Receive important information about health, products, and nutrition every month for FREE.
Here's our family's story and the path we took to help Mark recover from lead poisoning and some learning issues. Read Mark's Story
CRACKING THE CODE
Inside story on dog food - Largely self-regulated,
manufacturers aren't on the tightest of leashes
by Leslie Mann
Years ago, you didn't hear the words "natural," "organic," "raw" or "
human-grade" in the same sentence as "dog food." But now the market for
healthful dog food is growing faster than a Great Dane pup, and the lexicon has greatly expanded. The only problem: What does it all mean?
"It's basically a multibillion-dollar industry that's self-regulated," warned
Ann N. Martin, who has written books on the topic, including "Food
Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food" (NewSage, $13.95).
A handbook from the Association of American Feed Control Officials defines a
"uniform code" that most manufacturers use, but AAFCO isn't a
government agency; it's an independent organization with members that include pet food manufacturers.
The Food and Drug Administration, according to its Web site, "ensures that
the ingredients used in pet food are safe," but headlines earlier this year
proved that this isn't always so. And it bases its regulations on the AAFCO
code, which is voluntary.
State departments of agriculture randomly test the food to make sure the
ingredients correspond with the labels, according to a spokesman for the
Illinois agency.
Terms such as "natural" are meaningless. In fact, this word was on many of
the packages recalled starting last March, when pet food from China
was found to be contaminated with an industrial chemical.
"Human-grade" means the dog food has met government regulations for human food, and "raw" means it is uncooked, but are these products nutritional for dogs?
A dog food can meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture's definition of
"organic" for human food but may lack nutrients that dogs need. "Made with
organic ingredients" doesn't necessarily mean all ingredients are organic.
"Poop is organic!" said Debra Thomas of Chicago-based Animal Affinity, which
provides dog owners with nutritional counseling. "Beware of that term. Look for
the food with the least amount of ingredients and ingredients that you
recognize."
Understanding ingredient labels takes homework, too, but Martin's "Food" book
walks you through it.
"Meat" (or the animal name, such as "chicken") means "clean flesh from
slaughtered animals." This, Martin said, is what you find in better dog foods.
"Meat byproducts" are parts other than the "clean flesh," such as feet,
beaks, heads and animal carcasses deemed unfit for humans.
"Meat meal" is rendered animals and can include roadkill, diseased livestock,
livestock found dead, rotten meat from grocery stores, restaurant grease and --brace yourself, dog lovers -- dead pets and the barbiturates used to euthanize them.
"Pet-food companies deny that any of their products contain rendered
companion animals," Martin wrote in "Food." "They claim to ask their suppliers
not to include cats and dogs; however, I have yet to find a pet food company
that actually tests the raw material that it receives from a rendering plant to
ascertain the sources of the protein."
Other common protein sources in dog foods, all blessed by AAFCO, include
hydrolyzed hair (hair from slaughtered livestock), food-processing waste from
institutions such as hospitals, and dried swine and poultry excreta.
Even the grains in commercial dog food aren't as pure as some dog owners
believe, Martin said. They can contain herbicides and pesticides, she explained
in "Food." If a label says "no additives or preservatives," Martin explained,
that means only that the pet food maker didn't add them. Most pet food
companies farm out their manufacturing. Wheeling-based Evanger's, she said, is one of the few exceptions.
Equally troubling is the claim "hormone- and antibiotic-free." To verify
this, look for foods such as Pet Promise that are "source-verified." This,
explained its co-founder, Dave Carter, means the company works directly with
farmers who don't use hormones or antibiotics.
To research foods, Thomas suggested that you "buy from a store where you can ask a lot of questions. And go to the food manufacturer's Web site and read about the company and its food contents."
"Education is part of our job," said Dr. Phil Brown, corporate veterinarian
for Newman's Own Organics. "If you see an ingredient on the label you don't
understand, ask."
Or, consult a nutritionist through the American College of Veterinary
Nutrition, suggested Dr. Edward Moser, a nutritionist and a spokesman for
Wellness dog foods.
"He can help you determine which food is best for your dog's age, type, etc.,
and if your dog has allergies to any ingredients," Moser said.
Or, like Martin, cook your own food. Cooking one hour a week yields enough
food for her 160-pound Newfoundland, she said. A good recipe, said Martin,
consists of one-third each of meat, whole grains and ground fruits and
vegetables, plus a little oil.
08-11-08 Is lead on your back to school shopping list?... Read More
05-05-08 bluedominoes, inc. to speak at Whole Children Whole Planet Expo... Read More
