recommendations or instructions on the packaging are sometimes inflated so that the consumer will end up purchasing more food. However, Procter & Gamble allegedly took the opposite tack with its Iams and Eukanuba lines, reducing the feeding amounts in order to claim that its foods were less expensive to feed. Independent studies commissioned by a competing manufacturer suggested that these reduced levels were inadequate to maintain health. Procter & Gamble has since sued and been countersued by that competing manufacturer, and a consumer complaint has also been filed seeking class-action status for harm caused to dogs by the revised feeding instructions.
Urinary tract disease is directly related to diet in both cats and dogs. Plugs, crystals, and stones in cat bladders are often triggered or aggravated by commercial pet food formulas. One type of stone found in cats is less common now, but another more dangerous type has become more common. Manipulation of manufactured cat food formulas to alter the acidity of urine and the amount of some minerals has directly affected these diseases. Dogs also form stones as a result of their diet.
History has shown that commercial pet food products can cause disease. An often-fatal heart disease in cats and some dogs is now known to be caused by a deficiency of the amino acid taurine. Blindness is another symptom of taurine deficiency. This deficiency was due to inadequate amounts of taurine in cat food formulas, which itself occurred because of decreased amounts of animal proteins and increased reliance on carbohydrates. Cat foods are now supplemented with taurine. New research suggests that supplementing taurine may also be helpful for dogs, but as yet few manufacturers are adding extra taurine to dog food. Inadequate potassium in certain feline diets also caused kidney failure in young cats; potassium is now added in greater amounts to all cat foods.
Rapid growth in large breed puppies has been shown to contribute to bone and joint disease. Excess calories and calcium in some manufactured puppy foods promoted rapid growth. There are now special puppy foods for large breed dogs. But this recent change will not help the countless dogs who lived and died with hip and elbow disease.
There is also evidence that hyperthyroidism in cats may be related to excess iodine in commercial pet food diets.9 This is a new disease that first surfaced in the 1970s, when canned food products appeared on the market. The exact cause and effect are not yet known. This is a serious and sometimes terminal disease, and treatment is expensive.
Many nutritional problems appeared with the popularity of cereal-based commercial pet foods. Some have occurred because the diet was incomplete. Although several ingredients are now supplemented, we do not know what ingredients future researchers may discover that should have been supplemented in pet foods all along. Other problems may result from reactions to additives. Others are a result of contamination with bacteria, mold, drugs, or other toxins. In some diseases the role of commercial pet food is understood; in others, it is not. The bottom line is that diets composed primarily of low quality cereals and rendered meat meals are not as nutritious or safe as you should expect for your cat or dog.
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What Consumers Can Do
• Write or call pet food companies and the Pet Food Institute and express your concerns about commercial pet foods. Demand that manufacturers improve the quality of ingredients in their products.
• Call API with any information about the pet food industry, specific manufacturers, or specific products.
• Print out a copy of this report for your veterinarian to further his or her knowledge about commercial pet food.
• Direct your family and friends with companion animals to this website, to alert them of the dangers of commercial pet food. Or request copies of our Fact Sheet on Selecting a Good Commercial Food.
• Stop buying commercial pet food. Or if that is not possible, reduce the quantity of commercial pet food and supplement with fresh foods. Purchase one or more of the many books available on pet nutrition and make your own food. Be sure that a veterinarian or a nutritionist has checked the recipes to ensure that they are balanced and complete.
• Check our sample diets you can make yourself.
• Please be aware that API is not a veterinary hospital, clinic, or service. API does not and will not offer any medical advice. If you have concerns about your companion animal's health or nutritional requirements, please consult your veterinarian.
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Note: Because pet food manufacturers frequently change the formulations of their products and API would not have conducted the necessary testing, we are unable to offer endorsements for particular brands of pet food. Many of our staff choose to make their own pet food or to purchase natural or organic products found in most feed and specialist stores but we cannot recommend brands that would be right for your companion animal or animals.
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For Further Reading about Animal Nutrition
The Animal Protection Institute recommends the following books, many of which include recipes for home-prepared diets:
• Rudy Edalati. Barker's Grub: Easy, Wholesome Home Cooking for Your Dog. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-609-80442-1.
• Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., and Susan Hubble Pitcairn. Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. Rodale Press, Inc. ISBN 0-87596-243-2.
• Kate Solisti-Mattelon and Patrice Mattelon. The Holistic Animal Handbook: A Guidebook to Nutrition, Health, and Communication. Beyond Words Publishing Co. ISBN 1-5827-0023-0.
• Donald R. Strombeck. Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative. Iowa State University Press. ISBN 0-8138-2149-5.
• Celeste Yarnall. Natural Cat Care. Journey Editions. ISBN 1-8852-0363-2.
• Celeste Yarnall. Natural Dog Care. Journey Editions. ISBN 0-7858-1123-0.
The books listed above are a fraction of all the titles currently available, and the omission of a title does not necessarily mean it is not useful for further reading about animal nutrition.
Please note: The Animal Protection Institute is not a bookseller, and cannot sell or send these books to you. Please contact your local book retailer or an online bookstore, who can supply these books based on the ISBN provided for each title.
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What API is Doing
• API is a liaison to the AAFCO Pet Food and Ingredient Definitions Committees. By attending AAFCO meetings, we hope to learn more about the industry itself and about potential avenues for bringing about change.
• An API representative attends other petfood industry meetings to give voice to our and the consumers' concerns about pet food.
• API is involved in lobbying for the federal regulation of pet food and the development of more stringent standards for the quality of ingredients used.
• API will continue to provide information to the public about the pet food industry and the products it promotes.
• API is preparing a detailed scientific paper documenting the numerous problems associated with commercial pet food, for presentation to veterinarians.

