Currently, only certified organic pet foods are regulated and enforced by the US government. All other (non-certified) organic claims are not regulated or verified by an unbiased 3rd party and may therefore be true or false. Since non-certified organic claims are not enforced by US law, they are frequently abused by pet food manufacturers and pet supply retailers.

Many pet food manufacturers, which omit the most obvious unhealthful pet ‘food ingredients,’ use the term ‘natural’ to describe their products. However, ‘natural’ is another term that is not defined, regulated or enforced by US law.

Lack of regulations has allowed some pet food companies to take their marketing campaigns a few steps beyond the natural claim.

When ‘organic’ became trendy, these companies called their products ‘organic’ even if their products contained at most a small fraction of organic ingredients, if any at all. Organic ingredients are more expensive which explains why organic pet food products are higher-priced than conventional ones. However, if a pet food is not certified organic, one can never be sure if organic claims are true, or if one pays more for a ‘placebo organic’ pet food.

Last year, ‘green’ went main stream because consumers want to do the right thing and are willing to pay more for green products. What is the reaction of several pet food companies? They now call their conventional products ‘green!’ If you are lucky, they might package their conventional pet foods now in recycled boxes - which most likely are imported cheaply from China.

WHY CAN THIS HAPPEN?

1. The government doesn’t do a good job. It doesn’t regulate the terms which consumers use to make buying decisions. This way, consumers can be tricked into buying something they believe to be healthy or sustainable. Lack of government regulation and a stance that the market will regulate itself does not work in the long run, but it inhibits the true organic and green movement.

2. Media are swallowing claims, hook, line, and sinker, from companies with the biggest advertising budgets. Being a zoologist, this always reminds me of a mother bird which feeds the hatchling that opens its mouth the widest most. Some TV programs, newspapers, websites from non-for profit pet organizations, pet magazines, and even some ‘pet food experts,’ spread false information about pet food regulations, products and companies, because they obviously don’t do their research well.

3. Some organic and green organizations, which the public considers as unbiased, list non-certified organic pet food companies along with certified organic pet food companies. Many of these organizations require a membership fee or accept advertising money from pet food companies. Most of these organizations have no or no thorough, screening process for the companies which they accept as members or which they endorse. Indiscriminative listings, where organic/green pretenders are named next to companies which are verifiably (i.e., certified) organic and green, do not support the green or organic movement. However, consumers assume that the companies were carefully screened before being listed in these directories or before being permitted to use these organizations’ seals. Shoppers aren’t aware that non-certified organic and green marketing claims can presently actually be bought by pet food manufacturers which cannot get their products certified organic.

THE FACTS

1. Only certified organic pet food products follow the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations set by the USDA. Currently, organic certification of pet foods follows the NOP regulations exactly as they apply to certified organic foods for human consumption. All other (non-certified) organic pet food claims are unregulated and unsubstantiated.

2. A State compliance officer at CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) stated in an email to me: “It is buyer be ware of any pet food product that does not show that it is certified by one of the NOP certification agents.”

3. Green Seal told me: “USDA organic certification is the best and most credible label for pet and human food products, also in respect to any green claims.”

THE SOLUTION

Until government regulations and reliable information through the media catch up, consumers have to educate themselves. They have to look beyond the flashy headlines and ads in magazines, on TV, and websites which often don’t reflect the true quality of the promoted companies and products.

Quote from a green Austrianopithecus: “Even if a lie is repeated 1000-s of times, it does not make it true.”

Depending on the processing methods employed to produce them, commercial pet foods fall into one or the other of the following two categories: heat-treated and raw.

Devitalized pet foods:
So-called ‘heat-treated’ pet foods are processed using all-too-often excessive levels of heat. These foods are baked, cooked (canned), extruded, or heat-dried (often the case with kibble- or pellet-type pet foods). Diets based on such heat-treated pet foods are probably the least desirable in terms of maintaining the health and general well being of most animals.

Heat treatment (canned, baked, most extruded kibble or pellet food):
Heat processing of food destroys all enzymes, many vitamins and antioxidants, and changes the molecular structure of proteins and even fibers. Attempts to replace nutrients that have been destroyed by heat with supplementary—and predominantly synthetic—nutrients can never compare nutritionally with the benefits and quality of natural, minimally treated nutrients. At present, there is no way to replace structurally altered fibers or denatured proteins. These alterations make heat-processed foods and their constituent nutrients less bio-available or beneficial, and certainly less effective in maintaining health, preventing disease, and helping the healing processes that normally follow injury. Structurally altered pet foods may actually contribute to health problems (e.g., food allergies or inflammation).

