From: "Sandy Ayer" To: "Sandy Ayer" Subject: API Animal Protection Institute Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 16:23:24 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0468_01C30C10.29ABF090" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0468_01C30C10.29ABF090 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable VERY interesting. I'll have to also forward to my pet-owning friends. = Thanks! At 09:51 AM 1/3/2003, you wrote: Hey Deb , Found this very good art. from the API-I put little marks = around some important stuff esp about "meals" . Asking the company is = not the best place to ask about the food coz of course they are ALL = going to say "It IS Wonderful!" I called purina years ago to ask about = rendering before I knew that ... What did I think they would tell me = they use rendered animals!!! LOL! We DO have to do the research! Talk = this week end!S =20 =20 =20 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: Nestl=E9 = (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 (I HEARD CAN CAUSE BLOAT TOO SANDY)"""""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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- What Consumers Can Do=20 a.. 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.=20 b.. Call API with any information about the pet food industry, = specific manufacturers, or specific products.=20 c.. Print out a copy of this report for your veterinarian to further = his or her knowledge about commercial pet food.=20 d.. 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.=20 e.. 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.=20 f.. Check our sample diets you can make yourself.=20 g.. 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.=20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- For Further Reading about Animal Nutrition=20 The Animal Protection Institute recommends the following books, many = of which include recipes for home-prepared diets:=20 a.. Rudy Edalati. Barker's Grub: Easy, Wholesome Home Cooking for = Your Dog. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-609-80442-1.=20 b.. 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.=20 c.. 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.=20 d.. Donald R. Strombeck. Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: The = Healthful Alternative. Iowa State University Press. ISBN 0-8138-2149-5.=20 e.. Celeste Yarnall. Natural Cat Care. Journey Editions. ISBN = 1-8852-0363-2.=20 f.. Celeste Yarnall. Natural Dog Care. Journey Editions. ISBN = 0-7858-1123-0.=20 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- What API is Doing=20 a.. 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.=20 b.. An API representative attends other petfood industry meetings to = give voice to our and the consumers' concerns about pet food.=20 c.. 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.=20 d.. API will continue to provide information to the public about the = pet food industry and the products it promotes.=20 e.. API is preparing a detailed scientific paper documenting the = numerous problems associated with commercial pet food, for presentation = to veterinarians.=20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- Who to Write AAFCO Pet Food Committee Dr. Rodney Noel -- Chair Office of Indiana State Chemist Purdue University 1154 Biochemistry Building West Lafayette, IN 47907-1154 www.aafco.org FDA -- Center for Veterinary Medicine Sharon Benz 7500 Standish Place Rockville, MD 20855 301-594-1728 www.cvm.fda.gov/ Pet Food Institute 2025 M Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 202-367-1120 Fax 202-367-2120 -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- References Association of American Feed Control Officials Incorporated. Official = Publication 2001. Atlanta: AAFCO, 2001. Barfield, Carol. FDA Petition, Docket Number 93P0081/CP1, accepted = February 25, 1993. Becker, Ross. "Is your dog's food safe?" Good Dog!, November/December = 1995, 7. Cargill, James, MA, MBA, MS, and Susan Thorpe-Vargas, MS. "Feed that = dog! Part VI." DOGworld, December 1993, 36. Case, Linda P., M.S., Daniel P. Carey, D.V.M., and Diane A. Hirakawa, = Ph.D. Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal = Professionals. St. Louis: Mosby, 1995. Coffman, Howard D. The Dry Dog Food Reference. Nashua: PigDog Press, = 1995. Corbin, Jim. "Pet Foods and Feeding." Feedstuffs, July 17, 1996, = 80-85. Knight-Ridder News Syndicate. "Nature's Recipe Recalls Dog Food That = Contains Vomitoxin." August 28, 1995. Morris, James G., and Quinton R. Rogers. "Assessment of the = Nutritional Adequacy of Pet Foods Through the Life Cycle." Journal of = Nutrition, 124 (1994): 2520S-2533S. Newman, Lisa. What's in your pet's food? Tucson & Phoenix: Holistic = Animal Care, 1994. New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. 1994 Commercial = Feed Analysis Annual Report. Albany: Division of Food Inspection = Services, 1995. Parker, J. Michael. "Tainted dog food blamed on corn." San Antonio = Express News, April 1, 1999. "Petfood activist." Petfood Industry, September/October 1991, 4. Pet Food Institute. Fact Sheet 1994. Washington: Pet Food Institute, = 1994. Phillips, Tim, DVM. "Rendered Products Guide." Petfood Industry, = January/February 1994, 12-17, 21. Pitcairn, Richard H., D.V.M., Ph.D., and Susan Hubble Pitcairn. Dr. = Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats. Emmaus: = Rodale, 1995. Plechner, Alfred J., DVM, and Martin Zucker. Pet Allergies: Remedies = for an Epidemic. Inglewood: Wilshire Book Co., 1986. Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of = Agriculture. 1994 Report of the Inspection and Analysis of Commercial = Feeds, Fertilizers and Liming Materials. Providence: Division of = Agriculture, 1995. Roudebush, Philip, DVM. "Pet food additives." JAVMA, 203 (1993): = 1667-1670. Rouse, Raymond H. "Feed Fats." Petfood Industry, March/April 1987, 7. Sellers, Richard. "Regulating petfood with an open mind." Petfood = Industry, November/December 1990, 41-44. Smith, Carin A. "Research Roundup: Changes and challenges in feline = nutrition." JAVMA 203 (1993), 1395-1400. Strombeck, Donald. R. Home-Prepared Dog and Cat Foods: The Healthful = Alternative. Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1999. Winters, Ruth, M.S. A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives. New = York: Crown, 1994. Wysong, R. L. "The 'complete' myth." Petfood Industry, = September/October 1990, 24-28. [Wysong, R. L.] Fresh and Whole: Getting Involved in Your Pet's Diet. = Midland: Wysong Corporation, 1990. Wysong, R. L. Rationale for Animal Nutrition. Midland: Inquiry Press, = 1993. Notes 1. Pet Food Institute, 2. 2. Morris, 2520S. 3. Corbin, 81. 4. Cargill, 36. 5. The conversion is: ingredient percentage divided by (100 minus = moisture percentage). 6. Official Publication, Regulation PE3, 114-115. 7. Wysong, Rationale, 40-41. 8. Strombeck, 50-52. 9. Smith, 1397. -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- (Revised 01/29/02) =A91997-2002 by The Animal Protection Institute. Because this e-report is frequently revised, it is no longer available = in printed form. However, the fact sheet, "Selecting a Commercial Pet = Food," can be ordered from API. Information on Reprints Home | About Us | Join API | Action Alerts Campaigns & Programs | Legislation | Texas Snow Monkey Sanctuary Publications | Media | API Products | Site Map Join Our Action Alert Team | Donate Now Copyright =A92001 Animal Protection Institute. All rights reserved.=20 =20 ------=_NextPart_000_0468_01C30C10.29ABF090 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
VERY=20 interesting.  I'll have to also forward to my pet-owning friends.=20 Thanks!