[lmcpug]

Posted by Blanche on: Sat Aug 02, 2008 6:11 pm


Interpretation of Label Ingredients—the “Meat & Potatoes” (or, Let’s Talk Turkey!!)

Ground yellow corn is the entire corn kernel, ground or chopped.
While the whole corn kernel is nutritious and follows good philosophy of supplying whole grain nutrition, corn is considered to be highly allergenic.

Corn meal is the entire corn kernel, finely ground.
While the whole corn kernel is nutritious and follows good philosophy of supplying whole grain nutrition, corn is considered to be highly allergenic.

Corn gluten meal is the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm.
Corn gluten meal is a low ash source of protein and acts as a urine acidifier in CAT formulas. Cats vs Dogs: While not the best quality source of protein, the use of corn gluten in small amounts offer preventive health benefits for cats. In addition, unlike dogs, cats do not usually show signs of allergic reactions to corn products. Holistic vets feel strongly, however, that there is no justification for the use of corn gluten in dog foods and considers it to be only a cheap protein filler when used in this manner.

Soybean meal is the product obtained by grinding the flakes which remain after removal of most of the oil from soybeans by a solvent or mechanical extraction process.
Soybean meal is a poor quality protein filler. The "Crude Protein" analysis on pet food labels is only a measurement of the amount of nitrogen in a food -- not the quality of the protein. Because of this, pet food companies can use the cheaper by-products of human food production, such as soybean meal, to boost protein numbers.
Meat is always the best source of quality protein. Meat protein is better absorbed and retained and is higher in essential amino acids like methionine, arginine, and taurine. Soybean meal has a biologic value less than 50% of that of chicken meal.

BHA/BHT is short for Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), both of which are chemical preservatives.
BHA and BHT have been banned from human use in many countries. They are known carcinogens. In the US, they are still permitted in pet foods. Good quality foods use no chemical preservatives of any kind. They are naturally preserved with Vitamins E and C.

Chicken byproduct meal consists of the dry, ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines -- exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.
Chicken byproduct meal is an inconsistent ingredient because of the multiple organs used, their constantly changing proportions, and their questionable nutritional value. Chicken byproduct meal is much less expensive and less digestible than chicken meal, which is considered the single best source of protein.

Chicken meal is the dry rendered (cooked down) product from a combination of clean flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts of whole carcasses of chicken -- exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, or entrails.
Chicken meal is considered to be the single best source of protein in commercial pet foods. High quality, low ash chicken meal should be used. This ingredient is very digestible, very palatable, and very expensive.







………….Interpretation, page 2

Chicken is the clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken- exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, and entrails.
Chicken is an excellent source of protein.
The chicken the higher quality foods use is not only human grade, but also tested to be free of hormones, antibiotics and pesticides, as well as chemical preservatives such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin. They do not add these harmful ingredients. This is an important distinction, because manufacturers are not required to list substances that are present in the ingredients when they go into the pet food.

