As yet another installment of the “Pet food ingredient Grain” series today let’s see what the founder and owner of dehydrated raw food mix manufacturer Sojourner Farms, Ward Johnson has to say on this topic.
"Grains sure have it rough in the pet food industry. Lately they've been gaining a reputation for being cheap fillers that cause allergies and have no nutritional benefit. And the rumor is absolutely true. Wait!! Allow me to explain. Conventional pet foods have been using cheap grains as fillers that have been cooked and processed to death. These grain by-products are worthless and can even cause health problems due to their low quality and over processed state. … don’t use bottom-of-the-barrel grains or by-products. … only use high-quality, human grade, whole grains that are chock full of bioavailable nutrients and DON'T cause allergies or other health problems. And yet, some people still think that dogs should not eat grains, even those in our recipes! We’re always surprised to hear that. We’ve always seen amazing results with our Pre-mIxes for Dogs, which contain wholesome oats in addition to rye and barley. Based on information derived from a recent trial study on oats, it seems science, not to mention our time-tested results, are on our side as well.This study, published by Pet Food Industry, compared the cholesterol levels of dogs whose diets were comprised of 0%, 5%, 10% and 20% grains over a period of eight weeks. The results revealed that the group who received oats as 20% of their diet had a 14.7% drop in cholesterol levels as compared to the control group who received no oats. The study concluded that a diet of 20% dietary oats could be beneficial to dogs with hypercholesterolemia, or high cholesterol, which can occur in several diseases such as kidney disease, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, cholestasis, and hyperadrenocorticoidism.How do oats reduce cholesterol in the body? Oats are loaded with a soluble fiber called beta-glucan. Beta-glucans are incredibly viscous and help to thicken the membranes of the intestines when broken down. This thickening prevents the absorption of bile acids, which are made up of cholesterol. If the body has no bile acids to use in digestion, it must take up the cholesterol in the blood to replenish the bile acid, therefore reducing the amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream. Over time, enough of the cholesterol in the blood is removed to show a significant reduction or maintain healthy levels.But the benefits of oats do not end there. Low cholesterol in the bloodstream means reduced risk of heart disease. The high fiber in oats may also contribute to colon health and act as an aid to combat constipation. In addition to the benefits of a whole lot of fiber, these tasty grains also boast high protein levels and good sources of magnesium, iron, zinc as well as several B vitamins. In humans, oats have also been linked to controlling blood sugar levels, which could also benefit dogs with diabetes. Not to mention that oats are packed with selenium, a powerful antioxidant that has been linked to heart health, DNA repair and colon cancer prevention.We use the same locally grown, non GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms), top of the barrel grains that just might end up in a loaf of bread from your favorite bakery. We are incredibly proud of the ingredients we use in our products and the benefits they provide. For over twenty years, we’ve seen consistently awesome results from our healthy multi grain recipe. Whether or not your dog has high cholesterol or any of the ailments listed above, incorporating whole grains into his diet is a smart choice to make for overall health. …
Quinoa and barley and rye, oh my!
Whole grains are a crucial part to any diet, including that of your beloved pet. We’ve already told you all the wonderful things that oats have to offer, but what about the other grains we use in our mixes? Keep reading…Rye is a cereal grain that has been cultivated since the Middle Ages in Central and Eastern Europe. Rye is high in fiber and vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports the immune system. It's also a great source of certain B Vitamins: Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid (B9), and Pantothentic Acid (B5), which help maintain muscles, skin, and brain function
respectively.
Barley dates back to prehistoric times and has been a very valuable grain for many different cultures and societies. It is known to fight against various diseases including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. This grain contains more fiber than most other grains, and is a good source of Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), and Lysine (an essential amino acid needed for growth).
Quinoa (pronounced “Keen-Wa”) is a valuable grain that has been a staple of the Incas and other natives of the Andes for over 5,000 years. It is a complete protein that boasts more Lysine, Iron, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium, and Fat than other grains. In fact, it is such a beneficial grain that it is being considered as a possible crop in NASA’s Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long term spaceflights!”
Sure some of you may say now, That’s all fine but Ward is opinionated and promoting his own products here”. Well, I saw that coming and took it a little further: Ward is not all by himself with his opionion. Here is what others had to say on the subject matter:
Dr. Randy Wysong, DVM in his “Truth about Pet Foods” states on “Grains”: “Sprouted grains are raw and whole, make excellent additions to your pet’s diet and are eagerly accepted when combined with other foods. … Cooked grains should be a much smaller portion of your pet’s diet. Raw, organically grown rolled oats or raw barley flakes, soaked in raw milk over night result in a treat many pets will relish. Popcorn can be fed popped and soaked as above, as well. Cooked porridges of oats, brown rice, millet, amaranth or quinoa can also be used occasionally. Small amounts of leftover table scraps such as cereals, sandwiches and home made breads and rolls are beneficial additions to your dog’s or cat’s diet, provided they are prepared carefully and with whole grain natural ingredients.”
“Whole grains are a very cost effective and environmentally sensitive way to provide the mainstay of your pet’s diet.” – Richard Pitcairn, DVM in “Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Cats and Dogs
As you know from reading previous articles in this series the general take is that dogs and even more so cats should not be fed grains. Reason being is that they are carnivores or meat eaters.
I think when discussing the topic we need to differentiate between highly processed grains, as they typically are used in most, definitely mass marketed and produced dry foods. The problem comes with the nature of the beast: Commercial manufactured and highly processed food = Dry food. Without serious altering of ingredients there would be no dry food. Another problem is that many manufacturers, especially the ones making foods for mass marketing purposes quite often use grains as a primary ingredient and protein source, which has definitely to be considered as being unacceptable for our domesticated animals.
Previously published comments of this series:
Pet food ingredient Grain: Controversy vs. chemistry Part 1
Pet food ingredient Grain: Controversy vs. chemistry Part 2
Pet food ingredient Grain: Controversy vs. chemistry Part 3 Whole Grains: The Healing Truth
Pet food ingredient Grain: Controversy vs. chemistry Part 4 The Gluten Free Debate
Not everybody jumping onto the Grain Free train
Showing posts with label Commercial pet food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Commercial pet food. Show all posts
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Junk Pet Food Part 1: The Damage Done
Imagine if all the Big Macs, Happy Meals and Coca-Colas consumed by Morgan Spurlock during his month-long binge for the film documentary Super Size Me(*1) were instead tipped into a vat, ground to a pulp and cooked under pressure. Let us imagine that half the resultant glop was sealed in cans and the other half dehydrated, extruded
into kibble and packed in bags, with brightly colored labels asserting the health benefits.
Suppose, then, that Spurlock either slurped through the contents of the McCans or crunched his way through the McKibble. And now, this is an important aspect, imagine that Spurlock had neither a toothbrush nor the ability to ask for one, so consequently didn't clean his teeth for the month-long experiment. Now I ask: what would Spurlock's physical, dental and mental health be like after such a crazy experiment? Would doctors, dentists and health regulators provide official endorsement for the canned and kibbled diet? Indeed, would it be likely that Spurlock picked up his McCans and McKibble at his local medical or dental practice?
For the vast majority of pet dogs (modified wolves), cats (modified desert predators) and ferrets (modified polecats), a diet of McCans or McKibble is their everyday reality. Spurlock's doctor told him he had to stop his unnatural experiment inside 30 days because he was killing himself. By contrast, the world's pet doctors (vets) encourage pet owners to feed McCans and McKibble every day of their pets' lives. I know; I was one such vet.
Poisoned five ways
For the first 15 years of my working life as a graduate of the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, I went along with conventional veterinary wisdom. I counseled my clients against the feeding of home-prepared meals because they were unlikely to get the "balance" of nutrients right, I suggested. Raw meat posed a risk due to bacteria and lack of calcium, so I said. As for bones, everyone knew that bones posed a hazard for breaking teeth and causing obstruction. And whoever heard of feeding bones to cats? The manufacturers have removed the guesswork, I assured my clients. "Giant companies understand the science and have the resources to ensure the best possible fare for your pet. It's convenient, too!"
With the matter of diet for my patients glossed over, I could return to the more pressing problems associated with diagnosis and treatment. After all, that's what I was trained to do and that's what my clients expected of me, and the stream of sick pets with skin disease, heart, liver, bowel and dental disease, cancer and other maladies was never
ending.
Oh, how I cringe! How culpably, horribly wrong I had been! As varied as my patients were in size, species, age, sex and breed, the one common uniting feature was their junk food diet. They were all fed McCans and McKibble, and almost without exception this was the reason why the animals needed my services. Yes, it's as simple and dramatic as that, and for the following reasons:
1. Canned soft foods and grain-based kibble do not clean teeth. In fact, food sludge sticks to teeth and feeds the bacteria in dental plaque. The body's second line of defense, the immune system, mobilizes against the bacterial invaders. The result: inflamed gums, bad breath, circulating bacteria and bacterial poisons that affect the rest of the body. (*2,*3)
2. Dogs, cats and ferrets don't have the digestive enzymes in the right quality or quantity to deal with the nutrients in grains and other plant material, whether those nutrients are raw or cooked. When grains are cooked at high temperatures at the pet food factory, the starches, proteins and fats become denatured or toxic to varying degrees.(*4) Junk food is laden with colorants, preservatives, humectants and a raft of other strange chemical additives, none with any nutritive value and all toxic to varying d e g r e e s.(*5) Once in the bowel of a carnivore, toxic nutrients are absorbed into the circulation and affect various body systems.
3. Poorly digested grain based junk food supports a large population of toxin producing bacteria in the lower bowel. The bowel lining, in constant contact with poisons, may be adversely affected. Some poisons pass through the bowel wall into the blood circulation, are carried to other organs and create further problems.(*6)
4. Like Morgan Spurlock, some pets show signs of ill health after a short time consuming junk food. For instance, puppies frequently suffer from bad skin and diarrhea. Long term exposure to the diet related toxins listed in categories 1, 2 and 3 leads to diseases of body organs. Diseased organs produce more toxins, which enter the bloodstream and add to the spiral of worsening disease. (*7)
5. Mostly pets suffer in silence; they can't speak in words. But when animals are affected by the above four categories of poison, their body language tells observant owners to seek help from the vet. Some vets say: "Stop! Stop feeding junk food." Sadly, though, most vets ignore categories 1, 2 and 3, and instead they diagnose diseased organs as mentioned in 4 (above). Treatment usually involves strong pharmaceuticals, which then contribute another level of toxic insult. (*8)
You may ask: What about the genetic diseases, infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, the broken legs, other traumatic diseases and the diseases of old age? For sure, these are all important factors governing the well-being of our pet carnivores. But clearly, undeniably, pets worn down by the toxic effects of a junk food diet are at greater risk of succumbing to other diseases, and the recovery phase is likely to be longer, too.(*9)
Stay tuned for the continuation in Part 2
by Dr Tom Lonsdale
Veterinarian and author Dr Tom Lonsdale, BVetMed, MRCVS, graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, in 1972. In the 1980s he became aware of the dietary disease epidemics affecting the animals under his care. Since 1991, Dr Lonsdale has campaigned to bring the information to public attention. In 2001, his landmark book Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health was published (reviewed in NEXUS 12/03), followed in 2005 by Work Wonders: Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones (reviewed in 13/04). Dr Lonsdale can be contacted by email at tom@rawmeatybones.com. For more information, visit his website, http://www.rawmeatybones.com.
(*)References
1 . Spurlock, M. (2004), Super Size Me, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperSizeMe
2 . Harvey, C.E. and Emily, P. (1993), "Periodontal disease", in Small Animal Dentistry, Mosby, St Louis, 1993, p. 92 3 . Garcia, R.I. et al. (2001), "Relationship between periodontal disease and systemic health", Periodontology 2000 25 : 21-36
4 . Sugimura, T. (2000), "Nutrition and dietary carcinogens", Carcinogenesis 21(3): 387-95
5 . Roudebush, P. (1993), "Pet food additives", J . American Veterinary Medical Association 203(12): 1667-70
6 . Uncle Ben's of Australia (1996), "Nutrition in Practice" (pamphlet), Albury-Wodonga, 3rd ed.
7 . Garcia, op. cit.
8 . Cresswell, K.M. et al. (2007), "Adverse Drug Events in the Elderly", British Medical Bulletin, 18 June 2007
9 . Lonsdale, T. (1995), "Periodontal disease and leucopenia", Journal of Small Animal Practice 36:542-46, http://www.rawmeatybones.com pdf/periodontal-leuco.pdf
Junk Pet Food Part 1: The Damage Done
Junk Pet Food Part 2: Hippocrates: “Leave your drugs in the chemist’s pot if you can heal your patients with food”
Junk Pet Food Part 3: Blowing the whistle, catching attention
Junk Pet Food Part 4: Tentacles of the monster
Junk Pet Food Part 5: The price we pay
into kibble and packed in bags, with brightly colored labels asserting the health benefits.
Suppose, then, that Spurlock either slurped through the contents of the McCans or crunched his way through the McKibble. And now, this is an important aspect, imagine that Spurlock had neither a toothbrush nor the ability to ask for one, so consequently didn't clean his teeth for the month-long experiment. Now I ask: what would Spurlock's physical, dental and mental health be like after such a crazy experiment? Would doctors, dentists and health regulators provide official endorsement for the canned and kibbled diet? Indeed, would it be likely that Spurlock picked up his McCans and McKibble at his local medical or dental practice?
For the vast majority of pet dogs (modified wolves), cats (modified desert predators) and ferrets (modified polecats), a diet of McCans or McKibble is their everyday reality. Spurlock's doctor told him he had to stop his unnatural experiment inside 30 days because he was killing himself. By contrast, the world's pet doctors (vets) encourage pet owners to feed McCans and McKibble every day of their pets' lives. I know; I was one such vet.
Poisoned five ways
For the first 15 years of my working life as a graduate of the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, I went along with conventional veterinary wisdom. I counseled my clients against the feeding of home-prepared meals because they were unlikely to get the "balance" of nutrients right, I suggested. Raw meat posed a risk due to bacteria and lack of calcium, so I said. As for bones, everyone knew that bones posed a hazard for breaking teeth and causing obstruction. And whoever heard of feeding bones to cats? The manufacturers have removed the guesswork, I assured my clients. "Giant companies understand the science and have the resources to ensure the best possible fare for your pet. It's convenient, too!"
With the matter of diet for my patients glossed over, I could return to the more pressing problems associated with diagnosis and treatment. After all, that's what I was trained to do and that's what my clients expected of me, and the stream of sick pets with skin disease, heart, liver, bowel and dental disease, cancer and other maladies was never
ending.
Oh, how I cringe! How culpably, horribly wrong I had been! As varied as my patients were in size, species, age, sex and breed, the one common uniting feature was their junk food diet. They were all fed McCans and McKibble, and almost without exception this was the reason why the animals needed my services. Yes, it's as simple and dramatic as that, and for the following reasons:
1. Canned soft foods and grain-based kibble do not clean teeth. In fact, food sludge sticks to teeth and feeds the bacteria in dental plaque. The body's second line of defense, the immune system, mobilizes against the bacterial invaders. The result: inflamed gums, bad breath, circulating bacteria and bacterial poisons that affect the rest of the body. (*2,*3)
2. Dogs, cats and ferrets don't have the digestive enzymes in the right quality or quantity to deal with the nutrients in grains and other plant material, whether those nutrients are raw or cooked. When grains are cooked at high temperatures at the pet food factory, the starches, proteins and fats become denatured or toxic to varying degrees.(*4) Junk food is laden with colorants, preservatives, humectants and a raft of other strange chemical additives, none with any nutritive value and all toxic to varying d e g r e e s.(*5) Once in the bowel of a carnivore, toxic nutrients are absorbed into the circulation and affect various body systems.
3. Poorly digested grain based junk food supports a large population of toxin producing bacteria in the lower bowel. The bowel lining, in constant contact with poisons, may be adversely affected. Some poisons pass through the bowel wall into the blood circulation, are carried to other organs and create further problems.(*6)
4. Like Morgan Spurlock, some pets show signs of ill health after a short time consuming junk food. For instance, puppies frequently suffer from bad skin and diarrhea. Long term exposure to the diet related toxins listed in categories 1, 2 and 3 leads to diseases of body organs. Diseased organs produce more toxins, which enter the bloodstream and add to the spiral of worsening disease. (*7)
5. Mostly pets suffer in silence; they can't speak in words. But when animals are affected by the above four categories of poison, their body language tells observant owners to seek help from the vet. Some vets say: "Stop! Stop feeding junk food." Sadly, though, most vets ignore categories 1, 2 and 3, and instead they diagnose diseased organs as mentioned in 4 (above). Treatment usually involves strong pharmaceuticals, which then contribute another level of toxic insult. (*8)
You may ask: What about the genetic diseases, infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, the broken legs, other traumatic diseases and the diseases of old age? For sure, these are all important factors governing the well-being of our pet carnivores. But clearly, undeniably, pets worn down by the toxic effects of a junk food diet are at greater risk of succumbing to other diseases, and the recovery phase is likely to be longer, too.(*9)
Stay tuned for the continuation in Part 2
by Dr Tom Lonsdale
Veterinarian and author Dr Tom Lonsdale, BVetMed, MRCVS, graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, in 1972. In the 1980s he became aware of the dietary disease epidemics affecting the animals under his care. Since 1991, Dr Lonsdale has campaigned to bring the information to public attention. In 2001, his landmark book Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health was published (reviewed in NEXUS 12/03), followed in 2005 by Work Wonders: Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones (reviewed in 13/04). Dr Lonsdale can be contacted by email at tom@rawmeatybones.com. For more information, visit his website, http://www.rawmeatybones.com.