At 09:51 AM 1/3/2003, you wrote:
Hey Deb ,=20 Found this very good art. from the API-I put little marks around some=20 important stuff esp about "meals" . Asking the company is not the best = place=20 to ask about the food coz of course they are ALL going to say "It IS=20 Wonderful!"  I called purina years ago to ask about rendering = before I=20 knew that ... What did I think they would tell me they use rendered = animals!!!=20 LOL! We DO have to do the research! Talk this week end!S =20
 
 

Plump whole chickens, choice cuts of beef, = fresh=20 grains, and all the wholesome nutrition your dog or cat will ever=20 need.

""""These are the images pet food manufacturers = promulgate=20 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=20 when they purchase their products.""""""""

This report explores = the=20 differences between what consumers think they are buying and what they = are=20 actually getting. It focuses in very general terms on the most visible = name=20 brands -- the pet food labels that are mass-distributed to = supermarkets and=20 discount stores -- but there are many highly respected brands that may = be=20 guilty of the same offenses.

What most consumers don't know is = that the=20 pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture=20 industries. Pet food provides a market for slaughterhouse offal, = grains=20 considered "unfit for human consumption," and similar waste products = to be=20 turned into profit. This waste includes intestines, udders, esophagi, = and=20 possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts.

""""""""Three of = the five=20 major pet food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of = major=20 multinational companies: Nestl=E9 (Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty = Dog, and=20 Ralston Purina products such as Dog Chow, ProPlan, and Purina One), = Heinz (9=20 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles-n-Bits, Nature's Recipe), = Colgate-Palmolive=20 (Hill's Science Diet Pet Food). Other leading companies include = Procter &=20 Gamble (Eukanuba and Iams), Mars (Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba,=20 Waltham's), and Nutro. From a business standpoint, multinational = companies=20 owning pet food manufacturing companies is an ideal relationship. The=20 multinationals have increased bulk-purchasing power; those that make = human=20 food products have a captive market in which to capitalize on their = waste=20 products, and pet food divisions have a more reliable capital base = and, in=20 many cases, a convenient source of ingredients."""""""""

There = are=20 hundreds of different pet foods available in this country. And while = many of=20 the foods on the market are similar, not all of the pet food = manufacturing=20 companies use poor quality or potentially dangerous=20 ingredients.

Ingredients

Although the purchase = price of=20 pet food does not always determine whether a pet food is good or bad, = the=20 price is often a good indicator of quality. It would be impossible for = a=20 company that sells a generic brand of dog food at $9.95 for a 40-lb. = bag to=20 use quality protein and grain in its food. The cost of purchasing = quality=20 ingredients would be much higher than the selling price.

The = protein=20 used in pet food comes from a variety of sources. When cattle, swine,=20 chickens, lambs, or other animals are slaughtered, the choice cuts = such as=20 lean muscle tissue are trimmed away from the carcass for human = consumption.=20 However, about 50% of every food-producing animal does not get used in = human=20 foods. """""""""""Whatever remains of the carcass -- bones, blood, = intestines,=20 lungs, ligaments, and almost all the other parts not generally = consumed by=20 humans -- is used in pet food, animal feed, and other products. These = "other=20 parts" are known as "by-products," "meat-and-bone-meal," or similar = names on=20 pet food labels.""""""""""""""

