What’s In Your Pet Food and Why?

There was an interesting article in USA Today about the rendering end of the food industry and their work on the ultimate recycling of the parts of animals we do not eat.  It focused more on ideas beyond biofuels and what Tyson, Perdue and others were doing with fats, manure, bones and feathers–what products  might be able to incorporate these leftovers.  

It brought me back to the 1990’s when news first broke–or at least got published–about what was going into pet food: A toxic soup of euthanized, diseased, and dead research animals and all the medications and pesticides that implies.  I was working with a cancer prevention group at the time and was plugged into food and product processing practices that could and would pose a threat to human health. 

With recent internet stories, you might think this was new news about commercial dog food, but what is a constant puzzlement to me is how this practice continues today, more than 15 nearly 20 years (tempus fugit!) after the news got out. Why? Who facilitates this? It’s against the law to put this kind of dreck in pet food. How is this practice getting a pass? Then I remembered a good source.

I interviewed Susan Thixton, author, about her Truth About Pet Food website at the beginning of the year when she was working on the Petsumer Report and a new radio show.  I checked out her site today, and sure enough, Thixton has a very informative, tough piece on what’s allowed in pet food, and why the FDA can ignore federal law.  If you haven’t been there, I think you’ll be surprised at all the information available.  (Don’t miss the pet food recall widget!)

With the advent of all the new uses the industry can find for renderings, maybe now manufacturers will voluntarily remove these toxic ingredients from commercial pet foods.  Which mega company will be first?  Are you a betting person?

Related: New Radio Show; Fluffy and Fido’s Food: Get the Facts

one more thing…

Stephanie Feldstein, author and twitter pal, has a new gig over at Change.org, writing for the animal welfare blog. She just started Monday and it already looks great!  Take a look when you have minute, and tell her I said hi.