Turkey is the clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts or whole carcasses of turkey or a combination of thereof - exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, and entrails.
Turkey is an excellent source of highly digestible protein. Table-quality turkey always preferred.
The turkey high quality foods use is not only human grade, but also tested to be free of hormones, antibiotics and pesticides, as well as chemical preservatives such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin. This is an important distinction because manufacturers are not required to list substances that are present in the ingredients when they go into the pet food.

Turkey meal is the dry rendered (cooked down) product from a combination of clean flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone derived from the parts of whole carcasses of turkey--exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, or entrails.
Turkey meal is an excellent source of protein in commercial pet foods. This ingredient is very digestible and very palatable.

Lamb consists of lamb tissue, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents.
Before you buy a product containing lamb or lamb meal (dried lamb), ask the manufacturer about the origin of the lamb they use. Premium brands use human-grade New Zealand lamb.

Lamb meal is the dry rendered (cooked down) product from lamb tissues, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.
Lamb meal is simply lamb meat with the moisture removed, making it suitable for use in dry food. Before you buy a product containing lamb meal, ask the manufacturer about the origin of the lamb meal they use. The best use only high quality lamb meat from New Zealand, not the lamb by-products found in some other pet foods.

Duck is the clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts or whole carcasses of duck or a combination thereof - exclusive of feathers, heads, feet and entrails.
Duck is an excellent source of protein and includes important amino acids for healthy skin and coats.

Beef meal is the rendered product from beef tissues, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents, except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.
Beef meal is a by-product made from beef parts which are not suitable for human consumption. It can incorporate the whole cow. Instead, most higher quality dog foods select only fresh human-grade meats like you would buy in a supermarket. Most actually do not use beef in any of their recipes as it is a common cause of skin allergies in dogs.

Beef & bone meal is the rendered product from beef tissues, including bone, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents, except
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in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.
Beef & bone meal is a byproduct made from beef parts which are not suitable for human consumption. It can incorporate the entire cow, including the bone -- although the quality cuts
of meat are always removed before beef & bone meal is made. Instead, higher quality dog foods select only fresh human-grade meats like you would buy in a supermarket. Most actually do not use beef in any of their recipes as it is a common cause of skin allergies in dogs.

Herring meal is the clean, rendered (cooked down), dried ground tissue of undecomposed whole herring or herring cuttings, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil.
Herring meal is a good source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. The best use the whole herring including the oil from this excellent food fish in our cat food products.

Salmon is a marine and freshwater food fish. We use the clean tissue of undecomposed whole salmon and/or salmon cuttings. There is currently no official AAFCO definition for salmon.
Premium foods use whole, table quality salmon, which are ground and added to the ingredient mix. Salmon is an excellent single-source protein. It is also an excellent source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids, which play a vital role in the structures of cell membranes. Essential fatty acids stimulate growth, benefit skin and hair, influence the inflammatory response and affect the development of the nervous system, including the brain.

Menhaden fish meal is the clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cuttings, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil.
Menhaden fish is not sold for human consumption. Menhaden fish meal is a source of protein and oils, but it is preferred to use only table quality ingredients.

Fish meal is the clean, rendered (cooked down), dried ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cuttings, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil.
Fish meal is made from unspecified types of fish. While fish meal can be a good source of essential fatty acids and is very palatable, the ambiguous nature of this ingredient puts it on our unapproved ingredient list.

Animal digest is a material which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed animal tissue. The animal tissues used shall be exclusive of hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers, except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably in good factory practice and shall be suitable for animal feed. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind or flavor(s), it must correspond thereto.
Animal digest is a cooked-down broth made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals. Any kind of animal can be included: goats, pigs, horses, rats, etc. The animals can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. High quality foods use only human grade, single-source meats.

Ground barley is the entire barley kernel, ground or chopped.
Ground barley is a good quality source of carbohydrates. If the entire kernel is used, it contributes additional protein, barley oil, bran, and vitamins and minerals to the diet.
This is in contrast to the fractionated grain ingredients used by some manufacturers, such as cracked pearl barley or barley flour, which are leeched of much of their nutritional value.