The Pet Food Institute -- the = trade=20 association of pet food manufacturers -- acknowledges the use of = by-products=20 in pet foods as additional income for processors and farmers: "The = growth of=20 the pet food industry not only provided pet owners with better foods = for their=20 pets, but also created profitable additional markets for American farm = products and for the byproducts of the meat packing, poultry, and = other food=20 industries which prepare food for human=20 consumption."1

"""""""Many of these remnants provide = a=20 questionable source of nourishment for our animals. The nutritional = quality of=20 meat and poultry by-products, meals, and digests can vary from batch = to=20 batch."""""""" James Morris and Quinton Rogers, two professors with = the=20 Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California at Davis = Veterinary School of Medicine, assert that, "There is virtually no = information=20 on the bioavailability of nutrients for companion animals in many of = the=20 common dietary ingredients used in pet foods. These ingredients are = generally=20 by-products of the meat, poultry and fishing industries, with the = potential=20 for a wide variation in nutrient composition. Claims of nutritional = adequacy=20 of pet foods based on the current Association of American Feed Control = Officials (AAFCO) nutrient allowances ('profiles') do not give = assurances of=20 nutritional adequacy and will not until ingredients are analyzed and=20 bioavailability values are = incorporated."2

"""""""Meat and=20 poultry meals, by-product meals, and meat-and-bone meal are common = ingredients=20 in pet foods. The term "meal" means that these materials are not used = fresh,=20 but have been rendered. What is rendering? """""""""Rendering, as = defined by=20 Webster's Dictionary, is "to process as for industrial use: to = render=20 livestock carcasses and to extract oil from fat, blubber, etc., by = melting."=20 Home-made chicken soup, with its thick layer of fat that forms over = the top=20 when the soup is cooled, is a sort of mini-rendering process. = Rendering=20 separates fat-soluble from water-soluble and solid materials, removes = most of=20 the water, and kills bacterial contaminants, but may alter or destroy = some of=20 the natural enzymes and proteins found in the raw ingredients. Meat = and=20 poultry by-products, while not rendered, vary widely in composition = and=20 quality.

What can the feeding of such products do to your = companion=20 animal? """"""""""""Some veterinarians claim that feeding = slaughterhouse=20 wastes to animals increases their risk of getting cancer and other=20 degenerative diseases. The cooking methods used by pet food = manufacturers --=20 such as rendering, extruding (a heat-and-pressure system used to = "puff" dry=20 foods into nuggets or kibbles), and baking -- do not necessarily = destroy the=20 hormones used to fatten livestock or increase milk production, or = drugs such=20 as antibiotics or the barbiturates used to euthanize=20 animals.''""""""""""""""

Animal and Poultry = Fat

You may=20 have noticed a unique, pungent odor when you open a new bag of pet = food --=20 what is the source of that delightful smell? It is most often rendered = animal=20 fat, restaurant grease, or other oils too rancid or deemed inedible = for=20 humans.

Restaurant grease has become a major component of feed = grade=20 animal fat over the last fifteen years. This grease, often held in=20 fifty-gallon drums, may be kept outside for weeks, exposed to extreme=20 temperatures with no regard for its future use. "Fat blenders" or = rendering=20 companies then pick up this used grease and mix the different types of = fat=20 together, stabilize them with powerful antioxidants to retard further=20 spoilage, and then sell the blended products to pet food companies and = other=20 end users.

These fats are sprayed directly onto extruded = kibbles and=20 pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. = The fat=20 also acts as a binding agent to which manufacturers add other flavor = enhancers=20 such as digests. Pet food scientists have discovered that animals love = the=20 taste of these sprayed fats. Manufacturers are masters at getting a = dog or a=20 cat to eat something she would normally turn up her nose = at.

Wheat,=20 Soy, Corn, Peanut Hulls, and Other Vegetable = Protein

"""""The=20 amount of grain products used in pet food has risen over the last = decade. Once=20 considered filler by the pet food industry, cereal and grain products = now=20 replace a considerable proportion of the meat that was used in the = first=20 commercial pet foods. The availability of nutrients in these products = is=20 dependent upon the digestibility of the grain. The amount and type of=20 carbohydrate in pet food determines the amount of nutrient value the = animal=20 actually gets. Dogs and cats can almost completely absorb = carbohydrates from=20 some grains, such as white rice. Up to 20% of the nutritional value of = other=20 grains can escape digestion. The availability of nutrients for wheat, = beans,=20 and oats is poor. The nutrients in potatoes and corn are far less = available=20 than those in rice. Some ingredients, such as peanut hulls, are used = for=20 filler or fiber, and have no significant nutritional=20 value.""""""""

""""Two of the top three ingredients in pet = foods,=20 particularly dry foods, are almost always some form of grain products. = Pedigree Performance Food for Dogs lists Ground Corn, Chicken = By-Product Meal,=20 and Corn Gluten Meal as its top three ingredients. 9 Lives Crunchy = Meals for=20 cats lists Ground Yellow Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, and Poultry = By-Product Meal=20 as its first three ingredients. Since cats are true carnivores -- they = must=20 eat meat to fulfill certain physiological needs -- one may wonder why = we are=20 feeding a corn-based product to them. The answer is that corn is a = much=20 cheaper "energy source" than meat.""""""