AAFCO nutrient requirements:
Devitalized pet foods require supplementation with minerals and vitamins to provide at least some nutrients. Mineral and vitamin supplementation is often used to comply with the American Feed Control official standards for balanced or complete diets. However, these standards can’t possibly reflect the actual nutritional requirements of every domestic animal species. Accordingly, Dr. Junger believes that animals should eat a variety of foods that provide a broad spectrum of natural nutrients. If animals are fed a variety of quality foods to begin with, targeted and individualized supplementation with select high quality products can then be used to support good health at different life stages, to prevent age-related deficiencies, or to promote healing after injuries.

Raw pet foods:
Today, with the availability of raw pet food options, consumers and their pets have good diet options. The best raw pet foods are fresh, consisting of raw animal products, plant material, or a combination of the two. Frozen raw pet foods are often a more convenient choice. If fresh or frozen raw foods aren’t available, dehydrated raw foods are a good second choice. The advantage of these dehydrated foods is that they can be stored easily for longer periods of time with little mess and no worry about short-term spoilage.

Dehydrated pet foods:
In terms of nutritional quality, not all dehydrated raw pet food products are the same. Apart from the ingredients used, the quality of this variety of raw pet food depends largely on the temperatures to which their ingredients were exposed during the dehydration process. Dr. Junger’s company, Onesta Organics, uses a truly gentle and slow dehydration process that preserves overall nutritional quality. Customers should be aware that some companies market their pet foods as ‘dehydrated’ or ‘raw’ even if they use a mixture of dehydrated and previously cooked ingredients.

Highest quality raw pet foods:
As with all pet food products, an important determinant of quality is the choice of ingredients used by manufacturers. Onesta Organics uses only human grade ingredients that are certified organic by a USDA-accredited organic certifying agency. This assures that the ingredients used are verifiably organic. USDA organic certification also ensures that Onesta Organics products are free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), hormones, and antibiotics, and that no potentially toxic or otherwise unhealthy synthetics are added to your pet’s food. It also means that all ingredients used are traceable back to their original source. Such sourcing is impossible in the case of conventional pet food manufacturers. Unlike the products of companies which state that their pet food is organic—and, in some cases, might even claim GMO-, hormone-, and antibiotic-free status—only USDA certified organic pet foods are inspected and scrutinized by an independent third party, which assures that all claims made are indeed true. Aside from the fact that Onesta Organics uses healthful, certified organic ingredients in their raw pet foods, unlike other pet food manufacturers, this company sees no point in adding ingredients that are known to be highly allergenic to its pet food products.

Conclusion:
The folks at Onesta Organics believe that USDA certified organic, raw pet foods are among the healthiest choices for your pet. Moreover, it’s critically important for pet owners to provide their animals with a wide variety of food choices. In most cases, such a broad-spectrum feeding approach will minimize, or perhaps even negate, the possibility of the kinds of nutritional deficiencies and chronic diseases in pets we hear about all too often these days.

The pet food marketplace is flooded with all kinds of organic claims. Which of these claims are true and which are false? The answer is easy and really boils down to this simple fact: only USDA certified organic claims are substantiated and regulated by law. Period. Any organic claims that don’t carry the weight of USDA certification cannot be verified by a third party and therefore may or may not be true.

“The term ‘USDA certified organic’ is regulated and enforced by the Federal Government. Pet food companies that submit their products to organic certification by the USDA must follow a mandatory standard for organics which is regulated by the USDA’s National Organic Program. A USDA-accredited third party must verify that a certified organic product contains at least 95% organic ingredients, and that the product is free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), hormones, antibiotics, or other synthetic chemicals that are not permitted for use in organic products. The use of non-certified ingredients is restricted to the few cases where certain certified organic ingredients are not available (e.g., calcium carbonate, which is used as a preservative). Organic certification guarantees that an ingredient or product has been grown or processed according to USDA regulations, which expressly outlaw the use of toxins, including many pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers such as sewage sludge. Notwithstanding any statements to the contrary (which pop up in print media from time to time), the very same stringent organic standards that apply to certified organic foods for human consumption also apply to certified organic pet food; no distinctions, or exceptions, are made between the ingredients and manufacture of USDA certified organic dog food and any food product you or I may consume that is designated USDA certified organic.