Oatmeal is the dry ground product of cleaned oats with the hulls removed.
Oatmeal is a good source of carbohydrate energy. High quality foods use Oatmeal with its natural nutrients intact and without preprocessing. This is in contrast to the fractionated oat ingredients used by some manufacturers such as oat bran, oat flour or feeding oat meal, which have been leeched of much of their nutritional value.
A natural, healthy grain that's rich in B vitamins, oatmeal is the featured grain in many dog foods because its sticky texture helps hold the biscuit shape together without using artificial binders.

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Sorghum is the ground grain of the sorghum plant.
Sorghum is a member of the grass family; its leaves and stalk resemble corn but it does not have ears. Although sorghum is good source of carbohydrates, it is low in digestibility and therefore not used in higher quality dog food products. Essentially, a filler.

Flaxseed is the whole seed of the flax plant.
What makes flaxseed so outstanding is its mix in both soluble and insoluble fiber. Together these fibers aid in digestion and help to prevent constipation, thereby offering protection against cancer. Flaxseed is also an excellent source of Omega 6 and Omega 3 essential fatty acids. These fatty acids help produce the soft, luxuriant coat on your pet. The richest source of alpha-linoleic acid is found in flaxseed.

Salt is a natural mineral, necessary for life and good health.
Most pet food ingredients contain enough sodium to meet a dog or cat's nutritional needs. The sodium in the good quality products comes only from the natural ingredients, with no added salt or sodium products as flavor enhancers.

Canola oil is the oil obtained from the repeated pressing of canola seeds.
Canola oil, although a single-source oil, is lower in the essential linoleic acids which provide a lustrous coat and soft, supple skin.
Instead of canola, many foods use pure Sunflower Oil which is the most expensive and highest in linoleic acid of all table-quality oils. However, sunflower oil HAS been linked to cancer.

Sunflower oil is obtained by extracting oil from sunflower seeds.
Sunflower oil has a high concentration of linoleic acid (73%), which is important for good skin and coat health. The best to use is sunflower oil that has been cold-pressed and protected from exposure to heat and light. This very high quality, very palatable fat, but HAS been linked to cancer.

Choline is a dietary supplement included in the B complex vitamins.
It is necessary to nerve function and fat metabolism and can be manufactured in the body but not at a sufficient rate to meet health requirements. Dietary choline protects against poor growth, fatty liver and renal damage in many animals.

Alfalfa meal is the aerial portion of the alfalfa plant, reasonably free of other crop plants, weeds and mold, which has been finely ground.
Alfalfa is an excellent source of phytochemicals and phytoestrogens and their antioxidant effect stimulates the immune system. The best sources, however, use only the unprocessed sprout form of the alfalfa plant.

Natural flavors are minimally processed flavor ingredients that do not contain synthetic or artificial components. Good brands use only quality chicken broth.

Dried carrots are the roots of the carrot plant that have had the moisture removed.
Although dried fruits and vegetables can be nutrient dense, Most higher quality food does not use any dried or dehydrated ingredients in their products. Instead they should use whole steamed carrots which are free of pesticides.

Apple pomace is the waste product from juicing apples.
Apple pomace has low nutritional value, and is mainly used as an inexpensive source of fiber.
Fiber can come from whole ground grains, fruits and vegetables which supply a good balance of soluble and insoluble fiber.

Apples are a member of the rose family, the apple has a compartmented core and is thus classified as a pome fruit.
Apples are an excellent source of dietary fiber. About 81 percent of the fiber is soluble; most of it is of a type called pectin. Apples provide both soluble and insoluble fiber, some vitamin C
………….Interpretation, page 5
and beta carotene, and potassium and boron.

Kelp is dried seaweed of the families Laminariacae and Fucaeae.
Kelp is a general term used to describe large brown seaweeds. Seaweeds have been used throughout the world for centuries as a rich source of natural organic minerals and vitamins like iodine, potassium and calcium. The thyroid gland depends upon minerals, especially iodine, to function properly and to secrete adequate amounts of thyroxin and triiodothyronine. These hormones influence metabolic rate and body temperature. Kelp is not only rich in iodine, but is also an additional natural source of beta-carotene, B vitamins and vitamin C. This beneficial supplement helps to improve the utilization of all ingredients in dog food, thereby improving the overall health and performance of your dog.

