Almost all of the so-called ‘balanced’ or ‘complete’ pet foods are supplemented with isolated nutrients (particularly vitamins, amino acids, and minerals) to achieve measured levels of nutrients mandated for particular species by the National Research Council (NRC). These levels are required if a given manufacturer wishes to display the coveted “Meets AAFCO’s standards” (Association of American Feed Control Officials) claim on marketing materials and product labels.

No one doubts the need to provide pets with ample nutrients to keep them healthy. There is also no doubt that supplementation of pet foods with nutrients is necessary if the natural nutrients in the ingredients are devitalized during the manufacturing process by high heat (e.g., extrusion, canning, cooking) or if the used ingredients are of low nutritional value to begin with. But several problems are associated with the current practice of adding isolated nutrients rather than nutrients that occur naturally in whole foods. Below is a list of some of these problems.

1. Most of the nutrient supplements used by the pet food industry are of questionable quality.
Since most of these supplements are synthesized in chemistry labs, contamination during manufacture can be a problem, and actual potency may be questionable.

2. Isolated nutrients often work differently than their natural food-borne counterparts.
Isolated nutrients may be more or less potent—or bioavailable—or they may simply work differently than nutrients in their natural context. For example, isolated calcium supplements may actually cause health problems if given in excess or in the absence of nutrients that are required for proper calcium absorption or excretion; whereas calcium occurring naturally in food is easily absorbed and can be excreted if consumed in excess.

3. Feeding a ‘balanced’ or ‘complete’ diet that is supplemented with isolated nutrients gives pet owners a false sense of security and comfort—largely unsubstantiated—that this food offers everything that an animal needs to thrive.
Instead of feeding a variety of high quality foods with a wide spectrum of natural nutrients, offering so-called ‘complete’ or ‘balanced’ foods exclusively often leads to nutritional deficiencies or even chronic diseases. As a result, health problems can often appear as early as young [just post-puppy] adulthood.

4. Supplementing low quality ingredients (e.g., ingredients that are potentially allergenic, unhealthy, or devitalized by heat) with isolated nutrients cannot prevent the onset of diseases associated with poor quality and insufficient levels of appropriate basic food ingredients.

5. Despite the fact that most pets in industrialized countries are fed heavily supplemented ‘balanced’ or ‘complete’ diets, the frequency of diet-related disorders has increased considerably among these pet populations.
If the promise of these supplemented ‘complete’ or ‘balanced’ diets were actually being fulfilled, wouldn’t most animals fed these foods be dying of old age, rather than succumbing to one or more of now all-too-common chronic disorders such as arthritis, allergies, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease, to name just a few?

So what’s a good alternative to the ubiquitous artificially supplemented ‘complete’ and ‘balanced’ diets?
Well, quite simply, the best diet you can offer your animal companion would include a variety of real whole foods that are known to be compatible with the needs of his or her particular species. Using high quality real whole food ingredients that contain nutrients in their natural context should do the trick.

So, why isn’t this common practice? The answer is obvious; it’s much more costly and time- and labor-intensive to formulate and produce foods from expensive, high-quality, ingredients in a manner that ensures nutrient levels that meet NRC standards.

Food ingredients:
I know that most organic (even human-grade) food ingredients are imported to the US but not many pet food manufacturers will tell you that. Although I did not yet hear that any organic ingredient from China was tainted, I am not sure how good the oversight over organic farming is in this country. However, there is certainly a lot of energy wasted transporting these foods, which could easily be grown here, to the USA.

Supplements:
Aside from ‘obvious’ tainted or even toxic (e.g., ‘high-protein’ gluten, cyanuric acid in wheat flour) pet food ingredients, China probably supplies almost all (or all?) of the ’supplements’ which many pet food manufacturers add to their pet foods. I have seen pure ‘pharmaceutical-grade’ chemicals sold for research purposes that are ‘Made in China’ (printed in very, very small font on the vial).