In 1995, Nature's = Recipe=20 pulled thousands of tons of dog food off the shelf after consumers = complained=20 that their dogs were vomiting and losing their appetite. Nature's = Recipe's=20 loss amounted to $20 million. The problem was a fungus that produced = vomitoxin=20 (an aflatoxin or "mycotoxin," a toxic substance produced by mold)=20 contaminating the wheat. In 1999, another fungal toxin triggered the = recall of=20 dry dog food made by Doane Pet Care at one of its plants, including = Ol' Roy=20 (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=20 diarrhea, vomitoxin is a milder toxin than most. The more dangerous = mycotoxins=20 can cause weight loss, liver damage, lameness, and even death as in = the Doane=20 case. The Nature's Recipe incident prompted the Food and Drug = Administration=20 (FDA) to intervene. Dina Butcher, Agriculture Policy Advisor for North = Dakota=20 Governor Ed Schafer, concluded that the discovery of vomitoxin in = Nature's=20 Recipe wasn't much of a threat to the human population because "the = grain that=20 would go into pet food is not a high quality = grain."3

(I=20 HEARD CAN CAUSE BLOAT TOO SANDY)"""""Soy is another common ingredient = that is=20 sometimes used as a protein and energy source in pet food. = Manufacturers also=20 use it to add bulk so that when an animal eats a product containing = soy he=20 will feel more sated. While soy has been linked to gas in some dogs, = other=20 dogs do quite well with it. Vegetarian dog foods use soy as a protein=20 source.''"""'

Additives and Preservatives

Many = chemicals=20 are added to commercial pet foods to improve the taste, stability,=20 characteristics, or appearance of the food. Additives provide no = nutritional=20 value. Additives include emulsifiers to prevent water and fat from = separating,=20 antioxidants to prevent fat from turning rancid, and artificial colors = and=20 flavors to make the product more attractive to consumers and more = palatable to=20 their companion animals.

Adding chemicals to food originated = thousands=20 of years ago with spices, natural preservatives, and ripening agents. = In the=20 last 40 years, however, the number of food additives has greatly=20 increased.

All commercial pet foods must be preserved so they = stay=20 fresh and appealing to our animal companions. Canning is a preserving = process=20 itself, so canned foods contain less preservatives than dry foods. = Some=20 preservatives are added to ingredients or raw materials by the = suppliers, and=20 others may be added by the manufacturer. Because manufacturers need to = ensure=20 that dry foods have a long shelf life to remain edible after shipping = and=20 prolonged storage, fats used in pet foods are preserved with either = synthetic=20 or "natural" preservatives. Synthetic preservatives include = butylated=20 hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), = propyl=20 gallate, propylene glycol (also used as a less-toxic version of = automotive=20 antifreeze), and ethoxyquin. For these antioxidants, there is = little=20 information documenting their toxicity, safety, interactions, or = chronic use=20 in pet foods that may be eaten every day for the life of the=20 animal.

Potentially cancer-causing agents such as BHA, BHT, and = ethoxyquin are permitted at relatively low levels. The use of these = chemicals=20 in pet foods has not been thoroughly studied, and long term build-up = of these=20 agents may ultimately be harmful. Due to questionable data in the = original=20 study on its safety, ethoxyquin's manufacturer, Monsanto, was required = to=20 perform a new, more rigorous study. This was completed in 1996. Even = though=20 Monsanto found no significant toxicity associated with its own = product, in=20 July 1997, the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine requested that=20 manufacturers voluntarily reduce the maximum level for ethoxyquin by = half, to=20 75 parts per million. While some pet food critics and veterinarians = believe=20 that ethoxyquin is a major cause of disease, skin problems, and = infertility in=20 dogs, others claim it is the safest, strongest, most stable = preservative=20 available for pet food. Ethoxyquin is approved for use in human food = for=20 preserving spices, such as cayenne and chili powder, at a level of 100 = ppm --=20 but it would be very difficult to consume as much chili powder every = day as a=20 dog would eat dry food. Ethoxyquin has never been tested for safety in = cats.

Some manufacturers have responded to consumer concern, = and are=20 now using "natural" preservatives such as Vitamin C (ascorbate), = Vitamin E=20 (mixed tocopherols), and oils of rosemary, clove, or other spices, to = preserve=20 the fats in their products. Other ingredients, however, may be = individually=20 preserved."""""""""""" Most fish meal, and some prepared = vitamin-mineral=20 mixtures, contain chemical preservatives."""""""""" This means that = your=20 companion animal may be eating food containing several types of = preservatives.=20 Federal law requires preservatives to be disclosed on the label; = however, pet=20 food companies only recently started to comply with this=20 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=20 and preservatives, they have not been tested for their potential = synergistic=20 effects on each other once ingested. Some authors have suggested that=20 dangerous interactions occur among some of the common synthetic=20 preservatives.4 Natural preservatives do not provide as = long a=20 shelf life as chemical preservatives, but they are safe.