Vitamins are organic compounds that function as parts of enzyme systems essential for the transmission of energy and the regulation of metabolisms of the body. Minerals are inorganic substances essential for a host of vital processes within the body.
AAFCO regulates minimum standard quantities of vitamins and minerals in levels that pets need to survive. All pet food manufacturers supplement their products with vitamins and minerals. Mainly because the manufacturing process kills most of them. Beyond meeting these minimum requirements, all good products contain a complete vitamin and mineral supplement program that helps pets to thrive, not just survive. The minerals should be chelated, providing three to ten times greater assimilation than common minerals.
Included in foods are some of the following: Ascorbic Acid, Beta Carotene, Biotin, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Iodate, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Dicalcium Pantothenate, dl-Methionine, Folic Acid, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Niacin, Potassium Chloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin C Supplement (Sodium Ascorbate), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement (Alpha Tocopherol), Zinc Proteinate
Of course, they need to be added in proper balance to ensure that your pet gets all the necessary nutrients for life and good health every day.

Ground brown rice is the entire product obtained in grinding the rice kernels after the hulls have been removed.
Ground brown rice is a high quality source of carbohydrates and natural fiber. Many foods add brown rice—“ to provide excellent nutritional value and a 'nutty' flavor in dog and cat foods.” Ground brown rice is slightly less digestible than ground (white) rice.

Ground rice is the de-hulled rice kernel, ground or chopped, with the bran removed -- known as white rice.
Rice is a high quality source of carbohydrates. Found in most products, rice is the most digestible grain for pet foods and is relatively hypo-allergenic.
Some manufacturers use rice fractions, such as rice polishings, rice bran, or brewers rice, which have been leeched of much of their nutritional value. Brown rice comes from the same plant as white rice, but has the bran intact.

Rice bran is the pericarp or bran layer and germ of the rice.
Rice bran adds a rich, hearty natural flavor to the food and has a positive effect on proper digestion due to the high fiber content, but is leeched of it’s nutritional value.

Rice flour consists principally of the soft, finely ground and bolted meal obtained from milling rice (containing essentially the starch and gluten of the endosperm) together with fine particles of rice bran and the offal from the 'tail of the mill.'
Whenever flour is part of an ingredient's name, the grain has been processed and some (or all) of the nutritional value has been lost. Frequently these flour ingredients are simply the leftover dust from processing human food ingredients.

Brewer's rice is the small milled fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice.

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Brewer's rice is a lower quality rice product that is missing many of the nutrients found in ground rice and ground brown rice. (See the descriptions for those ingredients.). Another filler.

Taurine is the 11th essential amino acid required by cats.
Insufficient levels of taurine can lead to blindness and cardiac problems in cats. Meat is naturally high in taurine, so most high quality foods contain high levels of this important nutrient. Natural taurine is also added to cat foods to ensure cats get enough of this essential amino acid.
Cats vs Dogs: While dogs can synthesize taurine in their systems, cats cannot and must have additional amounts added to their diet for proper health.
Recent university research has suggested, however, that like cats, some breeds of dogs may benefit from Taurine in the diet.

Chicken fat is obtained from the tissues of chickens in the commercial process of rendering or extracting.
Chicken fat is the highest of all animal sources in linoleic acid (over 23%), an important element for skin and coat health. The higher the quality of chicken, the higher quality source of fat.

Poultry fat is obtained from the tissues of poultry in the commercial process of rendering or extracting.
Poultry fat is a byproduct of meat processing. The origin of the contributing animals is never known; the source can be any fowl (turkey, chicken, geese, buzzard, etc.) and the resulting oil is very low in linoleic acid -- an essential fatty acid that is important for skin and coat health.

Suncured alfalfa meal is the aerial portion of the alfalfa plant, reasonably free of other crop plants, weeds and mold, which has been suncured and finely ground.
Alfalfa is known for its excellent source of phytochemicals and phytoestrogens and their antioxidant effect stimulates the immune system. Alfalfa is a good source, also, of vitamin C, folate, vitamin A, niacin and pantothenic acid. The best use the unprocessed sprout instead of the ground meal.