(*)References
1 . Spurlock, M. (2004), Super Size Me, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperSizeMe
2 . Harvey, C.E. and Emily, P. (1993), "Periodontal disease", in Small Animal Dentistry, Mosby, St Louis, 1993, p. 92 3 . Garcia, R.I. et al. (2001), "Relationship between periodontal disease and systemic health", Periodontology 2000 25 : 21-36
4 . Sugimura, T. (2000), "Nutrition and dietary carcinogens", Carcinogenesis 21(3): 387-95
5 . Roudebush, P. (1993), "Pet food additives", J . American Veterinary Medical Association 203(12): 1667-70
6 . Uncle Ben's of Australia (1996), "Nutrition in Practice" (pamphlet), Albury-Wodonga, 3rd ed.
7 . Garcia, op. cit.
8 . Cresswell, K.M. et al. (2007), "Adverse Drug Events in the Elderly", British Medical Bulletin, 18 June 2007
9 . Lonsdale, T. (1995), "Periodontal disease and leucopenia", Journal of Small Animal Practice 36:542-46, http://www.rawmeatybones.com pdf/periodontal-leuco.pdf
Junk Pet Food Part 1: The Damage Done
Junk Pet Food Part 2: Hippocrates: “Leave your drugs in the chemist’s pot if you can heal your patients with food”
Junk Pet Food Part 3: Blowing the whistle, catching attention
Junk Pet Food Part 4: Tentacles of the monster
Junk Pet Food Part 5: The price we pay
Monday, May 18, 2009
Feeding puppies adult food?
“Do I really have to feed the expensive puppy food to my 3 month old puppy or do you think I could get away with starting to switch him over to regular adult maintenance food?” I was asked the other day by a customer who just had acquired the cutest Irish Jack Russell Terrier.
Though I couldn’t believe this particular one, a not so uncommon question these days, especially since the economical situation has everybody in the world turn around every dollar twice before spending it. Besides economical reasons, puppy food is indeed is at least a good 10% pricier than adult food, other reasons may be that the owners underestimate the length of the growth period or because they were told by someone and believe that puppy food is too rich and could be harmful to the growth of the little one.
Let’s look at the economics: Now here we go, we just bought a pure bred dog. Here pet owners usually spend at least $500 on a new puppy and then they wonder how they can save a couple bucks on the food? To me that doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. But what is really the actual pricing on puppy vs. adult food and is there a material difference? I compared at our own store, which tells me to believe it is similar at other places: There are brands with puppy food at no or a very minimal price difference, and there are others, which may be up to 10% more expensive than adult food. Whether or not this is justified remains open, it could be just a marketing issue too. Fact is, puppy owners are most likely easily willing to spend a few dollars more when it comes to the new baby, so some manufacturers may take advantage of that psychological aspect.
Next, length of growth period: Anybody believing that the growth period is over after 3 months should seriously rethink the idea of having a puppy. I am sorry but where is the common sense here? I would say every pet owner by now should know that the first 8 to 12 months of a puppy are definitely to be considered as the growth period, probably 12 months would be a good bet, but keep in mind with large and giant breeds we are easy looking at up to 24 months before the growth period is over. I remember our own last puppy, Roxy, a German Shepherd girl, she was done growing in height and length after about 12 months, but then she took another 9 months to really, I call it fill in, got some meat and muscle around her bones and become a seriously grown dog.
Finally, puppy food being too rich? Too rich in what and how harmful could it be?
I think what one has to consider is there are various classifications of dog food, simply to be determined by the official AAFCO Nutritional Dog Food Profiles, which are available for puppies, adult maintenance, seniors or the “covers it all” classification “all life stages”. The ladder one would be sufficient to feed to an adult or a puppy, since it covers both needs.
Fact is, puppies do have different nutritional requirements than adults have. And that by itself justifies having a different class of food. There are different energy requirements.
During the first half of its growth, a puppy needs twice as much energy than an adult, compared to its bodyweight. This multiplier coefficient decreases progressively, but when the puppy reaches 80% of its adult bodyweight, it still consumes 20% more energy than an adult. Feeding him with a concentrated puppy food avoids overloading its digestive tract.
Keep in mind that puppies have different growth rates according to size. For example a small breed puppy reaches about 40 to 50% of its adult bodyweight within about 3 months, a large breed puppy will not get there before it is 5 months of age. Toy breeds reach their adult bodyweight within about 8 months. At that point, it has multiplied its birth weight 20 fold. A Newfoundland puppy still grows up until 18 to 24 months or until it has multiplied its birth weight about 100 fold.
Now, let’s look at protein requirements: Puppies require a great amount of protein for the synthesis of the skeleton and all other tissues. Their amino acid requirement is far more important than for an adult. Additionally, puppies do not use proteins with the same efficiency as an adult dog. To make up for this less efficient digestive capacity, a growth product must contain at least 25 to 30% more proteins than an adult food. Protein deficiencies in puppies may cause among other problems, delayed growth, immune system weakness and anemia.
Mineral requirements: Large breed puppies are susceptible to growth abnormalities if they are being fed a diet too high in calcium. Therefore, feeding the correct puppy formula is important for their long term health.
Then there is the starch digestion. The production of enzymes , which digest starch reaches an optimum level only when the puppy has completely achieved its growth. Before, a puppy does not digest starch as well. A maintenance adult diet can contain up to 50% starch. In contrast, a puppy food should not contain more than 30% starch. Feeding an adult diet to a puppy can induce loose stools, diarrhea, and possibly favor coprophagic behavior, which means they start eating their own stools.
Puppy food does not equal puppy food. Especially important that the food needs to accommodate the needs of various sizes. All puppy foods seem to have some common characteristics, which include high energy density, concentration of all essential nutrients and decreased levels of starch. But the size of the breed implies specific adaptations.
Large breeds are much more likely to suffer from skeletal growth diseases. These troubles are exacerbated by an over consumption of energy. Such over consumption comes with accelerated growth and too high levels of dietary calcium. Limiting fat content and controlling the level of calcium in the food is the best way to minimize the risks. In contrast, small and medium breeds must receive a lot of energy, but in a small volume. They require a more concentrated diet.
In conclusion I would say: For those of you who believe that there is really no difference between a puppy and a regular adult maintenance food, do your home work and look at the formulas again. Simply looking at the Guaranteed Analysis immediately will tell you that there are major differences in mainly protein and fat content but also in fiber. Further analysis of the dry matter nutrient analysis will provide even more detailed insight.
Unless you are looking at a formula classified as being for “all life stages”, stick with the puppy food. Wait until the end of growth period (find out more from your breeder or on breed specific sites on the Internet) before switching a puppy to an adult product. And, finally, there is no disadvantage in feeding a puppy food longer than initially planned, provided the bodyweight of the dog is not excessive.
Though I couldn’t believe this particular one, a not so uncommon question these days, especially since the economical situation has everybody in the world turn around every dollar twice before spending it. Besides economical reasons, puppy food is indeed is at least a good 10% pricier than adult food, other reasons may be that the owners underestimate the length of the growth period or because they were told by someone and believe that puppy food is too rich and could be harmful to the growth of the little one.
Let’s look at the economics: Now here we go, we just bought a pure bred dog. Here pet owners usually spend at least $500 on a new puppy and then they wonder how they can save a couple bucks on the food? To me that doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. But what is really the actual pricing on puppy vs. adult food and is there a material difference? I compared at our own store, which tells me to believe it is similar at other places: There are brands with puppy food at no or a very minimal price difference, and there are others, which may be up to 10% more expensive than adult food. Whether or not this is justified remains open, it could be just a marketing issue too. Fact is, puppy owners are most likely easily willing to spend a few dollars more when it comes to the new baby, so some manufacturers may take advantage of that psychological aspect.
Next, length of growth period: Anybody believing that the growth period is over after 3 months should seriously rethink the idea of having a puppy. I am sorry but where is the common sense here? I would say every pet owner by now should know that the first 8 to 12 months of a puppy are definitely to be considered as the growth period, probably 12 months would be a good bet, but keep in mind with large and giant breeds we are easy looking at up to 24 months before the growth period is over. I remember our own last puppy, Roxy, a German Shepherd girl, she was done growing in height and length after about 12 months, but then she took another 9 months to really, I call it fill in, got some meat and muscle around her bones and become a seriously grown dog.
Finally, puppy food being too rich? Too rich in what and how harmful could it be?
I think what one has to consider is there are various classifications of dog food, simply to be determined by the official AAFCO Nutritional Dog Food Profiles, which are available for puppies, adult maintenance, seniors or the “covers it all” classification “all life stages”. The ladder one would be sufficient to feed to an adult or a puppy, since it covers both needs.
Fact is, puppies do have different nutritional requirements than adults have. And that by itself justifies having a different class of food. There are different energy requirements.
During the first half of its growth, a puppy needs twice as much energy than an adult, compared to its bodyweight. This multiplier coefficient decreases progressively, but when the puppy reaches 80% of its adult bodyweight, it still consumes 20% more energy than an adult. Feeding him with a concentrated puppy food avoids overloading its digestive tract.
Keep in mind that puppies have different growth rates according to size. For example a small breed puppy reaches about 40 to 50% of its adult bodyweight within about 3 months, a large breed puppy will not get there before it is 5 months of age. Toy breeds reach their adult bodyweight within about 8 months. At that point, it has multiplied its birth weight 20 fold. A Newfoundland puppy still grows up until 18 to 24 months or until it has multiplied its birth weight about 100 fold.
Now, let’s look at protein requirements: Puppies require a great amount of protein for the synthesis of the skeleton and all other tissues. Their amino acid requirement is far more important than for an adult. Additionally, puppies do not use proteins with the same efficiency as an adult dog. To make up for this less efficient digestive capacity, a growth product must contain at least 25 to 30% more proteins than an adult food. Protein deficiencies in puppies may cause among other problems, delayed growth, immune system weakness and anemia.
Mineral requirements: Large breed puppies are susceptible to growth abnormalities if they are being fed a diet too high in calcium. Therefore, feeding the correct puppy formula is important for their long term health.
Then there is the starch digestion. The production of enzymes , which digest starch reaches an optimum level only when the puppy has completely achieved its growth. Before, a puppy does not digest starch as well. A maintenance adult diet can contain up to 50% starch. In contrast, a puppy food should not contain more than 30% starch. Feeding an adult diet to a puppy can induce loose stools, diarrhea, and possibly favor coprophagic behavior, which means they start eating their own stools.
Puppy food does not equal puppy food. Especially important that the food needs to accommodate the needs of various sizes. All puppy foods seem to have some common characteristics, which include high energy density, concentration of all essential nutrients and decreased levels of starch. But the size of the breed implies specific adaptations.
Large breeds are much more likely to suffer from skeletal growth diseases. These troubles are exacerbated by an over consumption of energy. Such over consumption comes with accelerated growth and too high levels of dietary calcium. Limiting fat content and controlling the level of calcium in the food is the best way to minimize the risks. In contrast, small and medium breeds must receive a lot of energy, but in a small volume. They require a more concentrated diet.
In conclusion I would say: For those of you who believe that there is really no difference between a puppy and a regular adult maintenance food, do your home work and look at the formulas again. Simply looking at the Guaranteed Analysis immediately will tell you that there are major differences in mainly protein and fat content but also in fiber. Further analysis of the dry matter nutrient analysis will provide even more detailed insight.
Unless you are looking at a formula classified as being for “all life stages”, stick with the puppy food. Wait until the end of growth period (find out more from your breeder or on breed specific sites on the Internet) before switching a puppy to an adult product. And, finally, there is no disadvantage in feeding a puppy food longer than initially planned, provided the bodyweight of the dog is not excessive.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Hypoallergenic Dog and Cat Food: Sorting Through the Hype
This comment is a contribution by The Honest Kitchen. The reason why I am sharing it here on the blog is that I had this week a prospective customer calling me and I pretty much told this dog owner the same thing. He was referred to me by another customer, who’s allergic dogs are doing better now since we gradually changed their diets. This gentleman’s small breed also seems to suffer from allergies. According to the vet it is chicken. I asked him what he is feeding right now, all he knew was that it was something the vet had prescribed and sold him. And he made the effort to pick up the bag and read to me the name of the so typical scientific veterinarian prescription diet. While I explained to him, how I am handling cases like his, that I am going to analyze his current food and come up with a similar, but simply healthier alternative, this man was reading the ingredient listing on the bag for the very first time. And he kept reading it off with a loud voice, as he kept reading his voice became not just louder but also surprised, even shocked at times and the balance of our conversation related particular to this prescription diet led me to conclude that after we were done with our call he for sure phoned his vet pulling a Donald Trump “You are fired” kind of deal. I wonder if it was because the vet concluded if the dog is allergic to chicken (a conclusion he came up with based on no foundation whatsoever, never did any allergy tests, etc.) then the dog should be fed pure grain, which is what the ingredient listing of the prescription food told us. Are we talking dog or rabbit here? Maybe the vet just got it all mixed up, we all are entitled to a mistake once in a while, right?
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t know this vet, I am no vet, I never studied the vet business. I am just selling what I believe is good, ancestral, natural and what I believe is the best possible pet food. And I read about and study pet food a lot. So much as a matter of fact that I dream of pet food probably more than my dogs do. That tells you something. My place is not to provide veterinarian advice. Please refer to my disclaimer on the bottom of this blog. However, one point I want to stress is that what I have been doing over the last years for some strange reason is working. At least this is what 100% of our customers are telling me.
Maybe others know better. Now let’s see what the people of The Honest Kitchen have to say today:
“Hypoallergenic diets for dogs and cats are gaining popularity, and do offer some health benefits, but some marketing hype can mislead pet owners because pet food allergies are entirely specific to the individual pet. What is hypo-allergenic for one pet may still trigger reactions in others, and sometimes additional measures are needed to unearth the true cause.
What are pet food allergies?
There are lots of different theories about how and why pet food allergies occur. Most holistic practitioners agree that true allergic reactions are usually the result of an underlying health problem or system imbalance. All dogs and cats are exposed to a variety of allergens in daily life and never have a reaction of any kind. Pets don’t actually develop allergies as a result of exposure to allergens, but because they have suddenly become susceptible or vulnerable in some way.
Bad quality food in itself may deplete the immune system over time, because they are laden with toxins and other substances that place unnecessary burden on the body, or because they lack important nutrients, antioxidants, enzymes and so on. Many such nutrients may not be included in AAFCO nutrient profiles but are still vital for the long terms optimal health and vitality of a cat or dog. Vaccines, chemicals, medications like antibiotics or steroids, stress and genetics, can all predispose a pet to pet food allergies as well.
Pet food allergies are defined as immune system or inflammatory responses triggered off by certain foods. Other pets may not have true allergies but are still sensitive to certain ingredients, on a less severe level.
Some of the most common signs of pet food allergies include:
Itching and scratching
Dandruff or an excessively oily and odorous coat – pets eating good food that they can tolerate are shiny, non itchy and have virtually no odor.
Chronic ear infections and / or buildup of yeasty debris in the ears.
Chronic licking at the feed, often causing a red tinge to the fur on the paws
Gastrointestinal upset (intermittent or persistent diarrhea, vomiting, gas, bloating)
General lethargy and lack of interest in life – or, hyperactivity.
Allergies can also be inhalant (pollen etc) or environmental. For food allergies, many pet owners turn to so-called hypoallergenic pet food diets – with mixed results, because of several factors.
What is hypoallergenic pet food?There is no such thing as ‘hypoallergenic pet food’ in the strictest sense of the term and using the phrase in marketing and product names can be confusing and misleading. The reason is that an allergy is entirely specific to the individual animal and a food that is ‘non allergenic’ for one pet may cause sever reactions for another. Just as a cake may be labeled ‘hypoallergenic’ for most human beings because it’s made without nuts, dairy and gluten, it could cause a severe and even fatal reaction for a person with a strawberry allergy, if it is made with strawberries.
It’s true that certain ingredients have a much higher incidence of causing allergic reactions than others but the key is to uncover what your own pet can and cannot tolerate. For many pets, the most common culprits are wheat, corn, soy, rice and sugar beet pulp – as well as various preservatives.
Steps to take for pets with pet food allergies
For many lucky pets, eliminating the high-risk ingredients of wheat, corn, soy, rice and beet pulp and usually identifying single proteins that they are able to tolerates, are the only steps needed to manage pet food allergies, and they go on to be free of allergies for the rest of their lives. A hypoallergenic pet food per se, is never actually required.
For others, the problem is more complex. They may be started on various new diets made with fish or exotic meats to no avail – because their body is continuing to react to one or more ingredients that their guardian is continuing serve up.
In other cases, feeding a food that’s very minimally processed with a single protein source, can make a vast difference. Many pets seem sensitive to beef in the form of a beef flavored kibble but can actually tolerate lightly cooked hamburger or a piece of raw steak very well. High heat processing used to make kibble, can alter the amino acid structure of proteins, making them unrecognizable to the body and triggering off a pet food allergy that vanishes when the human food equivalent is fed.
Sometimes, an elimination diet or ‘feeding trial’ is needed to uncover the cause of pet food allergies. This involves feeding an extremely simplified diet for about weeks – say, fish and sweet potatoes or bison and millet - until allergies subside – and then gradually adding in one new ingredient each week thereafter, to observe for any sign of intolerance such as itching or diarrhea. Laboratory based allergy testing is another option but can be costly – and occasionally the results are inconclusive or inaccurate.