The = Manufacturing Process

How Pet Food Is = Made

Although=20 feeding trials are no longer required for a food to meet the = requirements for=20 labeling a food "complete and balanced," most manufacturers perform=20 palatability studies when developing a new pet food. One set of = animals is fed=20 a new food while a "control" group is fed a current formula. The total = volume=20 eaten is used as a gauge for the palatability of the food. The larger = and more=20 reputable companies do use feeding trials, which are considered to be = a much=20 more accurate assessment of the actual nutritional value of the food. = They=20 keep large colonies of dogs and cats for this purpose, or use testing=20 laboratories that have their own animals.

Most dry food is made = with a=20 machine called an expander or extruder. First, raw materials are = blended,=20 sometimes by hand, other times by computer, in accordance with a = recipe=20 developed by animal nutritionists. This mixture is fed into an = expander and=20 steam or hot water is added. The mixture is subjected to steam, = pressure, and=20 high heat as it is extruded through dies that determine the shape of = the final=20 product and puffed like popcorn. The food is allowed to dry, and then = is=20 usually sprayed with fat, digests, or other compounds to make it more=20 palatable. Although the cooking process may kill bacteria in pet food, = the=20 final product can lose its sterility during the subsequent drying, fat = coating, and packaging process. A few foods are baked at high = temperatures=20 rather than extruded. This produces a dense, crunchy kibble that is = palatable=20 without the addition of sprayed on palatability enhancers. Animals can = be fed=20 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=20 foods, although the ratios of protein, fat, and fiber may change. A = typical=20 can of ordinary cat food reportedly contains about 45-50% meat or = poultry=20 by-products. The main difference between the types of food is the = water=20 content. It is impossible to directly compare labels from different = kinds of=20 food without a mathematical conversion to "dry matter = basis."5 Wet=20 or canned food begins with ground ingredients mixed with additives. If = chunks=20 are required, a special extruder forms them. Then the mixture is = cooked and=20 canned. The sealed cans are then put into containers resembling = pressure=20 cookers and commercial sterilization takes place. Some manufacturers = cook the=20 food right in the can.

There are special labeling requirements = for pet=20 food, all of which are contained in the annually revised Official = Publication=20 of AAFCO.6 The use of the terms "all" or "100%" cannot be = used "if=20 the product contains more than one ingredient, not including water = sufficient=20 for processing, decharacterizing agents, or trace amounts of = preservatives and=20 condiments." Products containing multiple ingredients are covered by = AAFCO=20 Regulation PF3(b) and (c). The "95% rule" applies when the = ingredient(s)=20 derived from animals, poultry, or fish constitutes at least 95% or = more of the=20 total weight of the product (or 70% excluding water for=20 processing).

""""""""Because all-meat diets are usually not=20 nutritionally balanced, they fell out of favor for many years. = However, due to=20 rising consumer interest in high quality meat products, several = companies are=20 now promoting 95% and 100% canned meats as a supplemental feeding=20 option.""""""""

The "dinner" product is defined by the 25% = Rule, which=20 applies when "an ingredient or a combination of ingredients = constitutes at=20 least 25% of the weight of the product" (excluding water sufficient = for=20 processing) as long as the ingredient(s) shall constitute at least 10% = of the=20 total product weight; and a descriptor that implies other ingredients = are=20 included in the product formula is used on the label. Such descriptors = include=20 "recipe," "platter," "entree," and "formula." A combination of = ingredients=20 included in the product name is permissible when each ingredient = comprises at=20 least 3% of the product weight, excluding water for processing, and = the=20 ingredient names appear in descending order by weight.

The = "with" rule=20 allows an ingredient name to appear on the label, such as "with real = chicken,"=20 as long as each such ingredient constitutes at least 3% of the food by = weight,=20 excluding water for processing.

The "flavor" rule allows a food = to be=20 designated as a certain flavor as long as the ingredient(s) are = sufficient to=20 "impart a distinctive characteristic"to the food. Thus, a "beef = flavor" food=20 may contain a small quantity of digest or other extract of tissues = from=20 cattle, without containing any actual beef meat at all.

What = Happened to the Nutrients?

Dr. Randy L. Wysong is a = veterinarian=20 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=20 that is, by and large, simply ignored. Heating, cooking, rendering, = freezing,=20 dehydrating, canning, extruding, pelleting, baking, and so forth, are = so=20 commonplace that they are simply thought of as synonymous with food=20 itself."7 Processing meat and by-products used in pet food = can=20 greatly diminish their nutritional value, but cooking increases the=20 digestibility of cereal grains.

To make pet food nutritious, = pet food=20 manufacturers must "fortify" it with vitamins and minerals. Why? = Because the=20 ingredients they are using are not wholesome, their quality may be = extremely=20 variable, and the harsh manufacturing practices destroy many of the = nutrients=20 the food had to begin=20 with.