Lecithin is a specific phospholipid and the principal constituent of crude phosphatides derived from oil-bearing seeds.
Lecithin is essential for normal fatty acid transport within cells. It is obtained chiefly from soybeans, corn and egg yolk. The best sources are whole grains, fresh fruits and natural protein sources which provide all the essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals necessary for the life and health of our pets.

Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid derived from edible fats and oils.
Dog and cat foods should contain substantial amounts of the fatty acid, linoleic acid, to help promote good skin and a lustrous coat. The linoleic acid is derived from the chicken fat, the sunflower oil and the hemp oil found in some products.

Rosemary is an evergreen shrub of Rosemarinus Officinalis.
Rosemary, along with its cancer prevention properties, is a highly effective preservative.

Sage is a perennial evergreen shrub with grayish green foliage.
This herb is one of several used in petfoods as a preservative--a natural preservative for the chicken fat in the dg food formula.

Yeast culture is the dried product composed of yeast and the media on which it is grown, dried in such a manner as to preserve the fermenting activity of the yeast.
Yeast culture is an unnecessary flavoring ingredient, used in inexpensive pet foods in an

………….Interpretation, page 7

attempt to compensate for a lack of real food flavors. In addition, yeast is an allergen for some animals.

Potatoes are whole, freshly cooked, Idaho russet potatoes, that include the skins.
They should not be pre-processed, so they retain all of their important nutrients (including 'protector' antioxidants).
Potatoes provide B vitamins, carbohydrates, zinc, vitamin C, copper, iron, magnesium, niacin and potassium.

Pearled barley is barley that has been dehulled by machine brushing.
Pearled barley has the bran removed but leaves the endosperm and germ intact, thereby contributing additional protein, barley oil and vitamins and minerals to the diet. Sometimes used to help maintain proper fiber and carbohydrate levels.

Ground millet is any of various cereal grasses cultivated for grain or fodder.
According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, millet is an important food staple in much of Asia, Russia, and western Africa. In the United States and Western Europe, millet grains are are used chiefly for pasture or to produce hay.
The nutrient content in millet is not as biologically available to animals as other grains. Instead of millet, whole grains such as barley, oats and rice, with higher biological values are preferred.

Egg product is product obtained from egg graders, egg breakers, and/or hatchery operations that is dehydrated, handled as liquid, or frozen.
Egg product consists of the unused leftovers from eggs for human production. It can include undeveloped eggs, shells, and other tissues unfit for human consumption. Obviously, premium foods use only human grade whole eggs.

Dried skim milk is the residue obtained by drying defatted milk.
High quality dog foods have only lactose-free whole pasteurized milk for its important calcium and phosphorus content, as most dogs and cats are lactose-intolerant.

Cranberry powder is the dehydrated form of the cranberry plant.
Although dried or dehydrated fruits and vegetables can be nutrient dense, it is preferred to use them in their whole state without the removal of water or other liquids. Ideally, whole cranberries are all-natural and pesticide free.

Dried beet pulp is the dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned, freed from crowns, leaves, and sand, and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar.
Dried beet pulp is added to some pet foods to act as a fibrous stool hardener. All-natural ingredients are best as stool hardeners, and the sugar added from the beet is an unnecessary ingredient.

Beet pulp is the residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned, freed from crowns, leaves, and sand, and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar.
Beet pulp is added to some pet foods to act as a fibrous stool hardener. The fiber in dog food products is best derived from all-natural ingredients. Beet pulp is an unnecessary ingredient. A cheap filler.

Beets, also known as beetroot, are a biennial or annual root vegetable of the family Chenopodiaceae (goosefoot family).
Beets are high in protein, iron, potassium, folacin and fiber. The leaves of the beetroot are especially high in calcium. This is a very nutritious and beneficial ingredient.

Brewer's dried yeast is the dried, non-fermentive, non-extracted yeast that results as a by-product of the brewing of beer and ale.
………….Interpretation, page 8
Although brewer's yeast is a good source of Vitamin B, it is a potential allergen for some animals and should not be included in dog foods.