In many chronic cases, real commitment is necessary to uncover what is causing a pet food allergy. Scrutiny of the label for everything that passes your pet’s lips, including snacks and treats, is crucial. Patterns often emerge where for example, diarrhea occurs every week after a dog returns from daycare and the cause is the cookies he receives there.
In addition to determining what foods the pet cannot tolerate – and committing to avoid them long-term, detoxification and support of the immune system with herbs can be immensely helpful. Supplementation with digestive enzymes and probiotics can help get the body back on track and ensure proper absorption of the foods being fed.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t know this vet, I am no vet, I never studied the vet business. I am just selling what I believe is good, ancestral, natural and what I believe is the best possible pet food. And I read about and study pet food a lot. So much as a matter of fact that I dream of pet food probably more than my dogs do. That tells you something. My place is not to provide veterinarian advice. Please refer to my disclaimer on the bottom of this blog. However, one point I want to stress is that what I have been doing over the last years for some strange reason is working. At least this is what 100% of our customers are telling me.
Maybe others know better. Now let’s see what the people of The Honest Kitchen have to say today:
“Hypoallergenic diets for dogs and cats are gaining popularity, and do offer some health benefits, but some marketing hype can mislead pet owners because pet food allergies are entirely specific to the individual pet. What is hypo-allergenic for one pet may still trigger reactions in others, and sometimes additional measures are needed to unearth the true cause.
What are pet food allergies?
There are lots of different theories about how and why pet food allergies occur. Most holistic practitioners agree that true allergic reactions are usually the result of an underlying health problem or system imbalance. All dogs and cats are exposed to a variety of allergens in daily life and never have a reaction of any kind. Pets don’t actually develop allergies as a result of exposure to allergens, but because they have suddenly become susceptible or vulnerable in some way.
Bad quality food in itself may deplete the immune system over time, because they are laden with toxins and other substances that place unnecessary burden on the body, or because they lack important nutrients, antioxidants, enzymes and so on. Many such nutrients may not be included in AAFCO nutrient profiles but are still vital for the long terms optimal health and vitality of a cat or dog. Vaccines, chemicals, medications like antibiotics or steroids, stress and genetics, can all predispose a pet to pet food allergies as well.
Pet food allergies are defined as immune system or inflammatory responses triggered off by certain foods. Other pets may not have true allergies but are still sensitive to certain ingredients, on a less severe level.
Some of the most common signs of pet food allergies include:
Itching and scratching
Dandruff or an excessively oily and odorous coat – pets eating good food that they can tolerate are shiny, non itchy and have virtually no odor.
Chronic ear infections and / or buildup of yeasty debris in the ears.
Chronic licking at the feed, often causing a red tinge to the fur on the paws
Gastrointestinal upset (intermittent or persistent diarrhea, vomiting, gas, bloating)
General lethargy and lack of interest in life – or, hyperactivity.
Allergies can also be inhalant (pollen etc) or environmental. For food allergies, many pet owners turn to so-called hypoallergenic pet food diets – with mixed results, because of several factors.
What is hypoallergenic pet food?There is no such thing as ‘hypoallergenic pet food’ in the strictest sense of the term and using the phrase in marketing and product names can be confusing and misleading. The reason is that an allergy is entirely specific to the individual animal and a food that is ‘non allergenic’ for one pet may cause sever reactions for another. Just as a cake may be labeled ‘hypoallergenic’ for most human beings because it’s made without nuts, dairy and gluten, it could cause a severe and even fatal reaction for a person with a strawberry allergy, if it is made with strawberries.
It’s true that certain ingredients have a much higher incidence of causing allergic reactions than others but the key is to uncover what your own pet can and cannot tolerate. For many pets, the most common culprits are wheat, corn, soy, rice and sugar beet pulp – as well as various preservatives.
Steps to take for pets with pet food allergies
For many lucky pets, eliminating the high-risk ingredients of wheat, corn, soy, rice and beet pulp and usually identifying single proteins that they are able to tolerates, are the only steps needed to manage pet food allergies, and they go on to be free of allergies for the rest of their lives. A hypoallergenic pet food per se, is never actually required.
For others, the problem is more complex. They may be started on various new diets made with fish or exotic meats to no avail – because their body is continuing to react to one or more ingredients that their guardian is continuing serve up.
In other cases, feeding a food that’s very minimally processed with a single protein source, can make a vast difference. Many pets seem sensitive to beef in the form of a beef flavored kibble but can actually tolerate lightly cooked hamburger or a piece of raw steak very well. High heat processing used to make kibble, can alter the amino acid structure of proteins, making them unrecognizable to the body and triggering off a pet food allergy that vanishes when the human food equivalent is fed.
Sometimes, an elimination diet or ‘feeding trial’ is needed to uncover the cause of pet food allergies. This involves feeding an extremely simplified diet for about weeks – say, fish and sweet potatoes or bison and millet - until allergies subside – and then gradually adding in one new ingredient each week thereafter, to observe for any sign of intolerance such as itching or diarrhea. Laboratory based allergy testing is another option but can be costly – and occasionally the results are inconclusive or inaccurate.
In many chronic cases, real commitment is necessary to uncover what is causing a pet food allergy. Scrutiny of the label for everything that passes your pet’s lips, including snacks and treats, is crucial. Patterns often emerge where for example, diarrhea occurs every week after a dog returns from daycare and the cause is the cookies he receives there.
In addition to determining what foods the pet cannot tolerate – and committing to avoid them long-term, detoxification and support of the immune system with herbs can be immensely helpful. Supplementation with digestive enzymes and probiotics can help get the body back on track and ensure proper absorption of the foods being fed.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Future of pet food: Realistic or ho"rror"listic?
A few weeks ago, PetFoodIndustry.com, the on-line off-spring of Pet Food Industry Magazine, a publication for pet food professionals, published an article written by Stefania Pes, a consultant and writer for Mediatic (www.mediatic.it), a communications and marketing agency based in Italy serving the pet industry. It was titled “Online Extra! Protein alternatives”. In it, Pes had Sonac, a leading supplier of meat derived by-products, explain new types of ingredients it's developing. At its plant in Burgum, Netherlands, Sonac processes innovative pet food ingredients, such hydrolyzed proteins from the slaughter of animal protein and fat by-products. While reading the article I concluded that if we think we have problems now with commercially mass produced pet food, wait what’s in the pipeline. In my opinion absolutely nothing to look forward to. And it appears as if some people never seem to learn and willing to change. For those manufacturers profits seem to remain the number one concern. Forget about the health of our companion animals (or our’s), the diseases which have been brought onto them due to processed diets and the suffering inflicted. I am very thankful that we still have a great number of small pet food manufacturers attempting to do the right thing, if that at all is possible with processed pet food. On the other hand though, this topic is certainly subject to a lot of controversy. We have to carefully plan for our resources (and the depletion thereof) and many other factors when it comes to how we are, together with our pets, surviving well into the future. But does it have to be what these people have in mind? See for yourself:
“European supplier of proteins and fats seeks to add value to food chain
Though worldwide prices of agricultural raw materials—including key pet food ingredients such as corn, rice, animal proteins and fats—have declined in recent months, dramatic increases in the first half of 2008 cascaded to the food and feed chain, resulting in higher prices for foods like pasta, bread, milk, meat as well as pet food.
A number of factors seem to be responsible for the situation, and their effects are still under debate: systemic causes like droughts in grain producing nations, increased demand for meat in developing countries, diversion of farmland or crops for biofuels production, structural changes in trade and more.
The price tension on the market generated by high demand was reinforced in the past years by poor harvests and record oil prices, which also induced escalating energy, transportation and ingredient costs. In short, several industries are competing for the same raw materials and are affected by costs that possibly will rise again as a result of joint increasing demand from food, feed and fuel production.
Increased competition: The greater market interest in animal proteins and fats has increased the competition among players in this segment, according to Sonac, a leading European supplier of ingredients derived from slaughter by-products. This competitive situation has reduced the availability of certain raw materials frequently used in petfood.
Sonac, together with business units Rendac, Rousselot and Ecoson, is part of the Ingredients division of the Vion Food Group, an internationally operating group based in the Netherlands that produces high-quality foods and ingredients for humans and animals. Besides Vion Ingredients, the group’s divisions include Vion Fresh Meat, Vion Convenience and Vion UK. The Ingredients division focuses on optimizing the marketing of slaughter by-products, processing them into ingredients for a variety of applications, including food, petfood, animal feed, aquaculture, pharmaceuticals, photographic, fertilizer and technical products.
Sonac collects and processes slaughter by-products exclusively from animals approved for human consumption (category three material according to European Union, or EU, regulations). Under precise conditions these materials can be placed on the market. By doing so, Sonac adds maximum value to all animal by-products released in the meat chain, according to the company.
Direct guarantees: Sonac aims to be a versatile partner able to supply a wide range of reliable ingredients of animal origin. All its products are produced in various Sonac factories so customer needs such as continuous supplies, quality control, tracking and tracing systems are directly checked and guaranteed.
The plant in Burgum, Netherlands, is the largest European category 3 processing plant. It has a meat meal line (pork and bovine), a poultry line, a blood line, a bone meal line and lines for feathers and pig hair. (This end product is not used in pet food due to very poor digestibility but is suitable for fertilizers). About 100 people work at the Burgum plant. Sonac also has facilities in the Netherlands and Belgium, plus subsidiaries in France, Germany, Spain, Poland and Italy.
The Western European pet food sector is a major buyer of Sonac products manufactured from animal-based raw materials like protein meals, fats and minerals (e.g., phosphates from bones). All can be sourced from Sonac as in a kind of one-stop-shop. Producers of wet pet food or snacks can find a variety of specific products like fresh or frozen organs and carcasses (livers, lungs, hearts, necks), skins (for rawhides treats) and gelatin-based products like binders (for semi-moist treats), which are produced by Rousselot.
To produce its products, Sonac’s plants include state-of-the-art equipment, and operators follow several quality and safety programs, including HACCP, GMP+, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
According to Sonac, its variety of products, combined with ongoing product innovation and the ability to supply tailored products, are of great importance to customers. Its production line specialization and geographical spread mean more accurate separation of raw materials, separate product-specific production lines with resulting higher level of control and the opportunity to fulfill demand for specialty or single-species products.
At the same time Sonac is able to meet customers’ request for high value ingredients—for example, ones with functional properties—or offer cheaper alternatives like mixed meals when producers need to control increased costs. The company can also work with customers to evaluate and develop raw materials best fitting their requirements.
Protein alternatives: “Pet food players are facing unprecedented challenges highly connected to the raw material issue,” states Geert van der Velden, sales manager. Pet food companies need flexible, reliable partners enabling them to fulfill customer requests such as finding alternative solutions, diversifying for competitive advantage, being more creative and looking for a “second generation of raw materials,” van der Velden adds. By offering R&D cooperation and involving customers in every stage of the product development process, Sonac intends to be that kind of partner and to create strong long-lasting business relations, he says.
This is especially true when materials that were available in the past are not as obtainable or have increased greatly in price. For example, Kerapro is a newly developed product from feathers, with much better quality, improved digestibility and bioavailability than feather meal, says Jarig Komrij, sales manager for dry pet food. It’s also high in protein and low in ash content.
In Sonac’s view, innovation also includes picking up on trends and market opportunities, so the company is closely watching the hypoallergenic market. Although Sonac still has “exotic” protein sources such as lamb and duck meal in its portfolio, it’s looking at what it considers the next and best solution: Hydrolized proteins.
These proteins—also called peptides—are cut in small pieces so the body does not recognize them as proteins and the allergic reaction does not occur. “Then we look to functionality,” says van der Velden, citing examples such as plasma powder and gelatin based binders. “We are also focusing on gelatin hydrolizates for joint problems, an alternative to traditional products like chondroitin sulfate. Our hydrolizate has the advantage in that it can be used as a hypoallergenic ingredient and also has positive effects for the joints.”
Quality and safety are key: Product quality, safety and traceability are key items in these processes and of crucial importance in the EU pet food market. Sonac works with state-of-the-art control equipment and adheres to several quality programs such as HACCP, GMP+, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, fulfilling national and international regulations and legislation.
“The big players usually visit our factory once a year,” says Komrij. “Their research people know exactly what happens in our factory or what kind of raw materials we process, how they are produced. They know everything, included the critical control points of our factories.
“Next to fulfilling the high safety and quality standards of the pet food industry, we are now going for something more,” Komrij continues, “trying to put additional attention on freshness, palatability and digestibility of our raw materials, all measurable and of critical importance to our customers.”
Other Vion units’ roles: With respect to sustainability, the Rendac business unit plays a key role between livestock farming and the production of energy, and contributes to protecting and securing public health. This unit collects and processes fallen stock and materials that present a risk, then sends the end products for use in the energy sector or cement industry or for power generation at the Vion group’s plants. Through its fermentation facility and fat refining unit, Ecoson produce biogas (for green electricity) and bio fuels; a part of the refined animal fat is also used by Ecoson itself as raw material in its plant for biodiesel production. In all these cases, the animal origin raw materials for the production of energy are already available (slaughter by-products), instead of being produced for that special purpose as happens with the grain forms. It is therefore a second generation biofuel. Rousselot is a leading global manufacturer of gelatin and hydrolyzed collagen. Its products and services have a broad range of applications in food, pharmaceutical and photographic industries."
“European supplier of proteins and fats seeks to add value to food chain
Though worldwide prices of agricultural raw materials—including key pet food ingredients such as corn, rice, animal proteins and fats—have declined in recent months, dramatic increases in the first half of 2008 cascaded to the food and feed chain, resulting in higher prices for foods like pasta, bread, milk, meat as well as pet food.
A number of factors seem to be responsible for the situation, and their effects are still under debate: systemic causes like droughts in grain producing nations, increased demand for meat in developing countries, diversion of farmland or crops for biofuels production, structural changes in trade and more.
The price tension on the market generated by high demand was reinforced in the past years by poor harvests and record oil prices, which also induced escalating energy, transportation and ingredient costs. In short, several industries are competing for the same raw materials and are affected by costs that possibly will rise again as a result of joint increasing demand from food, feed and fuel production.
Increased competition: The greater market interest in animal proteins and fats has increased the competition among players in this segment, according to Sonac, a leading European supplier of ingredients derived from slaughter by-products. This competitive situation has reduced the availability of certain raw materials frequently used in petfood.
Sonac, together with business units Rendac, Rousselot and Ecoson, is part of the Ingredients division of the Vion Food Group, an internationally operating group based in the Netherlands that produces high-quality foods and ingredients for humans and animals. Besides Vion Ingredients, the group’s divisions include Vion Fresh Meat, Vion Convenience and Vion UK. The Ingredients division focuses on optimizing the marketing of slaughter by-products, processing them into ingredients for a variety of applications, including food, petfood, animal feed, aquaculture, pharmaceuticals, photographic, fertilizer and technical products.
Sonac collects and processes slaughter by-products exclusively from animals approved for human consumption (category three material according to European Union, or EU, regulations). Under precise conditions these materials can be placed on the market. By doing so, Sonac adds maximum value to all animal by-products released in the meat chain, according to the company.
Direct guarantees: Sonac aims to be a versatile partner able to supply a wide range of reliable ingredients of animal origin. All its products are produced in various Sonac factories so customer needs such as continuous supplies, quality control, tracking and tracing systems are directly checked and guaranteed.
The plant in Burgum, Netherlands, is the largest European category 3 processing plant. It has a meat meal line (pork and bovine), a poultry line, a blood line, a bone meal line and lines for feathers and pig hair. (This end product is not used in pet food due to very poor digestibility but is suitable for fertilizers). About 100 people work at the Burgum plant. Sonac also has facilities in the Netherlands and Belgium, plus subsidiaries in France, Germany, Spain, Poland and Italy.
The Western European pet food sector is a major buyer of Sonac products manufactured from animal-based raw materials like protein meals, fats and minerals (e.g., phosphates from bones). All can be sourced from Sonac as in a kind of one-stop-shop. Producers of wet pet food or snacks can find a variety of specific products like fresh or frozen organs and carcasses (livers, lungs, hearts, necks), skins (for rawhides treats) and gelatin-based products like binders (for semi-moist treats), which are produced by Rousselot.
To produce its products, Sonac’s plants include state-of-the-art equipment, and operators follow several quality and safety programs, including HACCP, GMP+, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
According to Sonac, its variety of products, combined with ongoing product innovation and the ability to supply tailored products, are of great importance to customers. Its production line specialization and geographical spread mean more accurate separation of raw materials, separate product-specific production lines with resulting higher level of control and the opportunity to fulfill demand for specialty or single-species products.
At the same time Sonac is able to meet customers’ request for high value ingredients—for example, ones with functional properties—or offer cheaper alternatives like mixed meals when producers need to control increased costs. The company can also work with customers to evaluate and develop raw materials best fitting their requirements.
Protein alternatives: “Pet food players are facing unprecedented challenges highly connected to the raw material issue,” states Geert van der Velden, sales manager. Pet food companies need flexible, reliable partners enabling them to fulfill customer requests such as finding alternative solutions, diversifying for competitive advantage, being more creative and looking for a “second generation of raw materials,” van der Velden adds. By offering R&D cooperation and involving customers in every stage of the product development process, Sonac intends to be that kind of partner and to create strong long-lasting business relations, he says.
This is especially true when materials that were available in the past are not as obtainable or have increased greatly in price. For example, Kerapro is a newly developed product from feathers, with much better quality, improved digestibility and bioavailability than feather meal, says Jarig Komrij, sales manager for dry pet food. It’s also high in protein and low in ash content.