Contaminants

"""""""""""""""""Commercially=20 manufactured or rendered meat meals and by-product meals are = frequently highly=20 contaminated with bacteria because their source is not always = slaughtered=20 animals. Animals that have died because of disease, injury, or natural = causes=20 are a source of meat for meat meal. The dead animal might not be = rendered=20 until days after its death. Therefore the carcass is often = contaminated with=20 bacteria such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Dangerous E. Coli = bacteria=20 are estimated to contaminate more than 50% of meat meals. While the = cooking=20 process may kill bacteria, it does not eliminate the endotoxins some = bacteria=20 produce during their growth and are released when they die. These = toxins can=20 cause sickness and disease. Pet food manufacturers do not test their = products=20 for endotoxins.""""""""""""""""""""""

'"""""""""""""Mycotoxins = -- These=20 toxins comes from mold or fungi, such as vomitoxin in the Nature's = Recipe=20 case, and aflatoxin in Doane's food. Poor farming practices and = improper=20 drying and storage of crops can cause mold growth. Ingredients that = are most=20 likely to be contaminated with mycotoxins are grains such as wheat and = corn,=20 cottonseed meal, peanut meal, and fish=20 meal.''''''''''''''''''''

Labeling

The National = Research=20 Council (NRC) of the Academy of Sciences set the nutritional standards = for pet=20 food that were used by the pet food industry until the late 1980s. The = NRC=20 standards, which still exist and are being revised as of 2001, were = based on=20 purified diets, and required feeding trials for pet foods claimed to = be=20 "complete" and "balanced." The pet food industry found the feeding = trials too=20 restrictive and expensive, so AAFCO designed an alternate procedure = for=20 claiming the nutritional adequacy of pet food, by testing the food for = compliance with "Nutrient Profiles." AAFCO also created "expert = committees"=20 for canine and feline nutrition, which developed separate canine and = feline=20 standards. While feeding trials can still be done, a standard chemical = analysis may be also be used to determine if a food meets the=20 profiles.

Chemical analysis, however, does not address the=20 palatability, digestibility, or biological availability of nutrients = in pet=20 food. Thus it is unreliable for determining whether a food will = provide an=20 animal with sufficient nutrients.

To compensate for the = limitations of=20 chemical analysis, AAFCO added a "safety factor," which was to exceed = the=20 minimum amount of nutrients required to meet the complete and balanced = requirements.

The digestibility and availability of nutrients = is not=20 listed on pet food labels.

The 100% Myth -- Problems Caused = by=20 Inadequate Nutrition

The idea of one pet food providing all = the=20 nutrition a companion animal will ever need for its entire life is a=20 myth.

Cereal grains are the primary ingredients in most = commercial pet=20 foods. Many people select one pet food and feed it to their dogs and = cats for=20 a prolonged period of time. Therefore, companion dogs and cats eat a = primarily=20 carbohydrate diet with little variety. Today, the diets of cats and = dogs are a=20 far cry from the primarily protein diets with a lot of variety that = their=20 ancestors ate. The problems associated with a commercial diet are seen = every=20 day at veterinary establishments. Chronic digestive problems, such as = chronic=20 vomiting, diarrhea, and inflammatory bowel disease are among the most = frequent=20 illnesses treated. These are often the result of an allergy or = intolerance to=20 pet food ingredients. The market for "limited antigen" or "novel = protein"=20 diets is now a multi-million dollar business. These diets were = formulated to=20 address the increasing intolerance to commercial foods that animals = have=20 developed. The newest twist is the truly "hypoallergenic" food that = has had=20 all its proteins artificially chopped into pieces smaller than can be=20 recognized and reacted to by the immune system.

Dry commercial = pet food=20 is often contaminated with bacteria, which may or may not cause = problems.=20 Improper food storage and some feeding practices may result in the=20 multiplication of this bacteria. For example, adding water or milk to = moisten=20 pet food and then leaving it at room temperature causes bacteria to=20 multiply.8 Yet this practice is suggested on the back of = packages=20 of some kitten and puppy foods.

Pet food formulas and the = practice of=20 feeding that manufacturers recommend have increased other digestive = problems.=20 Feeding only one meal per day can cause the irritation of the = esophagus by=20 stomach acid. Feeding two smaller meals is better.

Feeding=20 recommendations or instructions on the packaging are sometimes = inflated so=20 that the consumer will end up purchasing more food. However, Procter = &=20 Gamble allegedly took the opposite tack with its Iams and Eukanuba = lines,=20 reducing the feeding amounts in order to claim that its foods were = less=20 expensive to feed. Independent studies commissioned by a competing=20 manufacturer suggested that these reduced levels were inadequate to = maintain=20 health. Procter & Gamble has since sued and been countersued by = that=20 competing manufacturer, and a consumer complaint has also been filed = seeking=20 class-action status for harm caused to dogs by the revised feeding=20 instructions.

Urinary tract disease is directly related to diet = in both=20 cats and dogs. Plugs, crystals, and stones in cat bladders are often = triggered=20 or aggravated by commercial pet food formulas. One type of stone found = in cats=20 is less common now, but another more dangerous type has become more = common.=20 Manipulation of manufactured cat food formulas to alter the acidity of = urine=20 and the amount of some minerals has directly affected these diseases. = Dogs=20 also form stones as a result of their diet.