This supplementation of pet foods is required by law to be able to market pet foods ‘nutritionally balanced’ or ‘complete’ (these are the foods with the desired AAFCO statement on the package), but it is actually necessary to provide at least some nutrients to devitalized over-processed pet foods. However, how many undetectable or still undetected toxins does supplementation with low-quality vitamin and mineral preparations add to already mostly questionable ingredients?

What I’d like:
1) More sincere support for organic agriculture in the US. This which would decrease pollution, waste of natural resources (e.g., petroleum-based agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers, water), enhance health, provide local jobs.

2) Meaningful regulations and more oversight in the US pet food industry. E.g., only certified organic claims are currently regulated by the US government, all other organic claims aren’t and need not be verified, so with non-certified organic pet foods, you never know if you get organic when you buy organic.

1. Exaggeration of the overall quality of product:
Terms such as ‘premium,’ ‘natural,’ ‘holistic,’ ‘healthy,’ and ‘natural’ are sometimes used to describe pet foods of extremely poor quality. So, why do some manufacturers use these terms misleadingly. Well, first and foremost, because they can. But more commonly, these terms may be employed simply because they might omit the most toxic chemical preservatives. They still may use low quality (e.g., ‘feed-grade,’ ‘meat meals’) or unhealthy ingredients (e.g., refined, overly processed ingredients or processing methods) and synthetic additives which are associated with several health risks and nutrient depletion. Due to the lack of regulation and legal definition of these terms, many pet food companies use these terms freely and without constraint to increase their profits.

2. Abuse of the term ‘organic’:
The only organic claim in the pet food industry that must, by law, be valid and verified by an unbiased third party is ‘USDA certified organic.’ Claims of ‘organic’ alone are not currently regulated or subject to oversight, and this fact makes it perfectly legal for pet food companies to market their conventional products as ‘organic.’ Many pet food manufacturers abuse the general lack of oversight, regulation, and enforcement, as well as the all-too-common confusion over precisely what the various claims of organic being made actually mean. Unfortunately, this situation has important implications not only for your pet’s health and your pocket book, but also the honest companies that go the extra distance to create food products that are healthier for your pet and better for the environment.

If you don’t see the USDA organic seal and the name of an organic certifying agency on a product’s label, quite often you’ll be buying something that isn’t really organic, i.e., there isn’t a USDA certification to verify its legitimacy. A little known fact that’s important for careful consumers to know: one can also request an organic certificate from the particular company in question. Genuine USDA-certified organic producers must have such certificates on hand and available for every product that is marketed as ‘certified organic.’ Even if a company states that they use 100% organic grains, for example, without an organic certificate to back up this claim, it simply comes down to trusting the word of that manufacturer alone. And, believe me, trust alone isn’t good enough in a rabidly competitive marketplace.

Something else that you should be aware of: most organic consumer associations do not discriminate, in their buying guides, websites, or elsewhere, between companies with USDA organic certification and those that merely proclaim organic status on their labels and in their promotional materials (including websites. So, it is critically important that consumers take a big drink from the educational ‘firehose.’ The easiest way to obtain clear and unbiased information is to check out the USDA website or to simply call or write to one of the USDA-accredited organic certifying agencies (e.g., Oregon Tilth, Quality Assurance International or QAI for short).

Unlike certified organic pet food products, pet foods that carry stand-alone organic claims (i.e., no USDA certification) may contain perhaps a small number (perhaps just one) of organic ingredients and, say, a dozen or more conventional ingredients. Why would a professed organic pet food manufacturer use some high quality organic ingredients mixed in with conventional ingredients? Well, quite simply, this is a half-baked way to legitimize a claim of organic status, and, at the same time, save a lot of money! You should be aware that legitimate, USDA certified organic pet foods cannot use conventional ingredients when organic versions are available, and for the most part, they are. There are a few conventional-grade (i.e., non-certified organic) ingredients that, by necessity, are allowed because organic varieties are simply not available yet. These include fish and certain additives with preservative properties, such as calcium carbonate.

If a pet food company tells you there is such a thing as a certified organic ‘byproduct,’ quite simply they’re selling you a line. Organic certification simply does not allow the use of ingredients which cannot be sourced to their origins. Period. End of story. If a manufacturer declares their byproducts are healthful parts such as liver, heart, gizzards, etc. why wouldn’t these manufacturers name these organ meats openly instead of using this strange, indefinable word ‘byproduct’?