In Sonac’s view, innovation also includes picking up on trends and market opportunities, so the company is closely watching the hypoallergenic market. Although Sonac still has “exotic” protein sources such as lamb and duck meal in its portfolio, it’s looking at what it considers the next and best solution: Hydrolized proteins.
These proteins—also called peptides—are cut in small pieces so the body does not recognize them as proteins and the allergic reaction does not occur. “Then we look to functionality,” says van der Velden, citing examples such as plasma powder and gelatin based binders. “We are also focusing on gelatin hydrolizates for joint problems, an alternative to traditional products like chondroitin sulfate. Our hydrolizate has the advantage in that it can be used as a hypoallergenic ingredient and also has positive effects for the joints.”
Quality and safety are key: Product quality, safety and traceability are key items in these processes and of crucial importance in the EU pet food market. Sonac works with state-of-the-art control equipment and adheres to several quality programs such as HACCP, GMP+, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, fulfilling national and international regulations and legislation.
“The big players usually visit our factory once a year,” says Komrij. “Their research people know exactly what happens in our factory or what kind of raw materials we process, how they are produced. They know everything, included the critical control points of our factories.
“Next to fulfilling the high safety and quality standards of the pet food industry, we are now going for something more,” Komrij continues, “trying to put additional attention on freshness, palatability and digestibility of our raw materials, all measurable and of critical importance to our customers.”
Other Vion units’ roles: With respect to sustainability, the Rendac business unit plays a key role between livestock farming and the production of energy, and contributes to protecting and securing public health. This unit collects and processes fallen stock and materials that present a risk, then sends the end products for use in the energy sector or cement industry or for power generation at the Vion group’s plants. Through its fermentation facility and fat refining unit, Ecoson produce biogas (for green electricity) and bio fuels; a part of the refined animal fat is also used by Ecoson itself as raw material in its plant for biodiesel production. In all these cases, the animal origin raw materials for the production of energy are already available (slaughter by-products), instead of being produced for that special purpose as happens with the grain forms. It is therefore a second generation biofuel. Rousselot is a leading global manufacturer of gelatin and hydrolyzed collagen. Its products and services have a broad range of applications in food, pharmaceutical and photographic industries."
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Pet food going wild: Understanding evolution and ancestral diets unlocks innovation
Petfood Industry.com, an on-line community for pet food professionals recently took a closer look at the industry’s latest trend towards going “wild” with it’s pet food. These days, every day you open a magazine you are assured to be confronted with an announcement of yet another manufacturer introducing his latest “wild” creation.
The on-line magazine believes that an improved understanding based on unbiased scientific research of evolution and canine and feline ancestral diets will unlock innovations. But why are pet food manufacturers touting "wild" ingredients? One manufacturer in his promotional materials sums it up this way: "Before dogs were domesticated, meat was their key source of nutrition. Inspired by a dog's heritage and nutritional needs, … was developed to nourish every dog as nature intended." Sounds good, but the science is not always clear as to what nature intended.
Unfortunately, an all to familiar problem within the industry, sometimes marketing gets ahead of the science. So it is once again the case on the concept of wild, ancestral pet foods. Let’s keep that in mind while we look at some of the wild pet food diets that are becoming more popular.
Making wild assertions, marketers of wild ingredient based pet food say they provide a diet rich in quality meat with high nutrient bioavailability, the way nature intended. Other claims include:
"We use a savory fresh protein from US Department of Agriculture inspected sources as the number one ingredient, and quality, low-ash chicken meal as the number two ingredient."
"It's a return to your dog's ancestral diet while recognizing its modern day lifestyle. We use only meat protein sources, healthy fruits and vegetables, no grains, fillers, by-products or artificial colors, flavors or preservatives."
In addition, the standard claims and disclaimers tend to apply: No grain, no by-products, roasted meat, fish and poultry, all natural, no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, no corn, no wheat, no soy, no gluten, no fillers, chicory root for digestive support, antioxidants to protect cells, the ideal blend of omega fatty acids and chelated minerals.
For the most part, proponents of wild ingredient products believe the ideal diet is the pre-agricultural diet on which a species evolved. They say such diets contain the foods that best suit the species' digestive and metabolic systems and are least likely of all foods to cause an allergic reaction.
Here are some of a few manufacturer’s statements made in response to the on-line magazine’s inquiry:
An early example of wild petfood marketing is the Evolution Diet Pet Food Corp., which started in 1987. It's not typical of most wild petfoods in that the products are vegetarian. I remain confused, because I believe in the carnivore concept, but the company apparently insisted that it would be included in the magazine's article. Founder and CEO Eric Weisman says he founded the company after examining what went into conventional petfoods and deciding he wanted a "better alternative" for his own pets. His dogs and cats were having health issues he thought were related to the ingredients in conventional petfoods. Weisman worked with Darwin Brightsman, PhD, an animal nutritionist, to formulate Evolution Diet Pet Food products. At the time, Weisman was a physician in private practice using vitamin, botanical, nutraceutical and nutrition therapy for people. Weisman notes he is still using "state-of-the-art combinations" of vitamins, herbs and nutraceuticals developed to treat joint, vascular and other diseases in sick pets at the Evolution Diet Rescue facility, which he has operated in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, since 1987.
Merrick, maker of Before Grain products, asserts that dogs and cats do better when fed grain free diets. This is, they say, what nature intended. The company says a diet based primarily on fresh meat, blue fruit, nutrient-dense vegetables and high-quality meat contributes to better health and longevity. Ingredients used include buffalo, beef, chicken, salmon, turkey and tripe. Merrick points out enthusiastically that Before Grain products contain acai, an Amazon palm berry, and blueberries. Freeze dried acai berries and blueberries are "carefully added to the kibble after the cooking process." Merrick contends these "super blue fruits" are high in antioxidants and anthocyanins.
"Years of domestication have turned pets from fierce predators to best friends," contends Taste of the Wild Pet Foods. "However, modern science proves that dogs and cats still share the DNA of the wolf or wild cat.
Taste of the Wild Brand Dog and Cat Food offers pets a diet dictated by genes. It allows pet owners to provide their pets the kind of natural, balanced diet that they could find in the wild."
Canidae All Natural Pet Foods offers grain-free formulas for dogs and cats. Most contain 80% protein and 20% fruits and vegetables, "designed to increase energy levels." The products contain no corn, wheat, soy, grain fractions, glutens or fillers, says the company.
Those who market wild-ingredient products believe the ideal diet is a pre-agricultural diet. This diet, they say, contains the foods that best suit digestive and metabolic systems and are least likely to cause an allergic reaction. It's an appealing idea, but the jury is still out.
The on-line magazine believes that an improved understanding based on unbiased scientific research of evolution and canine and feline ancestral diets will unlock innovations. But why are pet food manufacturers touting "wild" ingredients? One manufacturer in his promotional materials sums it up this way: "Before dogs were domesticated, meat was their key source of nutrition. Inspired by a dog's heritage and nutritional needs, … was developed to nourish every dog as nature intended." Sounds good, but the science is not always clear as to what nature intended.
Unfortunately, an all to familiar problem within the industry, sometimes marketing gets ahead of the science. So it is once again the case on the concept of wild, ancestral pet foods. Let’s keep that in mind while we look at some of the wild pet food diets that are becoming more popular.
Making wild assertions, marketers of wild ingredient based pet food say they provide a diet rich in quality meat with high nutrient bioavailability, the way nature intended. Other claims include:
"We use a savory fresh protein from US Department of Agriculture inspected sources as the number one ingredient, and quality, low-ash chicken meal as the number two ingredient."
"It's a return to your dog's ancestral diet while recognizing its modern day lifestyle. We use only meat protein sources, healthy fruits and vegetables, no grains, fillers, by-products or artificial colors, flavors or preservatives."
In addition, the standard claims and disclaimers tend to apply: No grain, no by-products, roasted meat, fish and poultry, all natural, no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, no corn, no wheat, no soy, no gluten, no fillers, chicory root for digestive support, antioxidants to protect cells, the ideal blend of omega fatty acids and chelated minerals.
For the most part, proponents of wild ingredient products believe the ideal diet is the pre-agricultural diet on which a species evolved. They say such diets contain the foods that best suit the species' digestive and metabolic systems and are least likely of all foods to cause an allergic reaction.
Here are some of a few manufacturer’s statements made in response to the on-line magazine’s inquiry:
An early example of wild petfood marketing is the Evolution Diet Pet Food Corp., which started in 1987. It's not typical of most wild petfoods in that the products are vegetarian. I remain confused, because I believe in the carnivore concept, but the company apparently insisted that it would be included in the magazine's article. Founder and CEO Eric Weisman says he founded the company after examining what went into conventional petfoods and deciding he wanted a "better alternative" for his own pets. His dogs and cats were having health issues he thought were related to the ingredients in conventional petfoods. Weisman worked with Darwin Brightsman, PhD, an animal nutritionist, to formulate Evolution Diet Pet Food products. At the time, Weisman was a physician in private practice using vitamin, botanical, nutraceutical and nutrition therapy for people. Weisman notes he is still using "state-of-the-art combinations" of vitamins, herbs and nutraceuticals developed to treat joint, vascular and other diseases in sick pets at the Evolution Diet Rescue facility, which he has operated in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, since 1987.
Merrick, maker of Before Grain products, asserts that dogs and cats do better when fed grain free diets. This is, they say, what nature intended. The company says a diet based primarily on fresh meat, blue fruit, nutrient-dense vegetables and high-quality meat contributes to better health and longevity. Ingredients used include buffalo, beef, chicken, salmon, turkey and tripe. Merrick points out enthusiastically that Before Grain products contain acai, an Amazon palm berry, and blueberries. Freeze dried acai berries and blueberries are "carefully added to the kibble after the cooking process." Merrick contends these "super blue fruits" are high in antioxidants and anthocyanins.
"Years of domestication have turned pets from fierce predators to best friends," contends Taste of the Wild Pet Foods. "However, modern science proves that dogs and cats still share the DNA of the wolf or wild cat.
Taste of the Wild Brand Dog and Cat Food offers pets a diet dictated by genes. It allows pet owners to provide their pets the kind of natural, balanced diet that they could find in the wild."
Canidae All Natural Pet Foods offers grain-free formulas for dogs and cats. Most contain 80% protein and 20% fruits and vegetables, "designed to increase energy levels." The products contain no corn, wheat, soy, grain fractions, glutens or fillers, says the company.
Those who market wild-ingredient products believe the ideal diet is a pre-agricultural diet. This diet, they say, contains the foods that best suit digestive and metabolic systems and are least likely to cause an allergic reaction. It's an appealing idea, but the jury is still out.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Call for pet food transparency
Dr. Tim Phillips, DVM and Editor of The Pet Food Industry Magazine the other day under the headline “Whole Dog Journal wants Transparency” picked up on an issue, which is, as so many others, very controversial when it comes to pet food ingredients: Pet food ingredients and specifically by-products. I am going to address this issue at another time. What I also found interesting in the article were his comments about the Whole Dog Journal’s expectations on dog food and the call for more transparency. Dr. Phillips writes:
“In addition to transparency, Whole Dog Journal examines the ingredients listed on the product labels and looks for, among other things, the absence of by-products, added sweeteners and artificial coloring.
Every February, the Whole Dog Journal reviews dry dog foods. This year, for the first time, the magazine has added pet food company transparency to its list of criteria for approving dry dog foods. Editor Nancy Kerns puts it this way: "All companies, whether they own their plants or hire contract manufacturers, should be equally forthcoming about their manufacturing."
In addition to revealing where its products are made, Kerns believes a company should also be transparent about:
Product formulation: Who developed the formula and what are his/her credentials?
Ingredients: Can the company provide full traceability on each ingredient used in its products?
QA processes: Do its plants follow a HACCP food safety program?
Available support: If I feed my dog your food and he gets sick, what support will your company be able to provide for me?
In addition to transparency, Whole Dog Journal examines the ingredients listed on the product labels and looks for the following:
A lot of high-quality animal proteins, "ideally a food will have one or two animal proteins in the first few ingredients."
The absence of meat or poultry by-products, "there is a much wider range of quality in the by-products available for pet food manufacturing than there is for whole meats."
The absence of fat or protein not identified by species.
Whole grains and vegetables.
The absence of artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, "a healthy product full of top-quality ingredients shouldn't need non-nutritive additives to make it look or taste better."
The absence of added sweeteners.
Organic ingredients.
So what do you think of those criteria? Do they make sense?”
Since he asked what we think about WDJ’s criteria, here is my opinion: With regards to transparency, I think their ideas are great and it certainly would be a start into the right direction. Obviously, the manufacturers of mass marketed pet food are most likely not in agreement with those ideas since it would require transparency, seemingly the last thing they are interested in. (Unless someone can explain to me why there is no ingredient listing available for example for Ol’Roy, see my blog comment “Consumer Reports: The place to look for answers on pet food? “)
Well, I went back to my friend Dr. Wysong to see what he has to say about this topic. In his pamphlet “How to apologize to your pet” he writes under the headline “The most critical ingredient – The company” (meaning “the manufacturer”):
“…So how do you make choices with so many competing products out there? We will give you some fair advice and we hope we have earned your ear since this entire brochure is about how you could feed optimally without using any Wysong products at all. Our purpose is health enhancement, and telling you what you need to know and not just what you may want to hear. Additionally, we are insiders. We know manufacturing, distribution, ingredients, marketing and all the other details – and shenanigans – in the pet food industry. That is what uniquely qualifies us to help you in your evaluation.
Now comes a prefacing apology. Much of what we say in this section may be (mis)understood and (mis)construed to be negative. Unfortunately it is very difficult for the layperson to even discern that there is a problem, much less know how to correct it. Companies and products receive much polish to make things appear as appealing as possible on the surface. You must be skeptical, see through the smoke and mirrors – and you can’t do that without information. Research, learn, and probe to be sure you’re doing the best for your beloved pets.
When you purchase a nondescript packaged product like a nugget or mix, you have really no true idea what is in it. Yes, the ingredient label and analysis may say certain things, but terminology is crafted to put the best face forward to you. For example it is possible to say “natural flavors” and yet the product may contain MSG and a whole range of chemicals you might not desire. “Chicken” could mean heads and feet. “Natural,” “holistic,” “organic,” “human grade,” “balanced,” “veterinary recommended,” “science” and “100% complete and balanced” are powerful marketing terms, but not necessarily a true reflection of what is in the product. There is wide latitude on labels and even wider freedom for what can be said in marketing brochures. In the end, you are left with making a decision based upon trust in the company. That trust should not be blind.
These are considerations when deciding who to grant that trust to:
- Do they promote the misleading “100% complete” claim?
- Nutrition is a serious health matter. Are the leaders of the company scientists and doctors, or marketers and business people?
- Do they control their own manufacturing or are they just having a standard formulation with a few “special ingredients” made by a private label company?
- Do they educate (at no cost) to help you control your own and your pet’s health?
- Do they attempt to convince you to buy based on nonsense that has nothing to do with health, such as movie star endorsements?
- Do they have a long history of success in feeding pets?
- Do they provide products that have not been heat processed and degraded – reflecting knowledge of this critical nutritional issue?
- Do they show concern for animal welfare by not fostering unnecessary lab animal testing?
- Do they pander to misleading marketing approaches such as “four food group” feeding, emphasizing so-called special ingredients or trying to create panic about others? Remember, good nutrition is natural and varied, not about singular special or boogeyman ingredients.)
- Do they truly innovate – lead – with formulations and processing methods that enhance health (not just cosmetics) or do they just follow markets?
These are the considerations that will tell you what’s really in the package.”
In my mind, the bottom line is this: As by now everybody is in agreement, the most simple indicator whether you are dealing with a good, better or not so good pet food is if the manufacturer. My take is, is it a Wall Street traded company or is it a privately, possibly family owned, small to medium sized company with direct owner involvement and participation in daily operations (and creations). Because most of the times it is these small companies, which were brought into life because their owners were at one point just as we are today, fed up and frustrated with what is going on in the pet food industry. Fed up with watchning how their companion animals' health kept deterrerating. Fed up with learning day in and day out that what we are supposed to believe is good for our pets at the end of the day only causes harm. These guys will have no problem to live up to either WDJ’s or Dr. Wysong’s ideas of transparency and using the best possible ingredients, because that is what they live already on a daily basis and their products reflect that thinking and transparency. None of them will ever have a problem talking openly about and explaining their products at any length desired by any pet owner. Quite contrary, they proudly will do so. And as we all know, rightfully so.
“In addition to transparency, Whole Dog Journal examines the ingredients listed on the product labels and looks for, among other things, the absence of by-products, added sweeteners and artificial coloring.
Every February, the Whole Dog Journal reviews dry dog foods. This year, for the first time, the magazine has added pet food company transparency to its list of criteria for approving dry dog foods. Editor Nancy Kerns puts it this way: "All companies, whether they own their plants or hire contract manufacturers, should be equally forthcoming about their manufacturing."
In addition to revealing where its products are made, Kerns believes a company should also be transparent about:
Product formulation: Who developed the formula and what are his/her credentials?
Ingredients: Can the company provide full traceability on each ingredient used in its products?
QA processes: Do its plants follow a HACCP food safety program?
Available support: If I feed my dog your food and he gets sick, what support will your company be able to provide for me?
In addition to transparency, Whole Dog Journal examines the ingredients listed on the product labels and looks for the following:
A lot of high-quality animal proteins, "ideally a food will have one or two animal proteins in the first few ingredients."
The absence of meat or poultry by-products, "there is a much wider range of quality in the by-products available for pet food manufacturing than there is for whole meats."