USDA organic certification is indicated by the familiar USDA organic seal, as well as by the name of a USDA-accredited organic certifying agency, on the packaging of a given product. If organic ingredients comprise 70% or more of a product, a manufacturer can label that product, ‘made with xxx organic ingredient(s).’ Although this product cannot display the USDA organic seal, the name of the organic certifying agency which scrutinized the company’s organic claims must be disclosed clearly and visibly.

Why do some companies voluntarily comply with the USDA organic program while other companies don’t? Some pet food companies comply with the National Organic Program (NOP) standards to indicate to customers that their organic products are verifiably organic. The USDA seal and the name of an independent organic certifying agency verify that organic claims are true and substantiated by more than simply the word of the manufacturer.

Why don’t all pet food manufacturer which use organic claims to describe their food products bother with USDA organic certification? In most instances, such manufacturers simply wouldn’t be able to satisfy the USDA’s stringent standards for organic certification. In some cases, they might be using little or no certified organic ingredients in their products; in other instances, they might use GMO ingredients or ingredients which contain antibiotics or hormones. Additionally, their ‘handling plan,’ how they manufacture their products, may not comply with the strictly non-toxic specifications set forth in the NOP standards. And, although organically produced ingredients may cost more than their non-organic counterparts, let me assure you that the financial costs associated with USDA organic certification are not beyond the reach of any company that has a serious advertising budget. Cost is probably the least likely reason why some companies that make organic claims are not USDA certified organic and therefore not subject to third party quality assurance. Let’s face it: hammering claims of organic status into peoples’ heads repeatedly is a very cost effective selling strategy; as in politics, even the most egregious and bald-faced lies start to ring true if they’re repeated incessantly enough.

Why would a pet food company make a false organic claim? Well, clearly to make more money. Certified organic ingredients, and the products made from them, are more expensive than conventional varieties. Claiming to a largely ignorant public that something is organic and that there is no real difference between products described as organic and those described as certified organic can increase a company’s profits; such a company can easily undercut manufacturers selling legitimately USDA certified organic products. Generally, the law fails to regulate or prosecute false organic claims in the pet food industry, and many companies unscrupulously use this giant legal loophole in crafting unethical marketing strategies. Where great profits are at stake, such pet food companies couldn’t care less about misleading consumers or, unfortunately, manufacturing products that might negatively affect the health of pets down the line.

Misuse of the claim of organic certification is punishable by Federal law, so this claim is rarely abused. We know of one instance in which a particular pet food manufacturer falsely claimed their products were USDA certified organic; interesting, and in relatively short order, this company disappeared from the organic pet food marketplace.

What are the advantages of USDA certified organic pet food products?
For one thing, we believe that USDA certified organic pet food products, including the pet food products offered by our company, Onesta Organics (www.onestaorganics.com), are safer and healthier than their conventional counterparts. Moreover, these products are manufactured using environmentally friendly and or sustainable agricultural practices. Compared to their conventional counterparts, USDA certified organic food products contain significantly greater amounts of nutrients, but no GMOs and effectively no pesticide residues or other agricultural toxins. Certified organic products are generally healthier for you, your pet, and the environment than conventional varieties. As in the case of the term natural, the term ‘organic may be used without any requirement of third party verification. These terms are not regulated either by the USDA or any other government agency. This general lack of regulation leaves both terms up for grabs in the aggressive world of media marketing. Claims of ‘organic,’ even in combination with statements that a given pet food product is GMO-, antibiotic-, or hormone-free, or are produced using sustainable practices, are not subject to regulation and are often abused shamelessly. Since GMO-, antibiotic-, and hormone-free claims are clearly associated with legitimate certified organic products, their unsubstantiated use is often part of a compelling and effective marketing strategy aimed at consumers who are unaware of the lack of regulation and the misleading use of terminology.

Organic practices clearly have a positive impact on both the environment and the health of humans and their pets. Fortunately, many individuals and companies have recognized the importance of low-impact practices in maintaining our own good health and that of our pets and the planet.

Pet food companies that abuse the terms natural, organic, or sustainable are compromising the integrity of the NOP and are confounding the efforts of the green movement, among others. Although consumer protection should ideally be the responsibility of the Federal government, much of the actual education of consumers is currently left to a small minority of responsible companies which feel ethically bound to do the right thing for the benefit of pets and the world that we, humans and animals alike, share.

As one State compliance officer at CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) once noted ”… It is ‘buyer be ware’ of any pet food product that does not show that it is certified by one of the NOP certification agents”

1 NOP: www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0
2 OTA: https://www.ota.com/organic.html