History has shown = that=20 commercial pet food products can cause disease. An often-fatal heart = disease=20 in cats and some dogs is now known to be caused by a deficiency of the = amino=20 acid taurine. Blindness is another symptom of taurine deficiency. This = deficiency was due to inadequate amounts of taurine in cat food = formulas,=20 which itself occurred because of decreased amounts of animal proteins = and=20 increased reliance on carbohydrates. Cat foods are now supplemented = with=20 taurine. """"New research suggests that supplementing taurine may also = be=20 helpful for dogs, but as yet few manufacturers are adding extra = taurine to dog=20 food."""""Inadequate potassium in certain feline diets also caused = kidney=20 failure in young cats; potassium is now added in greater amounts to = all cat=20 foods.

Rapid growth in large breed puppies has been shown to = contribute=20 to bone and joint disease. Excess calories and calcium in some = manufactured=20 puppy foods promoted rapid growth. There are now special puppy foods = for large=20 breed dogs. But this recent change will not help the countless dogs = who lived=20 and died with hip and elbow disease.

There is also evidence = that=20 hyperthyroidism in cats may be related to excess iodine in commercial = pet food=20 diets.9 This is a new disease that first surfaced in the = 1970s,=20 when canned food products appeared on the market. The exact cause and = effect=20 are not yet known. This is a serious and sometimes terminal disease, = and=20 treatment is expensive.

Many nutritional problems appeared with = the=20 popularity of cereal-based commercial pet foods. Some have occurred = because=20 the diet was incomplete. Although several ingredients are now = supplemented, we=20 do not know what ingredients future researchers may discover that = should have=20 been supplemented in pet foods all along. Other problems may result = from=20 reactions to additives. Others are a result of contamination with = bacteria,=20 mold, drugs, or other toxins. In some diseases the role of commercial = pet food=20 is understood; in others, it is not. The bottom line is that diets = composed=20 primarily of low quality cereals and rendered meat meals are not as = nutritious=20 or safe as you should expect for your cat or dog.
What Consumers Can Do=20
  • Write or call pet food companies and the Pet Food Institute and = express=20 your concerns about commercial pet foods. Demand that manufacturers = improve=20 the quality of ingredients in their products.=20
  • Call API with any information about the pet food industry, = specific=20 manufacturers, or specific products.=20
  • Print out a copy of this report for your veterinarian to further = his or=20 her knowledge about commercial pet food.=20
  • Direct your family and friends with companion animals to this = website,=20 to alert them of the dangers of commercial pet food. Or request = copies of=20 our Fact Sheet on Selecting a Good Commercial Food.=20
  • Stop buying commercial pet food. Or if that is not possible, = reduce the=20 quantity of commercial pet food and supplement with fresh foods. = Purchase=20 one or more of the many books available on pet nutrition and make = your own=20 food. Be sure that a veterinarian or a nutritionist has checked the = recipes=20 to ensure that they are balanced and complete.=20
  • Check our sample=20 diets you can make yourself.=20
  • Please be aware that API is not a veterinary hospital, = clinic, or=20 service. API does not and will not offer any medical advice. If you = have=20 concerns about your companion animal's health or nutritional = requirements,=20 please consult your veterinarian.
For Further Reading about Animal Nutrition

The Animal=20 Protection Institute recommends the following books, many of which = include=20 recipes for home-prepared diets:=20
  • Rudy Edalati. Barker's Grub: Easy, Wholesome Home Cooking for = Your=20 Dog. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-609-80442-1.=20
  • Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., and Susan Hubble Pitcairn. Dr.=20 Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. = Rodale=20 Press, Inc. ISBN 0-87596-243-2.=20
  • Kate Solisti-Mattelon and Patrice Mattelon. The Holistic = Animal=20 Handbook: A Guidebook to Nutrition, Health, and Communication. = Beyond=20 Words Publishing Co. ISBN 1-5827-0023-0.=20
  • Donald R. Strombeck. Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: The = Healthful=20 Alternative. Iowa State University Press. ISBN 0-8138-2149-5.=20
  • Celeste Yarnall. Natural Cat Care. Journey Editions. ISBN = 1-8852-0363-2.=20
  • Celeste Yarnall. Natural Dog Care. Journey Editions. ISBN = 0-7858-1123-0.

The books listed above are a fraction = of all the=20 titles currently available, and the omission of a title does not = necessarily=20 mean it is not useful for further reading about animal=20 nutrition.