The absence of fat or protein not identified by species.
Whole grains and vegetables.
The absence of artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, "a healthy product full of top-quality ingredients shouldn't need non-nutritive additives to make it look or taste better."
The absence of added sweeteners.
Organic ingredients.
So what do you think of those criteria? Do they make sense?”
Since he asked what we think about WDJ’s criteria, here is my opinion: With regards to transparency, I think their ideas are great and it certainly would be a start into the right direction. Obviously, the manufacturers of mass marketed pet food are most likely not in agreement with those ideas since it would require transparency, seemingly the last thing they are interested in. (Unless someone can explain to me why there is no ingredient listing available for example for Ol’Roy, see my blog comment “Consumer Reports: The place to look for answers on pet food? “)
Well, I went back to my friend Dr. Wysong to see what he has to say about this topic. In his pamphlet “How to apologize to your pet” he writes under the headline “The most critical ingredient – The company” (meaning “the manufacturer”):
“…So how do you make choices with so many competing products out there? We will give you some fair advice and we hope we have earned your ear since this entire brochure is about how you could feed optimally without using any Wysong products at all. Our purpose is health enhancement, and telling you what you need to know and not just what you may want to hear. Additionally, we are insiders. We know manufacturing, distribution, ingredients, marketing and all the other details – and shenanigans – in the pet food industry. That is what uniquely qualifies us to help you in your evaluation.
Now comes a prefacing apology. Much of what we say in this section may be (mis)understood and (mis)construed to be negative. Unfortunately it is very difficult for the layperson to even discern that there is a problem, much less know how to correct it. Companies and products receive much polish to make things appear as appealing as possible on the surface. You must be skeptical, see through the smoke and mirrors – and you can’t do that without information. Research, learn, and probe to be sure you’re doing the best for your beloved pets.
When you purchase a nondescript packaged product like a nugget or mix, you have really no true idea what is in it. Yes, the ingredient label and analysis may say certain things, but terminology is crafted to put the best face forward to you. For example it is possible to say “natural flavors” and yet the product may contain MSG and a whole range of chemicals you might not desire. “Chicken” could mean heads and feet. “Natural,” “holistic,” “organic,” “human grade,” “balanced,” “veterinary recommended,” “science” and “100% complete and balanced” are powerful marketing terms, but not necessarily a true reflection of what is in the product. There is wide latitude on labels and even wider freedom for what can be said in marketing brochures. In the end, you are left with making a decision based upon trust in the company. That trust should not be blind.
These are considerations when deciding who to grant that trust to:
- Do they promote the misleading “100% complete” claim?
- Nutrition is a serious health matter. Are the leaders of the company scientists and doctors, or marketers and business people?
- Do they control their own manufacturing or are they just having a standard formulation with a few “special ingredients” made by a private label company?
- Do they educate (at no cost) to help you control your own and your pet’s health?
- Do they attempt to convince you to buy based on nonsense that has nothing to do with health, such as movie star endorsements?
- Do they have a long history of success in feeding pets?
- Do they provide products that have not been heat processed and degraded – reflecting knowledge of this critical nutritional issue?
- Do they show concern for animal welfare by not fostering unnecessary lab animal testing?
- Do they pander to misleading marketing approaches such as “four food group” feeding, emphasizing so-called special ingredients or trying to create panic about others? Remember, good nutrition is natural and varied, not about singular special or boogeyman ingredients.)
- Do they truly innovate – lead – with formulations and processing methods that enhance health (not just cosmetics) or do they just follow markets?
These are the considerations that will tell you what’s really in the package.”
In my mind, the bottom line is this: As by now everybody is in agreement, the most simple indicator whether you are dealing with a good, better or not so good pet food is if the manufacturer. My take is, is it a Wall Street traded company or is it a privately, possibly family owned, small to medium sized company with direct owner involvement and participation in daily operations (and creations). Because most of the times it is these small companies, which were brought into life because their owners were at one point just as we are today, fed up and frustrated with what is going on in the pet food industry. Fed up with watchning how their companion animals' health kept deterrerating. Fed up with learning day in and day out that what we are supposed to believe is good for our pets at the end of the day only causes harm. These guys will have no problem to live up to either WDJ’s or Dr. Wysong’s ideas of transparency and using the best possible ingredients, because that is what they live already on a daily basis and their products reflect that thinking and transparency. None of them will ever have a problem talking openly about and explaining their products at any length desired by any pet owner. Quite contrary, they proudly will do so. And as we all know, rightfully so.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Raw feeding: Forever surrounded by mystery?
MSNBC on their Pet Health page recently reported “Raw deal? Some feed their pets uncooked diet, but most vets fear food borne illnesses and say trend can harm the furry foodies.”
Here are some of the points they made:
“BARF. It’s what’s for dinner. Your dog’s dinner, that is. The acronym stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, which is not so much a diet as it is a movement among pet owners who believe their pets will benefit from eating the same kinds of food their furry ancestors gobbled: bones, raw meats and veggies. Just as a raw food trend has turned more mainstream among people, a small but vocal community of pet owners is using the same quality ingredients they buy for themselves to create homemade raw meals for their critters.
But most veterinarians are wary about the trend toward raw food, or even meals that are cooked, but homemade. The idea of feeding pets raw meat, which has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella or E. coli bacteria, or a home-cooked meal that may not be properly balanced, gives them the shudders. “So many of these people are just trying to make their pets happy and have no concept of nutrition,” says Dr. Patty Khuly, who practices in Miami.
Although no studies have been conducted to assess the benefits of a raw food diet for cats and dogs, believers in the raw pet food movement say the evidence speaks for itself: Their pets have shinier coats, stronger teeth, fewer ear infections and improved weight control.
Bob Kurtz, who was already feeding his retrievers a high-quality dry food, recently turned to a commercial raw diet to solve a young Labrador’s skin allergies.
“Since switching to raw, we have found several major benefits,” he says. “Our dogs’ weights have stabilized perfectly. They now rarely change weight by more than a pound between checkups. They are lean and muscular, with coats that are even more beautiful and glossy than before. The ground bone in the diet does a great job of scouring their teeth, and all signs of plaque and tartar buildup have disappeared.”
Pat Puckett, a founder of SoCal BARF, a buying association based in Orange County, Calif., began feeding a raw diet to her American pit bull terriers in 1998.
“My breed has a tendency toward skin problems, and I had spent quite a bit of time at the vet for various problems,” she says. “One of my friends who also has the breed had talked about switching over to raw for her dogs. I moved in that direction and never went back.”
Kurtz says the diet gets a mixed reaction from the veterinarians who see his dogs.
“Our practice has two vets. The senior vet is very wary about bacterial growth, E. coli, salmonella, etc. She has recommended to us many times that we cook the food instead," Kurtz says. "The younger vet is very excited about the growth of raw and homemade diets, is not particularly concerned about bacteria in the dog's shorter digestive system, and is very pleased with our results. As she says about our Labrador, ‘Ooh, look at her coat — she's sleek, like a seal!’”
A raw diet isn't as easy as dropping a chicken bone into Baxter's bowl. It’s essential to use a trustworthy recipe that provides all the nutrients a dog or cat needs or to feed a great enough variety of fresh foods that the diet is balanced over time, in the same way that a person who eats a variety of foods achieves a balanced diet. People who are concerned about providing a correct balance of nutrients or who don’t have time to prepare a pets’ meals can purchase commercial frozen raw diets at pet supply stores.
Dr. Deborah S. Greco, an internal medicine specialist, advises dog breeders who fed a raw diet to rotate protein sources rather than relying exclusively on a single protein, such as chicken.
“What I usually recommend for people who are feeding homemade diets is to call a nutritionist and say ‘This is what I’m feeding; is it balanced?’”
Dr. Khuly, the Miami veterinarian, proffers the same advice to her clients. She will consult a nutritionist for them, for a fee, or refer them to a veterinary nutritionist for a personal consultation. She says there is another reason veterinarians are conservative when it comes to recommending raw or homemade diets.
“Veterinarians want to be legally safe, and there are things that can go wrong with feeding anything,” she says. “If there’s a commercial entity to back you up, it makes it so much easier. If there’s just your diet, your recipes and your recommendation, you’re the one out on the line."
When done right, the greatest benefit of a homemade diet is the ability to select the ingredients. Puckett and the approximately 400 members of SoCal BARF want to know how the food animal was fed. They prefer to avoid soy-fed poultry and rabbits, for instance, because soy is a common pet allergen. That’s difficult, though. Soy is in almost every poultry and rabbit feed, she says.
“The dogs are healthier than any I’ve ever had who were primarily kibble-fed,” says Shirley Thistlethwaite, who lives in a rural area near Columbia, S.C., and feeds her six dogs cooked homemade meals using a rough ratio of one-third meat, one-third grains and one-third vegetables, fruits or herbs.
Thistlethwaite buys the highest-quality foods she can work into her budget each week.
“I try to get wild-caught fish, free-range meats, and organic and local foods if I can,” she says. Often, she and her dogs eat similar meals.
But not everyone has such a positive experience. After a massive pet food recall in 2007, Margaret Alexander of Newton, Mass., began cooking for her three Cavalier King Charles spaniels. She read a lot and consulted her own veterinarian as well as veterinarians at Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston. A year later, however, all three of her dogs developed various problems that may or may not have been related to their diet.
“The oldest one developed very serious liver and gall bladder problems and was hospitalized for several days,” she says. “The youngest dog developed slow digestive processes and lots of vomiting in the summer. The third one, in the fall, developed some type of problem which was initially thought to be a blockage. He has had what are euphemistically called 'dietary indiscretions' since we got him.”
Alexander suspects that the food she was preparing was too high in fat. Now her oldest dog is eating a diet prescribed by the veterinarian and the other two are back on a high-quality dry food. She’s happy with the foods they’re eating now, citing cost and convenience.
“The dry food is measurably cheaper than home cooking," Alexander says. "Expecting a pet sitter to prepare the dogs’ food is a little more than we think we can ask, and it is hard to prepare enough in advance.”
Khuly has a handful of clients who feed their pets a raw diet, and she herself has moved from ambivalence to cautious acceptance. Her two French bulldogs now enjoy regular raw meaty bones. Clients who want to start feeding their pets a raw or homemade diet are referred to a veterinary nutritionist for expert advice on what and how to feed.
“I believe in raw feeding, I believe it can be done well, I believe it can be helpful, but I have a lot of conditions because I’m still new to it,” she says. “I tell people to have a good relationship with a high-quality butcher and make sure they understand that the meat needs to be human-grade, every bit as high-quality as they would expect you to want to eat. You have to work hard at it.””
The article contains a number of issues I would like to address here:
First the statement “…senior vet is very wary about bacterial growth, E. coli, salmonella, etc. She has recommended to us many times that we cook the food instead," Kurtz says. "The younger vet is very excited about the growth of raw and homemade diets, is not particularly concerned about bacteria in the dog's shorter digestive system, and is very pleased with our results. As she says about our Labrador, ‘Ooh, look at her coat — she's sleek, like a seal!’”
This is in full agreement with what I see and hear every day. A majority of the older vet generation normally advises against raw feeding. Yet when I talk to younger ones or hear what they recommend to my customers I see definitely a more open minded attitude towards raw feeding. A lot of it in my opinion has to do with the fact that “Veterinarians want to be legally safe, and there are things that can go wrong with feeding anything,” she says. “If there’s a commercial entity to back you up, it makes it so much easier. If there’s just your diet, your recipes and your recommendation, you’re the one out on the line." And that seems to be what vets have been and still to this day are being taught. Every site related to vet or veterinarian practice preaches mainly against raw, usually pushing the main scare “E-coli and salmonella”.
By the way, when I hear “cooking the food” I basically only can laugh. That defeats the entire idea of raw feeding in the first place. Remember, dear vet, heat destroys the most important elements of food? This is kind of the same advice like the other day I read about in my newspaper’s pet column. A woman reported to the column’s vet that her dog had some serious dental problems. So bad it resulted in the vet pulling all her teeth. Now while that was sad, what made me wonder about her vet’s intelligence was that after the surgical procedure he prescribed some of the scientific dry food for the poor toothless dog. I’d say, it is about time to make a change. Are you people sure it was your vet and not the absent minded professor?
Coming back to raw feeding. The article talks about the negative experience this one pet owner had with her three dogs. Too bad, rather than figuring out how to do it right the convenient way of going to a scientific prescription diet was chosen. The problem I see with home cooking is first of all that home cooking does not translate into raw feeding as many pet owners make the wrong assumption. This are two totally different things. The second problem is that pet owners very often don’t know enough about raw feeding nor do they have or are they willing to take the time and learn. Just running to the butcher, buying some raw meat and put that in front of the pet doesn’t do the trick. Raw feeding is way more than that and requires carefully composed and assembled meals to ensure all important nutrients required by an animal are provided as well to ensure a balanced meal in compliance to nutrient requirements. Sure, at the first glance it seems to be a lot more economical to just get and feed simple, plain raw meat, but over the long run doing this route can be even more dangerous than feeding highly processed commercial dry or wet food for a life time. Raw feeding is great and in my opinion the best a pet owner can do to maintain a pet’s optimal health. It comes the closest to the ancestral diet and nature. But it needs to be done right. Therefore, even if it looks like it is more expensive, if you don’t have the time to learn about how to or to prepare it right, you definitely are way better off with buying some of the commercially prepared raw food diets readily available. Remember, find the answer to the question “Is it balanced?”
Finally, MSNBC tied a survey into the article. The question is “Would you feed your pet raw food?” I really liked the numbers at the time of this writing: 61.4% (342 votes) say “Absolutely, wild animals eat raw food all the time”. 13.8% or 77 votes came back “It depends. If I knew exactly where it was from, I might” and 24.8% or 134 votes came back “No way. I'd be too worried about them getting sick” (probably the group with the “older” vets?) This clearly indicates that there is a trend in the right direction. However, talk is cheap. Now we still have to see those numbers transfer into real life and there so far is certainly not such a great percentage following the right track. The survey also allowed for voters to leave comments. Here are some of my favorite ones:
“I like how the article states there has been no research in raw food diets, yet vets are already attacking it. Scared of lost sponsorships?”
“If it was from a reputable dealer I'd consider it. Dogs and cats are carnivors, so a diet of mostly meat makes sense.”
“I feed my Samoyed a raw frozen balanced diet and at 12 yrs he acts and looks half his age. Dry food is much too processed for good health! “
And this one is my absolute top runner: “Vet are not taught nutrition in school. Related info school is supplied by the pet food companies” It says it all in a very simple statement.
To read the full article and more voter’s comments with up-to-date survey results visit MSNBC.com. .
Here are some of the points they made:
“BARF. It’s what’s for dinner. Your dog’s dinner, that is. The acronym stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, which is not so much a diet as it is a movement among pet owners who believe their pets will benefit from eating the same kinds of food their furry ancestors gobbled: bones, raw meats and veggies. Just as a raw food trend has turned more mainstream among people, a small but vocal community of pet owners is using the same quality ingredients they buy for themselves to create homemade raw meals for their critters.
But most veterinarians are wary about the trend toward raw food, or even meals that are cooked, but homemade. The idea of feeding pets raw meat, which has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella or E. coli bacteria, or a home-cooked meal that may not be properly balanced, gives them the shudders. “So many of these people are just trying to make their pets happy and have no concept of nutrition,” says Dr. Patty Khuly, who practices in Miami.
Although no studies have been conducted to assess the benefits of a raw food diet for cats and dogs, believers in the raw pet food movement say the evidence speaks for itself: Their pets have shinier coats, stronger teeth, fewer ear infections and improved weight control.
Bob Kurtz, who was already feeding his retrievers a high-quality dry food, recently turned to a commercial raw diet to solve a young Labrador’s skin allergies.
“Since switching to raw, we have found several major benefits,” he says. “Our dogs’ weights have stabilized perfectly. They now rarely change weight by more than a pound between checkups. They are lean and muscular, with coats that are even more beautiful and glossy than before. The ground bone in the diet does a great job of scouring their teeth, and all signs of plaque and tartar buildup have disappeared.”
Pat Puckett, a founder of SoCal BARF, a buying association based in Orange County, Calif., began feeding a raw diet to her American pit bull terriers in 1998.
“My breed has a tendency toward skin problems, and I had spent quite a bit of time at the vet for various problems,” she says. “One of my friends who also has the breed had talked about switching over to raw for her dogs. I moved in that direction and never went back.”
Kurtz says the diet gets a mixed reaction from the veterinarians who see his dogs.
“Our practice has two vets. The senior vet is very wary about bacterial growth, E. coli, salmonella, etc. She has recommended to us many times that we cook the food instead," Kurtz says. "The younger vet is very excited about the growth of raw and homemade diets, is not particularly concerned about bacteria in the dog's shorter digestive system, and is very pleased with our results. As she says about our Labrador, ‘Ooh, look at her coat — she's sleek, like a seal!’”
A raw diet isn't as easy as dropping a chicken bone into Baxter's bowl. It’s essential to use a trustworthy recipe that provides all the nutrients a dog or cat needs or to feed a great enough variety of fresh foods that the diet is balanced over time, in the same way that a person who eats a variety of foods achieves a balanced diet. People who are concerned about providing a correct balance of nutrients or who don’t have time to prepare a pets’ meals can purchase commercial frozen raw diets at pet supply stores.
Dr. Deborah S. Greco, an internal medicine specialist, advises dog breeders who fed a raw diet to rotate protein sources rather than relying exclusively on a single protein, such as chicken.
