Many of our clients don’t like seeing ‘corn gluten meal’ or ‘chicken by-product’ on the ingredient list of their pet’s food. Instead, many people like to see “holistic” or “natural” on the bag. This week we will go over what all these terms actually mean in relation to pet food.
Myth#1 – If a food says Natural or Holistic, it’s better for my pet.
As it relates to pet food, there is no real label definition for “holistic”, meaning anyone wishing to market their food as holistic can without following any guidelines. Natural also has an extremely broad definition (see below). Neither word really describes the quality of the ingredients being used. Through some brilliant marketing strategies some brands have made us think that “all natural” or “holistic” are important factors when choosing our pet’s diet, when in reality, most pet foods could use these terms and not change a thing about their food.
Natural – A food or ingredient derived solely from plant, animal or mined sources, either in its unprocessed state or having been subject to physical processing, heat processing, rendering, purification, extraction, hydrolysis, enzymolysis, or fermentation, but not having been produced by or subjected to a chemically synthetic process and not containing any additives or processing aids that are chemically synthetic except in amounts which might occur unavoidably in good manufacturing processes
Holistic – relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts
Myth #2- By-products are the throw aways from meat processing and should be avoided.
The actual definition of by-product is any part of an animal not used for its primary purpose.
For example, think of chicken breasts taken for human consumption. The rest of the chicken (including the leg meat) is then considered by-product.
As it relates to pet food, there is a misconception that by-product is beaks, feathers, hooves etc. This is not true. By-products are cleaned, rendered parts of carcasses and can contain bones (excellent source of calcium and other minerals so long as they are ground up and can’t cause a choking or foreign body hazard). It can also include offal (organs such as liver and kidneys which are a great way to flavour the food) and undeveloped eggs (a great source of protein and healthy fats). By-product contains only feathers and hair that are unavoidable in the processing of the parts. What it does not include is stomach/intestinal contents, hooves, teeth, hair, or horns.
When you see the word “Meal” (as in by-product meal or corn meal) on a pet food bag, it simply means the ingredients have had the water removed (a more concentrated protein source) and been ground. It is not used in reference to the quality of the food.
There is a big push in pet food marketing to have real meat (not by-product) as the first ingredient. Sounds good right? Most people know that ingredients are listed in order by weight with the heaviest going first. The trick here is that meat is heavy because it contains lots of water (and therefore less protein and worthwhile nutrients). The fairest way to assess the food is on a ‘dry-matter’ basis – take the water out so you really see the amounts of each ingredient. When comparing on a dry matter basis “deboned chicken” or anything with meat should actually appear much further down the list. ‘Meals’ (as in chicken meal or lamb meal) already have the water taken out so when we see them high on the ingredient list the food probably has a better protein profile.
Most by-products are actually an excellent source of protein for our pets. Hill’s uses by-products in their foods, but all of it is made from high quality ingredients and handled carefully to ensure it is clean and safe for your pet. We’ve met a few Hill’s veterinarians and nutritionists who have tried the foods themselves! It’s not exactly to their taste, but if the people behind the scenes are comfortable enough eating it we feel good recommending it!
Myth #3 – Grains are filler and should be avoided.
Somewhere along the line, corn got a very bad reputation. The fact is that corn has an excellent nutrient profile. It has a good balance of amino acids (good quality protein), complex carbohydrates, and omega 3 fatty acids. Although it is mainly a carbohydrate source it is useful in maintaining a balanced diet for your pet. Popular opinion has led us to believe that since dogs are carnivores they need mostly protein in their diet. In truth, dog’s digestive tracts are quite similar to ours. They do need protein, but there is only so much the body can actually use. To add to this, protein itself is an expensive ingredient which will increase the cost of the food. It’s a waste of money to put too much in the food because at some point, the dog has had enough and any excess will be expelled from the body and wasted. In our experience, if the protein level is too high most dogs just end up with diarrhea. Carbohydrates, fiber and fat are needed to complete the diet. Just like with humans, too much of one ingredient is never good, so it is best to focus on finding a food that is balanced as opposed to high in any one area.
Myth #4 – Corn and chicken cause food allergies.
Food allergies aren’t as prevalent in dogs as we once thought – new research has revealed that most pet allergies are inhalant allergies (environmental or atopy). Some dogs can react to corn or chicken products, and so in those specific dogs we avoid it, but it shouldn’t be avoided all together in healthy pets. Most food allergies stem from the protein source (meat) not the grain.
Myth #5 – Preservatives: friend or foe?
Another big debate in pet foods is the use of preservatives, natural and synthetic. Preservatives are a necessity in pet foods to keep the fats in the food from going rancid and spoiling the whole batch. Without them the shelf life would be much less and the food would spoil before most dogs got to the bottom of the bag – which would mean a lot of wasted money for owners.
There are 2 types of preservatives – natural and synthetic. Both do the same basic function – they act as an antioxidant and prevent the fats from breaking down.
Natural antioxidants are things found in their whole form naturally – things like vitamins E (tocopherols) and C (ascorbic acid). Synthetics are man-made preservatives and last much longer and actually work better at prolonging the shelf life of the food. Ethoxyquin used to be found in many pet foods but recent research has revealed possible links to kidney and liver disease and different types of cancers so we don’t really see it being used anymore. BHA and BHT are also synthetic preservatives that have had no links to health problems in pets and can still be found on some pet food labels.
For any questions or for more clarification on this or any of our other blog posts, we encourage you to contact your vet. It is our job to help you make healthy decisions for your pet and the food they consume is always an important piece of that.