Glucosamine hydrochloride is a compound that occurs naturally in the cartilage cushioning the joints.
Glucosamine, together with chondroitin sulfate, is believed to stimulate the rebuilding of the cartilage matrix and to play a role in the fight against osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, the levels in most dog foods are far too low to actually enjoy their benefits. Dogs (based upon size/weight) require approx. 1000 mg/day for efficacy. One should NOT feed food with glucosamine to dogs who have no arthritic symptoms, as it is NOT a preventative.

Yucca schidigera is a supplement from the yucca plant.
There is some evidence that consecutive use of yucca can interfere with absorption of fat soluble vitamins.

Tomato pomace is the mixture of tomato skins, pulp, and crushed seeds.
This is an inexpensive byproduct with the potential for pesticide residues in discarded tomato skins, which are the largest component of tomato pomace.

Yogurt is the product resulting from the culturing of a mixture of milk and cream products with the lactic acid-producing bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Other bacterial cultures and select strains of bacteria may also be used. Sweeteners, flavorings, and other ingredients may be added. There is no official definition of yogurt by AAFCO.
Yogurt is a very good source of calcium, protein, potassium and magnesium. It can aid in bone growth and maintenance.

Cheese is defined as the fresh or matured product obtained by draining the whey of the original milk after coagulation of casein, milk's major protein. There is no official definition by AAFCO.
Cheese provides many essential nutrients and is an important source of protein, vitamins and minerals. In its concentrated form, it contains many of milk's nutrients.

Spinach is an annual vegetable plant grown for its leaves.
Fresh spinach leaves are a rich source of Vitamin A, C and iron. This is an excellent addition to any pet food.

Viable Naturally Occurring Microorganisms are freeze-dried bacteria that are cultured in a labratory and include Lactobacillus acidophillus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium thermophilium & Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.
These beneficial bacteria (similar to what's found in yogurt) are naturally occurring in the microflora of the hind gut of your pet. They help to prevent disease and sickness, aid in digestion, improve nutrition, ease food sensitivity and contribute to the overall health and microbial balance of the intestinal tract.
Commonly known as Probiotics, these are especially effective when pets are experiencing stress (i.e. transporting, boarding, surgery and disease). Stress can reduce the number of beneficial intestinal bacteria. Probiotics are used to replace the depleted beneficial organisms.

Amaranth is a seed plant which is a good alternative source of carbohydrate energy.
It is a valuable carbohydrate ingredient with a unique flavor. It is also high in linoleic acids, which are good for skin and coat.

Dried Chicory Root is the dried, non-roasted root Cichorium intybus L., used as a source of inulin, as soluble, fermentable fiber. It shall contain no less than 50% inulin and no more than 13% moisture. Chicory Root is a thick-rooted blue-flowered European perennial composite herb widely grown for its roots and as a salad plant.
Commonly known as a "prebiotic," the inulin derived from the Chicory Root is a fructooligosaccharide added to accomplish the same purpose as supplementing probiotics. The
………….Interpretation, page 9

prebiotic feeds the "good bacteria" and hinders the growth of bad bacteria in the pet's digestive tract.

Psyllium husk, used as a fiber supplement, is obtained by milling the seed of the plant Plantago ovata to remove the hulls. It is a class of plant carbohydrate that resists digestion hydrolysis.
Psyllium husk is a useful substance that helps regulate the bowels to help prevent constipation or diarrhea, for those foods that do not obtain that balance naturally. Premium foods are all-natural, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, and have proven to be effective in the regulation of bowel function in the majority of healthy pets.

Biotin is a water-soluble, nitrogen-containing acid essential for growth and well-being in animals and some microorganisms.
Biotin is found in many different foods, but eggs provide a very rich source. Deficiencies are not generally a problem; however, the treatment of dogs and cats with antibiotics that decrease the bacterial population of the large intestine can cause an increase in the dietary requirement of biotin.

Methionine is a natural amino acid which serves as a urinary acidifier.
Methionine is a principle supplier of sulfur which prevents disorders of the hair, skin and nails. It helps lower cholesterol levels by increasing the liver's production of lecithin, reduces liver fat and protects the kidneys. Methionine also regulates the formation of ammonia and creates ammonia-free urine which reduces bladder irritation.
Cat food manufacturers often add this ingredient to cat foods to create an acidic urine, which helps to prevent the formation of struvite crystals which can lead to urinary tract obstruction.