“What I usually recommend for people who are feeding homemade diets is to call a nutritionist and say ‘This is what I’m feeding; is it balanced?’”
Dr. Khuly, the Miami veterinarian, proffers the same advice to her clients. She will consult a nutritionist for them, for a fee, or refer them to a veterinary nutritionist for a personal consultation. She says there is another reason veterinarians are conservative when it comes to recommending raw or homemade diets.
“Veterinarians want to be legally safe, and there are things that can go wrong with feeding anything,” she says. “If there’s a commercial entity to back you up, it makes it so much easier. If there’s just your diet, your recipes and your recommendation, you’re the one out on the line."
When done right, the greatest benefit of a homemade diet is the ability to select the ingredients. Puckett and the approximately 400 members of SoCal BARF want to know how the food animal was fed. They prefer to avoid soy-fed poultry and rabbits, for instance, because soy is a common pet allergen. That’s difficult, though. Soy is in almost every poultry and rabbit feed, she says.
“The dogs are healthier than any I’ve ever had who were primarily kibble-fed,” says Shirley Thistlethwaite, who lives in a rural area near Columbia, S.C., and feeds her six dogs cooked homemade meals using a rough ratio of one-third meat, one-third grains and one-third vegetables, fruits or herbs.
Thistlethwaite buys the highest-quality foods she can work into her budget each week.
“I try to get wild-caught fish, free-range meats, and organic and local foods if I can,” she says. Often, she and her dogs eat similar meals.
But not everyone has such a positive experience. After a massive pet food recall in 2007, Margaret Alexander of Newton, Mass., began cooking for her three Cavalier King Charles spaniels. She read a lot and consulted her own veterinarian as well as veterinarians at Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston. A year later, however, all three of her dogs developed various problems that may or may not have been related to their diet.
“The oldest one developed very serious liver and gall bladder problems and was hospitalized for several days,” she says. “The youngest dog developed slow digestive processes and lots of vomiting in the summer. The third one, in the fall, developed some type of problem which was initially thought to be a blockage. He has had what are euphemistically called 'dietary indiscretions' since we got him.”
Alexander suspects that the food she was preparing was too high in fat. Now her oldest dog is eating a diet prescribed by the veterinarian and the other two are back on a high-quality dry food. She’s happy with the foods they’re eating now, citing cost and convenience.
“The dry food is measurably cheaper than home cooking," Alexander says. "Expecting a pet sitter to prepare the dogs’ food is a little more than we think we can ask, and it is hard to prepare enough in advance.”
Khuly has a handful of clients who feed their pets a raw diet, and she herself has moved from ambivalence to cautious acceptance. Her two French bulldogs now enjoy regular raw meaty bones. Clients who want to start feeding their pets a raw or homemade diet are referred to a veterinary nutritionist for expert advice on what and how to feed.
“I believe in raw feeding, I believe it can be done well, I believe it can be helpful, but I have a lot of conditions because I’m still new to it,” she says. “I tell people to have a good relationship with a high-quality butcher and make sure they understand that the meat needs to be human-grade, every bit as high-quality as they would expect you to want to eat. You have to work hard at it.””
The article contains a number of issues I would like to address here:
First the statement “…senior vet is very wary about bacterial growth, E. coli, salmonella, etc. She has recommended to us many times that we cook the food instead," Kurtz says. "The younger vet is very excited about the growth of raw and homemade diets, is not particularly concerned about bacteria in the dog's shorter digestive system, and is very pleased with our results. As she says about our Labrador, ‘Ooh, look at her coat — she's sleek, like a seal!’”
This is in full agreement with what I see and hear every day. A majority of the older vet generation normally advises against raw feeding. Yet when I talk to younger ones or hear what they recommend to my customers I see definitely a more open minded attitude towards raw feeding. A lot of it in my opinion has to do with the fact that “Veterinarians want to be legally safe, and there are things that can go wrong with feeding anything,” she says. “If there’s a commercial entity to back you up, it makes it so much easier. If there’s just your diet, your recipes and your recommendation, you’re the one out on the line." And that seems to be what vets have been and still to this day are being taught. Every site related to vet or veterinarian practice preaches mainly against raw, usually pushing the main scare “E-coli and salmonella”.
By the way, when I hear “cooking the food” I basically only can laugh. That defeats the entire idea of raw feeding in the first place. Remember, dear vet, heat destroys the most important elements of food? This is kind of the same advice like the other day I read about in my newspaper’s pet column. A woman reported to the column’s vet that her dog had some serious dental problems. So bad it resulted in the vet pulling all her teeth. Now while that was sad, what made me wonder about her vet’s intelligence was that after the surgical procedure he prescribed some of the scientific dry food for the poor toothless dog. I’d say, it is about time to make a change. Are you people sure it was your vet and not the absent minded professor?
Coming back to raw feeding. The article talks about the negative experience this one pet owner had with her three dogs. Too bad, rather than figuring out how to do it right the convenient way of going to a scientific prescription diet was chosen. The problem I see with home cooking is first of all that home cooking does not translate into raw feeding as many pet owners make the wrong assumption. This are two totally different things. The second problem is that pet owners very often don’t know enough about raw feeding nor do they have or are they willing to take the time and learn. Just running to the butcher, buying some raw meat and put that in front of the pet doesn’t do the trick. Raw feeding is way more than that and requires carefully composed and assembled meals to ensure all important nutrients required by an animal are provided as well to ensure a balanced meal in compliance to nutrient requirements. Sure, at the first glance it seems to be a lot more economical to just get and feed simple, plain raw meat, but over the long run doing this route can be even more dangerous than feeding highly processed commercial dry or wet food for a life time. Raw feeding is great and in my opinion the best a pet owner can do to maintain a pet’s optimal health. It comes the closest to the ancestral diet and nature. But it needs to be done right. Therefore, even if it looks like it is more expensive, if you don’t have the time to learn about how to or to prepare it right, you definitely are way better off with buying some of the commercially prepared raw food diets readily available. Remember, find the answer to the question “Is it balanced?”
Finally, MSNBC tied a survey into the article. The question is “Would you feed your pet raw food?” I really liked the numbers at the time of this writing: 61.4% (342 votes) say “Absolutely, wild animals eat raw food all the time”. 13.8% or 77 votes came back “It depends. If I knew exactly where it was from, I might” and 24.8% or 134 votes came back “No way. I'd be too worried about them getting sick” (probably the group with the “older” vets?) This clearly indicates that there is a trend in the right direction. However, talk is cheap. Now we still have to see those numbers transfer into real life and there so far is certainly not such a great percentage following the right track. The survey also allowed for voters to leave comments. Here are some of my favorite ones:
“I like how the article states there has been no research in raw food diets, yet vets are already attacking it. Scared of lost sponsorships?”
“If it was from a reputable dealer I'd consider it. Dogs and cats are carnivors, so a diet of mostly meat makes sense.”
“I feed my Samoyed a raw frozen balanced diet and at 12 yrs he acts and looks half his age. Dry food is much too processed for good health! “
And this one is my absolute top runner: “Vet are not taught nutrition in school. Related info school is supplied by the pet food companies” It says it all in a very simple statement.
To read the full article and more voter’s comments with up-to-date survey results visit MSNBC.com. .
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Innovation in the pet food industry – The driving forces behind it. (Comparison of pet food types Part 2)
In part 1 of this series we started looking at and comparing various types of food, mainly dry, canned and raw food and did so by concentrating on the advantages and disadvantages of the various processing methods applied during the manufacture of these types of food. Today we are going to expand upon this topic by taking a look at the pet food industry overall and how developments are influencing innovation for the pet food market.
According to the stats, the pet food industry, despite the overall major down turn lingering over our overall economy is still enjoying strong growth. Some call it even spectacular, like Euromonitor International, an international market intelligence provider who claims that US pet food sales rose from $12 in 2002 to $15 billion in 2007. As I found on PetFoodIndustry.com, an industry publication for pet food retailers, MediaPost Communications claims: “The recalls of contaminated pet food in the spring of 2007 encouraged owners to convert to higher-priced foods that were perceived to be safer. This trend to premium helped boost dollar sales for the category not only in 2007, but to a smaller extent last year, despite the dramatic downturn in the economy.” “US pet food sales grew 5.5% to an e in 2008 and grew by a cumulative 20.9% (compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, of 4.9%) between 2004 and 2008”, Packaged Facts estimates in the latest edition of its Pet Food in the US report. IRI InfoScan data showed category sales in tracked retail outlets up 6.4% to US$5.9 billion for the 52 weeks ending November 2, 2008, including a 7% gain in dog food sales (to US$227 million), a 6% gain for cat food (to US$125 million) and a 3% gain for other pet food (to US$6 million). Dollar sales reflected consumer trading up and higher ingredient costs, not volume gains. Overall pound sales were down 2% and unit sales were down 6% last year, continuing the pattern seen in previous years, according to the article. The analysts project that the economy will slow the category's sales to 4.5% in 2009 and 2010, followed by more tapering off through 2013. CAGR for 2008 through 2013 is projected at 4.1%, with premium demographics and products accounting for an even larger part of the overall market going forward.
With this pretty rosy perspective of the future in mind, I was wondering, how does the industry do it? It is actually simple. Whole Dog Journal noticed in its November 2008 issue: “The pet food industry, like the human food industry, has become increasingly savvy about marketing” (no kidding, what do I always tell you?) “- essentially selling more pet food than is actually needed.” (as supposed to make the existing better, which is what I would like to welcome as a quantum leap forward) WDJ continues: “And empires are being built from the innovation of products that fill previously unnecessary “needs”. How did our dogs survive before they had special diets for seniors, large breeds, small breeds, dogs of specific breeds? Really? A food just for a Yorkshire Terrier?”
Better yet, I noticed kibble formulas for indoor and outdoor cats. Not that this in itself would be exciting, but how about 3 different formulations for the less active, the more active and the very active indoor cat? Talk about stretching creativity to the absolute limit. I can’t wait to do the analysis on this one.
An additional category comes to my mind: How about all the foods addressing specific health conditions? How many scientific formulations can we find in our vet’s office displays or lately even in the shelves of pet supermarkets? Good questions with actually a very simple answer. Dr. R.L. Wysong in his “The Truth about Pet Foods”, while talking about “a host of foods targeting specific diseases” says: “In fact you would be hard pressed to find any controlled study published in a peer reviewed journal that has ever proven the value of any such diets over just good, varied home cooking. This is not to suggest that such publications are the only place to find good evidence. But if the promoters of such foods are going to start throwing around “science”, then they should be able to cite the medium of science – scientific journals. “Put up or shut up” comes to mind. Aside from this, do specific diets even make sense? Well, let’s go to the great teacher and mother of us all, nature. Do puppies in the wild eat differently than adults or seniors? Do different kinds of canines or felines eat different foods? Do big dogs or cats eat anything fundamentally different from what kittens or puppies eat after weaning? Are carnivores in the wild who get sick (a very rare thing in terms of the degenerative conditions we see plaguing modern pets) doomed if they can’t find a diet to match their condition? The answer to all is an emphatic “no”. Creatures in the wild eat what they were designed to eat: Raw, natural, whole foods exactly as found in nature. No fancy, fabricated, fortified, “complete and balanced” concoctions. Just the best science of all: Nature. True, some designed diets may help some animals in special situations much like some drugs will also help in special situations. But the problem is, such allopathic approaches are symptom based, temporary band aids fraught with contraindications and potential dangers in themselves, and do nothing to cure or address underlying causes. It is like turning the fore alarm off while letting the fire continue to smolder in the closet. Much better in these special situations is to use diets with concentrated natural nutrition, augmented with fresh foods and supplements. This can stimulate the healing forces within, rather than drug like attempts to force the body into submission. The cause of most illness in modern pets (and humans) is modern living and processed diets. So can more similarly designed exclusively fed processed diets (the cause) be the cure? Not likely.”
So much for this kind of innovative pet food. In my mind I actually don’t consider them an “innovation”.
However, credit where credit is due. It also has to be said that there are indeed a number of various forms of pet food out there, which in my opinion are making their marks and are here to stay. They are coming from a growing number of business owners in the pet food industry who were and are thinking outside the conventional bag of kibble and canned and wet food. They have developed entirely new ways to deliver high quality nutrition to our pets. Notice that I said “pets”. Yes, these types of foods are available for cats and dogs, granted though the number of products for canines by far outnumbers the feline products. And there are still some types of food which made their debut quite some time ago, back then were in a similar position as today’s highly innovative products, but just now seem to reach a better position in the market. While much of this change had to do with the 2007 recall, it just goes to show, people including pet owners are very reluctant to change. Unfortunately for many pets way too reluctant. Procrastination to the very end unfortunately often results in that all the sudden their pets are on the bad side of the scale, which includes the 50 +% of pets affected by disease. Fortunately, better late than never, these pet owners do have many alternatives to the food, which they were feeding previously and which most likely was the cause for their companion’s misery. In the forthcoming parts of this series I am going to address the individual alternatives available to pet owners, from raw to food mixes, from food rolls to fresh chilled, from freeze dried to TNT™ processed to dehydrated. Even hybrid types of foods are on the horizon, combining the good of natural raw with the necessary (being economical limitations) evil of kibble. And I also will discuss to some degree why these food types too need to be subjected to your very critical review and analysis. No worry, you don’t have to start learning all over again, the basics are the same as the ones applied to dry and canned food. Stay tuned.
According to the stats, the pet food industry, despite the overall major down turn lingering over our overall economy is still enjoying strong growth. Some call it even spectacular, like Euromonitor International, an international market intelligence provider who claims that US pet food sales rose from $12 in 2002 to $15 billion in 2007. As I found on PetFoodIndustry.com, an industry publication for pet food retailers, MediaPost Communications claims: “The recalls of contaminated pet food in the spring of 2007 encouraged owners to convert to higher-priced foods that were perceived to be safer. This trend to premium helped boost dollar sales for the category not only in 2007, but to a smaller extent last year, despite the dramatic downturn in the economy.” “US pet food sales grew 5.5% to an e in 2008 and grew by a cumulative 20.9% (compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, of 4.9%) between 2004 and 2008”, Packaged Facts estimates in the latest edition of its Pet Food in the US report. IRI InfoScan data showed category sales in tracked retail outlets up 6.4% to US$5.9 billion for the 52 weeks ending November 2, 2008, including a 7% gain in dog food sales (to US$227 million), a 6% gain for cat food (to US$125 million) and a 3% gain for other pet food (to US$6 million). Dollar sales reflected consumer trading up and higher ingredient costs, not volume gains. Overall pound sales were down 2% and unit sales were down 6% last year, continuing the pattern seen in previous years, according to the article. The analysts project that the economy will slow the category's sales to 4.5% in 2009 and 2010, followed by more tapering off through 2013. CAGR for 2008 through 2013 is projected at 4.1%, with premium demographics and products accounting for an even larger part of the overall market going forward.
With this pretty rosy perspective of the future in mind, I was wondering, how does the industry do it? It is actually simple. Whole Dog Journal noticed in its November 2008 issue: “The pet food industry, like the human food industry, has become increasingly savvy about marketing” (no kidding, what do I always tell you?) “- essentially selling more pet food than is actually needed.” (as supposed to make the existing better, which is what I would like to welcome as a quantum leap forward) WDJ continues: “And empires are being built from the innovation of products that fill previously unnecessary “needs”. How did our dogs survive before they had special diets for seniors, large breeds, small breeds, dogs of specific breeds? Really? A food just for a Yorkshire Terrier?”
Better yet, I noticed kibble formulas for indoor and outdoor cats. Not that this in itself would be exciting, but how about 3 different formulations for the less active, the more active and the very active indoor cat? Talk about stretching creativity to the absolute limit. I can’t wait to do the analysis on this one.
An additional category comes to my mind: How about all the foods addressing specific health conditions? How many scientific formulations can we find in our vet’s office displays or lately even in the shelves of pet supermarkets? Good questions with actually a very simple answer. Dr. R.L. Wysong in his “The Truth about Pet Foods”, while talking about “a host of foods targeting specific diseases” says: “In fact you would be hard pressed to find any controlled study published in a peer reviewed journal that has ever proven the value of any such diets over just good, varied home cooking. This is not to suggest that such publications are the only place to find good evidence. But if the promoters of such foods are going to start throwing around “science”, then they should be able to cite the medium of science – scientific journals. “Put up or shut up” comes to mind. Aside from this, do specific diets even make sense? Well, let’s go to the great teacher and mother of us all, nature. Do puppies in the wild eat differently than adults or seniors? Do different kinds of canines or felines eat different foods? Do big dogs or cats eat anything fundamentally different from what kittens or puppies eat after weaning? Are carnivores in the wild who get sick (a very rare thing in terms of the degenerative conditions we see plaguing modern pets) doomed if they can’t find a diet to match their condition? The answer to all is an emphatic “no”. Creatures in the wild eat what they were designed to eat: Raw, natural, whole foods exactly as found in nature. No fancy, fabricated, fortified, “complete and balanced” concoctions. Just the best science of all: Nature. True, some designed diets may help some animals in special situations much like some drugs will also help in special situations. But the problem is, such allopathic approaches are symptom based, temporary band aids fraught with contraindications and potential dangers in themselves, and do nothing to cure or address underlying causes. It is like turning the fore alarm off while letting the fire continue to smolder in the closet. Much better in these special situations is to use diets with concentrated natural nutrition, augmented with fresh foods and supplements. This can stimulate the healing forces within, rather than drug like attempts to force the body into submission. The cause of most illness in modern pets (and humans) is modern living and processed diets. So can more similarly designed exclusively fed processed diets (the cause) be the cure? Not likely.”