3. Use of the terms ‘USDA-approved facility’ or ‘USDA meat’:
These terms are applied in cases where human foods are manufactured in a food processing plant used expressly for production of human foods and that the meat referred to is fit for human consumption, respectively. Since the terms ‘USDA-approved facility’ and ‘USDA meat’ are reminiscent of ‘USDA organic,’ some companies may use these terms intentionally to elicit the association with USDA certified organic products. Some manufacturers may also deploy the terms ‘organic ingredients,’ ‘hormone-free,’ ‘antibiotic-free,’ and ‘GMO-free’ to strengthen this association. But take note that USDA certified organic products are by law—and through strict verification—free of antibiotics, hormones, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

4. Use of the OTA seal:
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is not a USDA-accredited organic certification agency. Like other trade associations, membership is based on the payment of a membership fee. Presentation of OTA membership, whether on a product label or website, does not mean that a given member uses organic ingredients in their pet foods. Since few consumers are aware of this, the OTA seal is often used to elicit the impression of a certification entity for unverified (i.e., non-certified) organic claims. With all due respect to the OTA, third parties may often carry their seal to legitimize a claim of true organic status. On the face of it, this does not reflect poorly on the OTA—they’re a legitimate trade association and don’t represent themselves as a certifier. Rather, it suggests that a number of companies out there may be using the OTA seal as a marketing tool, a tactic that is perfectly legal, but not necessarily demonstrative of a high ethical standard.

5. Claims of sustainability or of being ‘green’:
Some companies may purchase packaging that is made from recycled paper and market themselves as green on this basis alone. What they don’t explain, of course, is that the packaging was imported from far-flung countries such as China, and the energy and resources used to transport it were prodigious—and anything but green! Many companies proudly display a ‘Coop America-approved’ seal, implying a green ethos. Now, unquestionably, Coop America is an organization that attempts to promote green values. But some of the companies that carry this insignia are not necessarily truly green. The Coop America application process is done via paper application or by phone; no substantiating documentation for green claims concerning, for example, sourcing of materials, fair wages, or organic ingredient claims is required. Certainly, the examination of application materials involves nowhere near the scrutiny of the process for certifying organic products such as pet foods. As is the case with the Organic Trade Association, ‘Coop America’ members pay an annual fee.

6. Claims of USA-sourced ingredients:
Such claims are often soft, but obviously quite useful, in these times of widespread and disastrous pet food recalls. Be aware that only USDA certified organic ingredients can be sourced to specific farms, whether in Montana or China. The USDA-accredited certifying agency has access to the names and locations of all ingredient suppliers and therefore can trace the source of any organic ingredient. The records that certified organic manufacturers must make available to these certifying agencies necessarily demonstrate that any organic, fair trade, or human-grade claims can be substantiated. Here’s a counter-example: if a US company states that it uses organic kelp that is harvested in the US, just walk away: currently, there is no source for certified organic US-grown kelp. If a company makes this claim, you can be pretty sure that their other claims are similarly exaggerated or just plain bogus.

7. Claims that the conventional ingredients used are as good as organic:
Hmmm . . . an interesting claim, but how could any company possibly substantiate it? If a company can demonstrate that the ingredients in its products have not been treated with toxic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, antibiotics, hormones, and that they are not genetically engineered, well they might have a case. But any or all of these treatments and conditions might render the ingredients in question inferior in quality compared with certified organic varieties. So, if a company cannot provide any evidence to back up a claim of equivalence in quality of conventional ingredients and organic counterparts—and right now, without USDA organic certification, no company can—then that claim is simply worthless.