Calcium iodate is a nutritional source of iodine.
Calcium iodate provides the Iodine needed by the body for proper thyroid functioning. The hormones of the thyroid regulate the rate of metabolism, growth, reproduction, nerve and muscle function, the synthesis of proteins, the growth of skin and hair, and the use of oxygen by cells.

Manganese is a micro-mineral and functions as a component of several cell enzymes that catalyze metabolic reactions.
Manganese is necessary for normal bone development and reproduction. Foods that are good sources of manganese include legumes and whole-grain cereals. Naturally occurring manganese deficiency has not been reported in either dogs or cats.

Folic acid is a Vitamin of the B complex that is water-soluble and essential in animal metabolism.
Folic acid is absorbed from the small intestine and small amounts are stored in the liver and other tissues. Excess is excreted in the urine. Its main function is to maintain the cells' genetic code and regulate cell division. It is essential for the normal growth and maintenance of all cells.
When folic acid is deficient in the body, the inability to produce adequate DNA leads to decreased cellular growth and maturation. Like several of the other B vitamins, folic acid is synthesized by the bacteria of the large intestine in dogs and cats.

Lysine is an amino acid released in the hydrolysis of many common proteins.
The inclusion of meat proteins with cereal proteins in a pet food, coupled with properly controlled processing methods, ensures that the ration contains an adequate level of available lysine. In a completely cereal-based dog food, either supplemental lysine or a meat source of lysine must be added.

Zinc proteinate is a mineral and the chelated source of zinc.
Zinc provides mineralization of bone, digestion of protein and the conversion of calorie-containing nutrients into energy. Zinc also functions in the production of proteins, the proper
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functioning of insulin, normal taste, wound healing and the maintenance of normal blood levels of vitamin A. Zinc plays a major role in the maintenance of the immune system and normal blood cholesterol levels.



These are just some of the ingredients one can find on the labels of dog food….I encourage you to do your own research, and to become an educated consumer and MOST IMPORTANTLY, a careful custodian of your dog’s nutrition and health!

[lmcpug]

http://whole-dog-journal.com

[lmcpug]

Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:50 am    
 

This is from the Bichon list:

How to grade your dog's food: Start with a grade of 100:
1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (I.e. "ground brown rice", "brewers rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein
source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point

Score:
94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D 69 and below = F

Here are some foods that have already been scored.
Dog Food scores:
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Permission to cross post.

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Posted by pugmomx6 on: Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:07 pm    
Some are a surprise some not. Interesting. It made me go look at my bag of Barking at the Moon. I just discovered it doesn't contain flax seed oil, it has almond oil and salmon oil. There's no wheat, soy or corn, no animal fat, no by-products, no sugar, salt or artificial preservatives and no sunflower oil. I may give Ringo a try on it after all. It also has blueberries and cranberries, Evo doesn't.
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Posted by pugmomx6 on: Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:01 pm    
BATM - On the front it says No Grains - No Gluten. On the back in capital letters it says no wheat-no soybeans-no corn-no animal fat added-no byproducts-no sugar added-no artificial preservatives-no salt added and no sunflower oil. Even went on the Solid Gold website and checked and looked it up in my Solid Gold Catalogue. I know that Hund-N-Flocken has flax seed.
If I did it right I got a score of 116.
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Posted by pugmomx6 on: Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:55 pm    
Okay, I'm NOT crazy. Got this from the Solid Gold site.

Barking at the Moon Formula Change

Solid Gold has made exciting new changes to Barking at the Moon.

We replaced turkey with beef to maintain the high protein content. Beef has an excellent amino acid profile, is highly digestible, and extremely palatable for dogs.

Barking at the Moon now contains salmon oil and taurine!

Salmon Oil is an excellent source of DHA, an Omega 3 fatty acid important for brain and central nervous development. DHA also helps support proper retinal function.

Taurine is an amino acid essential for heart health.

We also added healthy new oils such as almond oil, canola oil, and sesame oil.

New Barking at the Moon Ingredients:
Salmon Meal, Beef, Potatoes, Potato Protein, Canola Oil, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil (Source of DHA), Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Parsley Flakes, Pumpkin Meal, Almond Oil, Sesame Oil, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Thyme, Blueberries, Cranberries, Carrots, Broccoli, Vitamins and Minerals