So much for this kind of innovative pet food. In my mind I actually don’t consider them an “innovation”.
However, credit where credit is due. It also has to be said that there are indeed a number of various forms of pet food out there, which in my opinion are making their marks and are here to stay. They are coming from a growing number of business owners in the pet food industry who were and are thinking outside the conventional bag of kibble and canned and wet food. They have developed entirely new ways to deliver high quality nutrition to our pets. Notice that I said “pets”. Yes, these types of foods are available for cats and dogs, granted though the number of products for canines by far outnumbers the feline products. And there are still some types of food which made their debut quite some time ago, back then were in a similar position as today’s highly innovative products, but just now seem to reach a better position in the market. While much of this change had to do with the 2007 recall, it just goes to show, people including pet owners are very reluctant to change. Unfortunately for many pets way too reluctant. Procrastination to the very end unfortunately often results in that all the sudden their pets are on the bad side of the scale, which includes the 50 +% of pets affected by disease. Fortunately, better late than never, these pet owners do have many alternatives to the food, which they were feeding previously and which most likely was the cause for their companion’s misery. In the forthcoming parts of this series I am going to address the individual alternatives available to pet owners, from raw to food mixes, from food rolls to fresh chilled, from freeze dried to TNT™ processed to dehydrated. Even hybrid types of foods are on the horizon, combining the good of natural raw with the necessary (being economical limitations) evil of kibble. And I also will discuss to some degree why these food types too need to be subjected to your very critical review and analysis. No worry, you don’t have to start learning all over again, the basics are the same as the ones applied to dry and canned food. Stay tuned.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Interpreting Labels of Special Use Nutrition Products
Today, in conclusion to the comments Quality assurances on pet food labels – Realistic or marketing as usual? and When a Pet Food is a "Drug" we are going to take a closer look at which rules and regulations pet food manufacturers have to follow when making claims for so called "special use foods".
Treats and Chews
Snacks and treats for pets are implicitly intended to be offered on an occasional basis, and by no means should be fed as the mainstay of the diet. Although pet treats must meet all the other FDA and state regulations for labeling of pet foods, they are exempt from the need to include an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement. "Biscuits" are not exempt, unless they are identified as a "snack" or "treat" as well. Regardless, some treats and biscuits are formulated to be nutritionally complete, and some are not.
Dog chews made from rawhide, bone or other animal materials or parts (for example, pig ears) are still considered "food" under FDA law, since they are comprised of materials that are consumable by the pet. As long as the label for the chew does not include any reference to nutritional value (such as "high protein"), it may not have to follow the AAFCO pet food regulations. Thus, many labels for chews may not have a guaranteed analysis or follow the AAFCO rules for product names. However, they should still bear the information required under FDA regulations, such as the net quantity statement, the manufacturer's name and address, and the ingredient list (if it contains more than one ingredient or the single ingredient is not declared in the product name). For products sold in bulk, the required information should appear in a placard on the bin or container.
Health Claims
Many of the products intended for special uses involve the dietary management of a disease or condition. Recent laws have affected the way FDA regulates these types of products for human consumption. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) provides for specified "health claims" (claims that state that consumption of a food may help in the reduction of risk for disease) to appear on human food product labels. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) has allowed for the boom of dietary supplements available for human use, many which include claims of "nutritional support" for specific organs or body functions. Since pet foods follow many similar marketing trends to foods for human consumption, it is not surprising that many pet food and supplement labels also bear these types of claims. However, since the rules for pet foods are very different, some of these claims are not legally allowed.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) defines "food" as an article used for food or drink for man or other animals. On the other hand, a "drug" is, in part, an article intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, or an article (other than food) intended to affect the structure or function of the body of man or other animals. "Food," in the parenthetical "other than food," has been further interpreted by the courts as a substance that provides "taste, aroma, or nutritive value." If a food affects the structure or function of the body, it does so by these properties (for example, a food may provide nutrients such as calcium for proper bone structure, or taurine for healthy heart function in cats). However, if a product affects the structure or function of the body apart from its nutritive value, such as urine acidification or improvement in joint function, it may be considered a drug.
The legal definitions of food and drug become intertwined when a food label bears a claim that consumption of the product will treat, prevent, or otherwise affect a disease or condition, or to affect the structure or function of the body in a manner distinct from what would normally be described as from its "nutritive value." Also, implied drug claims may include a discussion of a medical condition, reference to an equivalent drug product, or the presence of medical symbols. Such claims establish an intent to offer the product as a drug (i.e., it makes a "drug claim"). Furthermore, since the product was not subject to the normal premarket clearance mechanism to demonstrate safety and efficacy as required for drugs, it is unsafe by definition. Pet food products with labels bearing drug claims are subject to regulation by CVM as drugs as well as foods. A pet food company must then remove these claims to restore its regulatory status to simply food.
FDA's authority to prohibit drug claims extends beyond what is commonly considered the product "label." The FFDCA defines "labeling" as all labels and other written, printed or graphic matter upon any article or any of its containers or wrappers, or accompanying such article. Thus, brochures, flyers, signs or similar promotional material found at the point of sale may be labeling and subject to the same laws. Also, although food advertising is not regulated by the FDA, but by the Federal Trade Commission, FDA does have some authority. Advertisements or even verbal representations that establish the "intended use" of the product can be used as relevant evidence that it is a drug.
FLUTD Products
CVM has incorporated some of the philosophy of NLEA in its policies in order to allow meaningful health-related information on pet food labels. Much of CVM's efforts to date have focused on label claims related to cat foods and the prevention of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). Although FLUTD occurs in less than 1% of cats, it is a concern for cat owners. The exact causes of FLUTD are still unclear, and a number of dietary and non-dietary factors may be involved.
Label claims to prevent or reduce the risk of FLUTD, cystitis, urinary problems or similar verbiage are drug claims and are not allowed under the law. However, in an effort to get some meaningful health-related information to the consumer, CVM is exercising regulatory discretion in not taking action against products that bear claims akin to "reduce urine pH to help maintain urinary tract health" or to have low magnesium levels. With respect to urine pH claims, this discretion is contingent upon adequate controlled studies to demonstrate that consumption of the product results in an appropriately acidic urine. Since too much acidification of the urine can also result in serious health problems, data to demonstrate safety of the product are reviewed as well. With respect to dietary magnesium levels, the "cut-off" criteria to support a "low magnesium" claim are less than 0.12% on a dry matter basis and less than 25 mg per 100 kilocalories of metabolizable energy. Companies submit the results of proximate analyses (including crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, moisture, and ash) and magnesium analyses of a number of production runs of the product. Demonstration that the product formulation consistently meets the cut-off criteria supports the label claim. The estimation of magnesium content as calculated by using guaranteed analysis values on the product label must also meet the criteria.
In order to be most useful in reducing the risk of FLUTD, products must also be used correctly. If the product is mixed with other foods or "meal fed" (offered for only a short period of time per day), it might not be able to maintain the proper urine pH to be beneficial. Thus, feeding directions are added to recommend the product be fed alone and to be made available throughout the day. Also, the nutritional adequacy statement on the label must be for adult maintenance only. This disease occurs primarily in young to middle-aged adults, and the most serious problems occur in males. Since the safety of these products for kittens and pregnant or nursing queens has not been established, it is recommended not to use these products for these life stages.
Another FLUTD-related claim, "low ash," is not allowed on cat food labels. The current scientific consensus is that ash per se is not related to the incidence of FLUTD. There are no valid reasons to reference ash on the product label (other than in the guaranteed analysis) except in regard to this outdated theory. Thus, "low ash" or similar claims, even without reference to FLUTD, are inherently false and misleading, which render the product misbranded and subject to regulatory action.
Weight Control Products
Obesity in pets is probably the most common nutritional problem today. Reduced calorie products have been on the market for many years. However, following the lead of marketing niches for human foods, more and more "lite" pet food products are now available. FDA regulations promulgated under the NLEA established the rules for human products labeled as "lite," "low calorie" or similar terms, but do not apply to pet foods.
Recent AAFCO regulations governing the use of terms such as "lite" became effective this year. Under the new rules, the term "lite" must be based on a standard reference for all products, regardless of manufacturer. For example, a "lite" or "low calorie" dry dog food cannot contain more than 3100 kilocalories per kilogram (kcal/kg), while a similarly named dry cat food cannot contain more than 3250 kcal/kg. Canned foods contain much more moisture, so the maximum allowable calories are even lower (900 and 950 kcal/kg for dog and cat foods, respectively).
For products that are reduced in calories but not enough to merit a "lite" claim, the rules also allow for comparative claims. For example, if a company makes a very high calorie product and a lower calorie alternative, it can still make statements such as "25% less calories than our regular product." A calorie content statement must also appear on any product bearing a calorie-based claim. In addition to "lite" and "low calorie" claims, a similar set of rules were established for "lean" and "low fat" products, except based on maximum allowable fat percentages instead of calories.
A successful weight loss program takes owner involvement, too. Even a "lite" food can cause weight gain if fed to excess. Owners should follow the feeding directions suggested for weight loss, be careful not to give their pets snacks or table scraps, and even institute an exercise program as the pet's health dictates. Involvement of the veterinarian in the process is also the most prudent in ensuring both the success of the weight loss program and avoidance of potential health risks.
Dental Products
Label claims for "clean teeth" have been on pet food labels for many years, particularly on dry, hard biscuit products. As the field of veterinary dentistry and the awareness of the importance of proper dental hygiene have grown, a number of products have borne much more explicit claims. Claims to treat or prevent gingivitis or periodontal disease are drug claims and should not appear on pet food labels. Plaque or tartar control claims may also be implied drug claims, as they directly relate to dental disease. However, CVM has exercised some regulatory discretion with respect to plaque and tartar claims for products that achieve their effects by mechanical actions. The Veterinary Oral Health Center, an outside organization formed under the auspices of the American Veterinary Dental College, has developed an experimental protocol for companies to follow to demonstrate that their products are useful in reducing plaque and tartar. This organization will also review data from companies to verify that the claim is true, and if so, allow them to carry its logo on the package. CVM has worked with the Veterinary Oral Health Center in this process, so consumers can be assured that products that bear the logo are useful for plaque and tartar control.
Skin and Coat Products
Pet food labels abound with promises for "healthy skin" and "glossy coat." Any normal animal receiving adequate nutrition through use of a complete and balanced product should have these qualities. However, claims to uncategorically "improve" skin and coat or to cure or prevent disease signs such dry skin, flaky skin, or itching may be drug claims.
Perhaps most notorious is the claim for a product to be "hypoallergenic." Elimination diets are used by veterinarians in the diagnosis and management of food allergies. An elimination diet is one devoid of food ingredients likely to cause an allergy, often characterized by itchy, inflamed skin. Resolution of these clinical signs while the animal is on the diet is diagnostic of a food allergy, and trial and error then could be used to determine exactly to what the pet was allergic and what ingredients to avoid. Traditionally, lamb and rice was used as the elimination diet. There is nothing special or unique about these ingredients in terms of allergenicity, and prolonged exposure to these ingredients could also induce an allergic condition. However, they were historically novel sources of protein, since the use of these ingredients was uncommon in commercial dog foods. As such, a pre-existing allergy to lamb or rice would be unlikely.
In recent years, a plethora of products containing lamb and rice entered the consumer market. Many of these products were labeled as "hypoallergenic," or otherwise espoused the benefits of lamb and rice in the treatment or prevention of food allergies and other skin problems. Such claims were made even for products that contained other sources of protein that would disqualify them as effective elimination diets.
CVM does not object to the use of lamb or rice in pet foods. Foods that contain these products in sufficient quantities to meet AAFCO labeling criteria may make claims to the presence of these ingredients. However, any claim to be "hypoallergenic," or any other expressed or implied claim relating these ingredients with benefits to the skin and coat beyond their normal nutritive value is a drug claim.
The same may also be true of other ingredients. For example, many fat sources may contain substances known as omega-3 fatty acids. There are some studies in the veterinary literature to suggest that when used pharmacologically, these substances may have an effect on inflammatory skin disease. However, omega-3 fatty acids are not recognized as essential nutrients at this time. In other words, dogs and cats cannot have an "omega-3 fatty acid deficiency," and unqualified claims relating to omega-3 fatty acid content may falsely imply nutritional benefit where none has been established. Thus, if a product label bears a claim for omega-3 fatty acids, it must also guarantee its level in the product, accompanied by a disclaimer that it is "not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO (Dog or Cat) Food Nutrient Profiles."
Veterinary Medical Foods
A "medical food" was originally defined in the Orphan Drug Act as "a food which is formulated to be consumed or administered enterally under the supervision of a physician and is intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, based on sound scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation." Historically, even though medical foods are specifically intended for use in disease conditions, they were regulated by FDA as foods, not drugs. This was because the market for medical foods was relatively small, confined mainly to products such as infant formulas designed for babies with rare genetic conditions. Since the cost of obtaining a drug approval for the product grossly outweighed any profit manufacturers could expect from use in such limited circumstances, FDA allowed this exemption so that the products could be available for those who needed them.
The definition cited above is in reference to foods for human consumption. However, it could also apply to a category of foods for veterinary use that can be characterized as "veterinary medical foods" ("VMF"). These products are generally intended to be offered as the sole source of nutrition to animals with specific medical conditions. Historically, they usually contained restricted amounts of certain nutrients to aid in the mitigation of some disease processes. For example, low protein/low phosphorus diets could be used for some forms of kidney disease, while a low sodium diet could be helpful in some forms of heart disease.
These products are often identified on the market by the label bearing the phrase "use only as directed by your veterinarian," and are often sold only by veterinarians
.
As foods, VMF are subject to the same labeling requirements as are any other pet food. As such, labels may not bear drug claims. This restriction also applies to product names. Thus, these products are often given names that would not be easily recognized by the average consumer, such as initials or numbers. Also, VMF labels must meet the same criteria for substantiation of nutritional adequacy as other pet foods. Previously, foods labeled "for veterinary use" were exempt from meeting other AAFCO requirements for "complete and balanced" foods. This appeared contradictory, since assurances of nutritional completeness take on even greater significance when used on sick animals. This fact has been borne out by several well-publicized incidents of nutritional deficiencies in animals fed VMF (for example, taurine and potassium deficiencies were discovered in cats on VMF). Thus, products must now substantiate adequacy by meeting the AAFCO nutrient profile or passing an AAFCO feeding trial protocol for adult maintenance, or include the phrase "for intermittent or supplemental feeding only." Some companies have attempted to circumvent these requirements by listing "intermittent use" on the label, but claiming complete nutritional adequacy in brochures or other sources. Regardless of what the brochures say, if this last statement appears on the label it means that the product has not been shown to be complete and balanced for the normal animal. Thus, it should be used only for certain medical conditions as directed by a veterinarian. Directions for use are presumed to be provided by the veterinarian to the pet owner, so VMF labels are exempt from the AAFCO requirement to include feeding directions.
Labeling of VMF with statements regarding their use in the mitigation of disease processes would imply therapeutic use and thus is not permitted. However, CVM recognizes that VMF have a scientifically sound basis, and they serve a purpose. Thus CVM generally exercises regulatory discretion with respect to distributing truthful information on VMF in materials intended only for veterinarians. Proper use of these types of products requires adequate veterinary supervision. An owner who feeds a VMF product for its desired therapeutic effect solely on the basis of labeling or advertising claims may cause harm resulting from improper diagnosis or treatment.
Dietary Supplements and "Nutraceuticals"
With the availability of today's "complete and balanced" products, nutritional supplements are needed only in very rare circumstances. Injudicious use of supplements runs a greater risk of causing dietary imbalances or toxicity than it does to actually improve the diet. Therefore, unless the pet is being fed a homemade diet that requires additional sources of certain nutrients, or unless a veterinarian diagnoses a medical condition that could benefit from supplementation, it is best not to give supplements to pets.
"Dietary supplements" describe a much broader range of products. Some provide essential nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, but others contain substances that are not recognized as essential for the intended species (for example, vitamin C for dogs and cats, omega-3 fatty acids). Herbs, plant or organ extracts, enzymes, and a host of other substances are also often marketed as dietary supplements. The market for dietary supplements was boosted by passage of DSHEA. This law changed the way FDA regulated these products for humans. Briefly, it said that FDA could not call a substance a "drug" or "food additive" if it met the definition for a dietary supplement and was not already regulated as a drug or food additive. Thus, it shifted the burden of the manufacturer having to prove a product was safe before it went on the market to the FDA having to prove it was unsafe before it could be removed. This prompted a sizable increase in the number and range of dietary supplements available on the market today.
DSHEA only applies to human products, not pet products. Some of the substances allowed for sale as human dietary supplements may not be legally permitted to be sold for animals. Although some of the supplements, such as herbal products, may have "thousands of years of history of safe use," this does not include history of use in animals. Animals may react very differently to substances than people, and even small doses can cause adverse effects. For example, aspirin and chocolate, both substances that are used by people every day without ill effect, can be toxic to pets and even cause death. Therefore, since it's not known what the true effects an herb or other supplement may have on pets, it's safest not to allow marketing for that use.
On a case-by-case basis, CVM has reviewed safety information for some substances and allowed them to be used in animal feeds (for example, L-carnitine in dog foods), even though they were officially "unapproved food additives." If included in a pet food or supplement, they must be properly declared on the label. If the substance is not an essential nutrient, the disclaimer "not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO (Dog or Cat) Food Nutrient Profiles" must also appear on the label.