Please note: The Animal Protection Institute = is=20 not a bookseller, and cannot sell or send these books to = you.=20 Please contact your local book retailer or an online bookstore, who = can supply=20 these books based on the ISBN provided for each title.
What API is Doing=20
  • API is a liaison to the AAFCO Pet Food and Ingredient = Definitions=20 Committees. By attending AAFCO meetings, we hope to learn more about = the=20 industry itself and about potential avenues for bringing about = change.=20
  • An API representative attends other petfood industry meetings to = give=20 voice to our and the consumers' concerns about pet food.=20
  • API is involved in lobbying for the federal regulation of pet = food and=20 the development of more stringent standards for the quality of = ingredients=20 used.=20
  • API will continue to provide information to the public about the = pet=20 food industry and the products it promotes.=20
  • API is preparing a detailed scientific paper documenting the = numerous=20 problems associated with commercial pet food, for presentation to=20 veterinarians.
Who to Write

AAFCO Pet Food Committee
Dr. Rodney Noel -- Chair
Office of Indiana State Chemist
Purdue University
1154 Biochemistry Building
West Lafayette, IN 47907-1154
www.aafco.org

FDA -- Center for Veterinary Medicine
Sharon Benz
7500 Standish Place
Rockville, MD 20855
301-594-1728
www.cvm.fda.gov/

Pet Food Institute
2025 M Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
202-367-1120
Fax 202-367-2120

References

Association of American Feed = Control=20 Officials Incorporated. Official Publication 2001. Atlanta: AAFCO, = 2001.

Barfield, Carol. FDA Petition, = Docket Number=20 93P0081/CP1, accepted February 25, 1993.

Becker,=20 Ross. "Is your dog's food safe?" Good Dog!, November/December = 1995,=20 7.

Cargill, James, MA, MBA, MS, and Susan = Thorpe-Vargas, MS. "Feed that dog! Part VI." DOGworld, December = 1993,=20 36.

Case, Linda P., M.S., Daniel P. = Carey, D.V.M.,=20 and Diane A. Hirakawa, Ph.D. Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource = for=20 Companion Animal Professionals. St. Louis: Mosby,=20 1995.

Coffman, Howard D. The Dry Dog Food = Reference. Nashua: PigDog Press, 1995.

Corbin,=20 Jim. "Pet Foods and Feeding." Feedstuffs, July 17, 1996,=20 80-85.

Knight-Ridder News Syndicate. = "Nature's=20 Recipe Recalls Dog Food That Contains Vomitoxin." August 28,=20 1995.

Morris, James G., and Quinton R. = Rogers.=20 "Assessment of the Nutritional Adequacy of Pet Foods Through the Life = Cycle."=20 Journal of Nutrition, 124 (1994): 2520S-2533S.

Newman, Lisa. What's in your pet's food? Tucson & = Phoenix:=20 Holistic Animal Care, 1994.

New York = State=20 Department of Agriculture and Markets. 1994 Commercial Feed Analysis = Annual=20 Report. Albany: Division of Food Inspection Services,=20 1995.

Parker, J. Michael. "Tainted dog = food blamed=20 on corn." San Antonio Express News, April 1, = 1999.

"Petfood activist." Petfood Industry, September/October = 1991,=20 4.

Pet Food Institute. Fact Sheet = 1994.=20 Washington: Pet Food Institute, 1994.

Phillips,=20 Tim, DVM. "Rendered Products Guide." Petfood Industry, = January/February=20 1994, 12-17, 21.

Pitcairn, Richard H., = D.V.M.,=20 Ph.D., and Susan Hubble Pitcairn. Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to = Natural=20 Health for Dogs & Cats. Emmaus: Rodale, = 1995.

Plechner, Alfred J., DVM, and Martin Zucker. Pet Allergies: = Remedies=20 for an Epidemic. Inglewood: Wilshire Book Co., = 1986.

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division = of=20 Agriculture. 1994 Report of the Inspection and Analysis of Commercial = Feeds,=20 Fertilizers and Liming Materials. Providence: Division of = Agriculture,=20 1995.

Roudebush, Philip, DVM. "Pet food = additives."=20 JAVMA, 203 (1993): 1667-1670.

Rouse, = Raymond H.=20 "Feed Fats." Petfood Industry, March/April 1987, = 7.

Sellers, Richard. "Regulating petfood with an open mind." = Petfood=20 Industry, November/December 1990, 41-44.

Smith,=20 Carin A. "Research Roundup: Changes and challenges in feline = nutrition."=20 JAVMA 203 (1993), 1395-1400.

Strombeck, Donald.=20 R. Home-Prepared Dog and Cat Foods: The Healthful Alternative. = Ames: Iowa=20 State University Press, 1999.

Winters, = Ruth, M.S. A=20 Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives. New York: Crown,=20 1994.

Wysong, R. L. "The 'complete' = myth." Petfood=20 Industry, September/October 1990, 24-28.

[Wysong, R. L.] Fresh and Whole: Getting Involved in Your = Pet's=20 Diet. Midland: Wysong Corporation, 1990.

Wysong, R. L. Rationale for Animal Nutrition. Midland: = Inquiry=20 Press, 1993.

Notes

1. Pet Food = Institute, 2.
2. Morris, = 2520S.
3. Corbin, 81.
4. Cargill, = 36.
5. The conversion is: ingredient percentage divided by (100 = minus=20 moisture percentage).
6. Official = Publication,=20 Regulation PE3, 114-115.
7. Wysong, = Rationale,=20 40-41.
8. Strombeck, 50-52.
9.=20 Smith, 1397.

(Revised 01/29/02)


=A91997-2002 by The = Animal=20 Protection Institute.

Because this e-report is frequently = revised, it=20 is no longer available in printed form. However, the fact sheet, "Selecting a = Commercial=20 Pet Food," can be ordered from API.

Information = on=20 Reprints
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