The term "nutraceuticals" was coined to describe the increasing number of products offered for the prevention or treatment of disease but marketed under the guise of dietary supplements. The promise of a "safe" and "natural" remedy for disease is very appealing. However, since the product has not undergone the same testing for safety and efficacy as required for approved drugs, it's impossible to know whether the product works at all or is even unsafe. Presently, these substances are drugs if the labeling bears claims to treat or prevent disease, or if the intended use as a drug can be established by other means.
Summary
An informed consumer is the best consumer. It is easy to be confused by all the claims and promises made for pet foods and supplements, but keeping the rules described above in mind should help. If the pet owner has any questions, he or she should not hesitate to contact the manufacturer. Asking for advice from parties other than the manufacturer, such as FDA or state regulatory officials or university experts, may also be a good source of unbiased information. Also, as with other health matters, the pet's veterinarian should be consulted on dietary choices, especially with respect to any special use products.
This comment is provided by David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN, and in its original can be found on the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine under Information for consumers food and drug administration center for veterinary medicine
Treats and Chews
Snacks and treats for pets are implicitly intended to be offered on an occasional basis, and by no means should be fed as the mainstay of the diet. Although pet treats must meet all the other FDA and state regulations for labeling of pet foods, they are exempt from the need to include an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement. "Biscuits" are not exempt, unless they are identified as a "snack" or "treat" as well. Regardless, some treats and biscuits are formulated to be nutritionally complete, and some are not.
Dog chews made from rawhide, bone or other animal materials or parts (for example, pig ears) are still considered "food" under FDA law, since they are comprised of materials that are consumable by the pet. As long as the label for the chew does not include any reference to nutritional value (such as "high protein"), it may not have to follow the AAFCO pet food regulations. Thus, many labels for chews may not have a guaranteed analysis or follow the AAFCO rules for product names. However, they should still bear the information required under FDA regulations, such as the net quantity statement, the manufacturer's name and address, and the ingredient list (if it contains more than one ingredient or the single ingredient is not declared in the product name). For products sold in bulk, the required information should appear in a placard on the bin or container.
Health Claims
Many of the products intended for special uses involve the dietary management of a disease or condition. Recent laws have affected the way FDA regulates these types of products for human consumption. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) provides for specified "health claims" (claims that state that consumption of a food may help in the reduction of risk for disease) to appear on human food product labels. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) has allowed for the boom of dietary supplements available for human use, many which include claims of "nutritional support" for specific organs or body functions. Since pet foods follow many similar marketing trends to foods for human consumption, it is not surprising that many pet food and supplement labels also bear these types of claims. However, since the rules for pet foods are very different, some of these claims are not legally allowed.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) defines "food" as an article used for food or drink for man or other animals. On the other hand, a "drug" is, in part, an article intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, or an article (other than food) intended to affect the structure or function of the body of man or other animals. "Food," in the parenthetical "other than food," has been further interpreted by the courts as a substance that provides "taste, aroma, or nutritive value." If a food affects the structure or function of the body, it does so by these properties (for example, a food may provide nutrients such as calcium for proper bone structure, or taurine for healthy heart function in cats). However, if a product affects the structure or function of the body apart from its nutritive value, such as urine acidification or improvement in joint function, it may be considered a drug.
The legal definitions of food and drug become intertwined when a food label bears a claim that consumption of the product will treat, prevent, or otherwise affect a disease or condition, or to affect the structure or function of the body in a manner distinct from what would normally be described as from its "nutritive value." Also, implied drug claims may include a discussion of a medical condition, reference to an equivalent drug product, or the presence of medical symbols. Such claims establish an intent to offer the product as a drug (i.e., it makes a "drug claim"). Furthermore, since the product was not subject to the normal premarket clearance mechanism to demonstrate safety and efficacy as required for drugs, it is unsafe by definition. Pet food products with labels bearing drug claims are subject to regulation by CVM as drugs as well as foods. A pet food company must then remove these claims to restore its regulatory status to simply food.
FDA's authority to prohibit drug claims extends beyond what is commonly considered the product "label." The FFDCA defines "labeling" as all labels and other written, printed or graphic matter upon any article or any of its containers or wrappers, or accompanying such article. Thus, brochures, flyers, signs or similar promotional material found at the point of sale may be labeling and subject to the same laws. Also, although food advertising is not regulated by the FDA, but by the Federal Trade Commission, FDA does have some authority. Advertisements or even verbal representations that establish the "intended use" of the product can be used as relevant evidence that it is a drug.
FLUTD Products
CVM has incorporated some of the philosophy of NLEA in its policies in order to allow meaningful health-related information on pet food labels. Much of CVM's efforts to date have focused on label claims related to cat foods and the prevention of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). Although FLUTD occurs in less than 1% of cats, it is a concern for cat owners. The exact causes of FLUTD are still unclear, and a number of dietary and non-dietary factors may be involved.
Label claims to prevent or reduce the risk of FLUTD, cystitis, urinary problems or similar verbiage are drug claims and are not allowed under the law. However, in an effort to get some meaningful health-related information to the consumer, CVM is exercising regulatory discretion in not taking action against products that bear claims akin to "reduce urine pH to help maintain urinary tract health" or to have low magnesium levels. With respect to urine pH claims, this discretion is contingent upon adequate controlled studies to demonstrate that consumption of the product results in an appropriately acidic urine. Since too much acidification of the urine can also result in serious health problems, data to demonstrate safety of the product are reviewed as well. With respect to dietary magnesium levels, the "cut-off" criteria to support a "low magnesium" claim are less than 0.12% on a dry matter basis and less than 25 mg per 100 kilocalories of metabolizable energy. Companies submit the results of proximate analyses (including crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, moisture, and ash) and magnesium analyses of a number of production runs of the product. Demonstration that the product formulation consistently meets the cut-off criteria supports the label claim. The estimation of magnesium content as calculated by using guaranteed analysis values on the product label must also meet the criteria.
In order to be most useful in reducing the risk of FLUTD, products must also be used correctly. If the product is mixed with other foods or "meal fed" (offered for only a short period of time per day), it might not be able to maintain the proper urine pH to be beneficial. Thus, feeding directions are added to recommend the product be fed alone and to be made available throughout the day. Also, the nutritional adequacy statement on the label must be for adult maintenance only. This disease occurs primarily in young to middle-aged adults, and the most serious problems occur in males. Since the safety of these products for kittens and pregnant or nursing queens has not been established, it is recommended not to use these products for these life stages.
Another FLUTD-related claim, "low ash," is not allowed on cat food labels. The current scientific consensus is that ash per se is not related to the incidence of FLUTD. There are no valid reasons to reference ash on the product label (other than in the guaranteed analysis) except in regard to this outdated theory. Thus, "low ash" or similar claims, even without reference to FLUTD, are inherently false and misleading, which render the product misbranded and subject to regulatory action.
Weight Control Products
Obesity in pets is probably the most common nutritional problem today. Reduced calorie products have been on the market for many years. However, following the lead of marketing niches for human foods, more and more "lite" pet food products are now available. FDA regulations promulgated under the NLEA established the rules for human products labeled as "lite," "low calorie" or similar terms, but do not apply to pet foods.
Recent AAFCO regulations governing the use of terms such as "lite" became effective this year. Under the new rules, the term "lite" must be based on a standard reference for all products, regardless of manufacturer. For example, a "lite" or "low calorie" dry dog food cannot contain more than 3100 kilocalories per kilogram (kcal/kg), while a similarly named dry cat food cannot contain more than 3250 kcal/kg. Canned foods contain much more moisture, so the maximum allowable calories are even lower (900 and 950 kcal/kg for dog and cat foods, respectively).
For products that are reduced in calories but not enough to merit a "lite" claim, the rules also allow for comparative claims. For example, if a company makes a very high calorie product and a lower calorie alternative, it can still make statements such as "25% less calories than our regular product." A calorie content statement must also appear on any product bearing a calorie-based claim. In addition to "lite" and "low calorie" claims, a similar set of rules were established for "lean" and "low fat" products, except based on maximum allowable fat percentages instead of calories.
A successful weight loss program takes owner involvement, too. Even a "lite" food can cause weight gain if fed to excess. Owners should follow the feeding directions suggested for weight loss, be careful not to give their pets snacks or table scraps, and even institute an exercise program as the pet's health dictates. Involvement of the veterinarian in the process is also the most prudent in ensuring both the success of the weight loss program and avoidance of potential health risks.
Dental Products
Label claims for "clean teeth" have been on pet food labels for many years, particularly on dry, hard biscuit products. As the field of veterinary dentistry and the awareness of the importance of proper dental hygiene have grown, a number of products have borne much more explicit claims. Claims to treat or prevent gingivitis or periodontal disease are drug claims and should not appear on pet food labels. Plaque or tartar control claims may also be implied drug claims, as they directly relate to dental disease. However, CVM has exercised some regulatory discretion with respect to plaque and tartar claims for products that achieve their effects by mechanical actions. The Veterinary Oral Health Center, an outside organization formed under the auspices of the American Veterinary Dental College, has developed an experimental protocol for companies to follow to demonstrate that their products are useful in reducing plaque and tartar. This organization will also review data from companies to verify that the claim is true, and if so, allow them to carry its logo on the package. CVM has worked with the Veterinary Oral Health Center in this process, so consumers can be assured that products that bear the logo are useful for plaque and tartar control.
Skin and Coat Products
Pet food labels abound with promises for "healthy skin" and "glossy coat." Any normal animal receiving adequate nutrition through use of a complete and balanced product should have these qualities. However, claims to uncategorically "improve" skin and coat or to cure or prevent disease signs such dry skin, flaky skin, or itching may be drug claims.
Perhaps most notorious is the claim for a product to be "hypoallergenic." Elimination diets are used by veterinarians in the diagnosis and management of food allergies. An elimination diet is one devoid of food ingredients likely to cause an allergy, often characterized by itchy, inflamed skin. Resolution of these clinical signs while the animal is on the diet is diagnostic of a food allergy, and trial and error then could be used to determine exactly to what the pet was allergic and what ingredients to avoid. Traditionally, lamb and rice was used as the elimination diet. There is nothing special or unique about these ingredients in terms of allergenicity, and prolonged exposure to these ingredients could also induce an allergic condition. However, they were historically novel sources of protein, since the use of these ingredients was uncommon in commercial dog foods. As such, a pre-existing allergy to lamb or rice would be unlikely.
In recent years, a plethora of products containing lamb and rice entered the consumer market. Many of these products were labeled as "hypoallergenic," or otherwise espoused the benefits of lamb and rice in the treatment or prevention of food allergies and other skin problems. Such claims were made even for products that contained other sources of protein that would disqualify them as effective elimination diets.
CVM does not object to the use of lamb or rice in pet foods. Foods that contain these products in sufficient quantities to meet AAFCO labeling criteria may make claims to the presence of these ingredients. However, any claim to be "hypoallergenic," or any other expressed or implied claim relating these ingredients with benefits to the skin and coat beyond their normal nutritive value is a drug claim.
The same may also be true of other ingredients. For example, many fat sources may contain substances known as omega-3 fatty acids. There are some studies in the veterinary literature to suggest that when used pharmacologically, these substances may have an effect on inflammatory skin disease. However, omega-3 fatty acids are not recognized as essential nutrients at this time. In other words, dogs and cats cannot have an "omega-3 fatty acid deficiency," and unqualified claims relating to omega-3 fatty acid content may falsely imply nutritional benefit where none has been established. Thus, if a product label bears a claim for omega-3 fatty acids, it must also guarantee its level in the product, accompanied by a disclaimer that it is "not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO (Dog or Cat) Food Nutrient Profiles."
Veterinary Medical Foods
A "medical food" was originally defined in the Orphan Drug Act as "a food which is formulated to be consumed or administered enterally under the supervision of a physician and is intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, based on sound scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation." Historically, even though medical foods are specifically intended for use in disease conditions, they were regulated by FDA as foods, not drugs. This was because the market for medical foods was relatively small, confined mainly to products such as infant formulas designed for babies with rare genetic conditions. Since the cost of obtaining a drug approval for the product grossly outweighed any profit manufacturers could expect from use in such limited circumstances, FDA allowed this exemption so that the products could be available for those who needed them.
The definition cited above is in reference to foods for human consumption. However, it could also apply to a category of foods for veterinary use that can be characterized as "veterinary medical foods" ("VMF"). These products are generally intended to be offered as the sole source of nutrition to animals with specific medical conditions. Historically, they usually contained restricted amounts of certain nutrients to aid in the mitigation of some disease processes. For example, low protein/low phosphorus diets could be used for some forms of kidney disease, while a low sodium diet could be helpful in some forms of heart disease.
These products are often identified on the market by the label bearing the phrase "use only as directed by your veterinarian," and are often sold only by veterinarians
.
As foods, VMF are subject to the same labeling requirements as are any other pet food. As such, labels may not bear drug claims. This restriction also applies to product names. Thus, these products are often given names that would not be easily recognized by the average consumer, such as initials or numbers. Also, VMF labels must meet the same criteria for substantiation of nutritional adequacy as other pet foods. Previously, foods labeled "for veterinary use" were exempt from meeting other AAFCO requirements for "complete and balanced" foods. This appeared contradictory, since assurances of nutritional completeness take on even greater significance when used on sick animals. This fact has been borne out by several well-publicized incidents of nutritional deficiencies in animals fed VMF (for example, taurine and potassium deficiencies were discovered in cats on VMF). Thus, products must now substantiate adequacy by meeting the AAFCO nutrient profile or passing an AAFCO feeding trial protocol for adult maintenance, or include the phrase "for intermittent or supplemental feeding only." Some companies have attempted to circumvent these requirements by listing "intermittent use" on the label, but claiming complete nutritional adequacy in brochures or other sources. Regardless of what the brochures say, if this last statement appears on the label it means that the product has not been shown to be complete and balanced for the normal animal. Thus, it should be used only for certain medical conditions as directed by a veterinarian. Directions for use are presumed to be provided by the veterinarian to the pet owner, so VMF labels are exempt from the AAFCO requirement to include feeding directions.
Labeling of VMF with statements regarding their use in the mitigation of disease processes would imply therapeutic use and thus is not permitted. However, CVM recognizes that VMF have a scientifically sound basis, and they serve a purpose. Thus CVM generally exercises regulatory discretion with respect to distributing truthful information on VMF in materials intended only for veterinarians. Proper use of these types of products requires adequate veterinary supervision. An owner who feeds a VMF product for its desired therapeutic effect solely on the basis of labeling or advertising claims may cause harm resulting from improper diagnosis or treatment.
Dietary Supplements and "Nutraceuticals"
With the availability of today's "complete and balanced" products, nutritional supplements are needed only in very rare circumstances. Injudicious use of supplements runs a greater risk of causing dietary imbalances or toxicity than it does to actually improve the diet. Therefore, unless the pet is being fed a homemade diet that requires additional sources of certain nutrients, or unless a veterinarian diagnoses a medical condition that could benefit from supplementation, it is best not to give supplements to pets.
"Dietary supplements" describe a much broader range of products. Some provide essential nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, but others contain substances that are not recognized as essential for the intended species (for example, vitamin C for dogs and cats, omega-3 fatty acids). Herbs, plant or organ extracts, enzymes, and a host of other substances are also often marketed as dietary supplements. The market for dietary supplements was boosted by passage of DSHEA. This law changed the way FDA regulated these products for humans. Briefly, it said that FDA could not call a substance a "drug" or "food additive" if it met the definition for a dietary supplement and was not already regulated as a drug or food additive. Thus, it shifted the burden of the manufacturer having to prove a product was safe before it went on the market to the FDA having to prove it was unsafe before it could be removed. This prompted a sizable increase in the number and range of dietary supplements available on the market today.
DSHEA only applies to human products, not pet products. Some of the substances allowed for sale as human dietary supplements may not be legally permitted to be sold for animals. Although some of the supplements, such as herbal products, may have "thousands of years of history of safe use," this does not include history of use in animals. Animals may react very differently to substances than people, and even small doses can cause adverse effects. For example, aspirin and chocolate, both substances that are used by people every day without ill effect, can be toxic to pets and even cause death. Therefore, since it's not known what the true effects an herb or other supplement may have on pets, it's safest not to allow marketing for that use.
On a case-by-case basis, CVM has reviewed safety information for some substances and allowed them to be used in animal feeds (for example, L-carnitine in dog foods), even though they were officially "unapproved food additives." If included in a pet food or supplement, they must be properly declared on the label. If the substance is not an essential nutrient, the disclaimer "not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO (Dog or Cat) Food Nutrient Profiles" must also appear on the label.
The term "nutraceuticals" was coined to describe the increasing number of products offered for the prevention or treatment of disease but marketed under the guise of dietary supplements. The promise of a "safe" and "natural" remedy for disease is very appealing. However, since the product has not undergone the same testing for safety and efficacy as required for approved drugs, it's impossible to know whether the product works at all or is even unsafe. Presently, these substances are drugs if the labeling bears claims to treat or prevent disease, or if the intended use as a drug can be established by other means.
Summary
An informed consumer is the best consumer. It is easy to be confused by all the claims and promises made for pet foods and supplements, but keeping the rules described above in mind should help. If the pet owner has any questions, he or she should not hesitate to contact the manufacturer. Asking for advice from parties other than the manufacturer, such as FDA or state regulatory officials or university experts, may also be a good source of unbiased information. Also, as with other health matters, the pet's veterinarian should be consulted on dietary choices, especially with respect to any special use products.
This comment is provided by David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN, and in its original can be found on the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine under Information for consumers food and drug administration center for veterinary medicine
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