8. Claims that pet foods would be ‘raw’ or ‘raw dehydrated’ �
Sometimes apparently well-respected pet food manufacturers “forget” to mention to their customers that they dehydrate ingredients that have been previously cooked. If there is no explicit statement about how each ingredient was processed before dehydration, ask the manufacturer. Although the manufacturer can theoretically still serve you an outright lie as an answer, this at least alerts them to the fact that pet guardians are more attentive than they’ve hoped! Unfortunately, these ‘minor’ processing details and claims are also not enforced by any government or unbiased third party agency - EXCEPT if you are dealing with a certified organic pet food where an organic certifying agency inspects each processing detail for each ingredient used. In brief, organic certification assures that ‘raw’ or ‘dehydrated raw’ claims and promises made on the pet food package are true. Without organic certification these claims are unsubstantiated.

Unfortunately, in our modern, highly competitive world, compacts based solely on trust do not mean much any more.
Naked greed and legal loopholes encourage very bad behavior. So, don’t fall prey to empty claims. Inform yourself before buying that pet food in the pretty packaging with high-flying claims. Where claims that sound great can’t be verified, at best, you’re not getting what you think you’re paying for, and at worst, your pet is being short-changed nutritionally and otherwise. Be a careful, educated, and vigilant shopper: your pet will thank you. And, not to be forgotten, the ethical manufacturers out there that try to do the right thing will survive another day to create products that are good for your pet and the planet we all share!

Pet treats are food products which are supplemental to a pet’s regular diet. They are given as reinforcement during training, as rewards for particularly good behavior, or just to cement the human-animal bond. However, treats should not only serve as rewards for your pet, they should also provide healthy nutrition.

In general
A healthy pet treat is natural in its composition and should not contain sugars, artificial additives, colors, preservatives or synthetic flavors. The ideal pet treat is made from whole food components that supplement your pet’s usual diet with nutrients he or she doesn’t normally get. Some commercial treats are supplemented with a premix of isolated synthetic minerals and vitamins that, in our opinion, are less-than-ideal for supplementing regular diets. Pet treats should be made from ingredients that supply a variety of natural nutrients, and should not contain any artificial ingredients that came from a chemistry lab.

The ideal
The best natural treats are those in which foods supply the nutrients. These foods should contain what the animal, given a choice, would normally eat. Natural pet treats should therefore be formulated specifically for particular kinds of pets. Herbivores, such as rabbits, would enjoy predominantly plant-based snacks, whereas most omnivorous rodents would find grain-, seed-, and/or nut-based snacks particularly tasty. As obligate carnivores, cats would naturally enjoy animal-based treats; however, some felines would also enjoy the occasional vegetable and/or herbs snack, given a choice. A particularly unusual snack, such as the occasional insect that a cat might catch, could really stimulate the senses and provide a great deal of fun as well. Dogs enjoy an even wider variety of fruits and veggies in addition to their animal-based staple. Although unprocessed raw fruits and vegetables may not always be fully digestible by carnivores like cats and dogs, the textures and smells of these treats can make for an invaluable contribution to an animal’s sense of pleasure, and this in turn can benefit the animal’s wellbeing via an enhanced immune system. At a fundamental level, the gut bacterial populations, which are of crucial importance to a healthy immune system, will get a special boost from supplemental plant fibers.

The reality
Most commercial pet treats don’t even come close to being healthy. These treats are produced as almost an afterthought to the main pet food varieties. They do more to supplement manufacturers’ earnings than any animal’s diet or overall wellbeing. Cheap, often unhealthy, ingredients are often processed using excessive heat, which renders the resultant treats little more than calorie-dense, nutrient-poor blobs at best, and outright unhealthy or highly allergenic at worst. Baked treats for cats and dogs that are based on white flour are a far cry from what these animals should actually eat, even if given only occasionally as rewards. Most pet treats are composed of refined ingredients, such as white flours, which are now clearly associated with the epidemic rise of such chronic diseases among pets as obesity, diabetes, and heart problems, to name a few.

To make matters worse, some manufacturers now recognize that supplementation with certain addictive ingredients can bump up sales significantly. Some of these addictive ingredients include sugars, sweeteners, salt, and synthetic flavors which are as unhealthy for animals as they are for humans. If you think that this is simply unsubstantiated exaggeration, please rest assured that the addictive properties of sugars, for example, have been clearly demonstrated many times in animal experiments. Some treats include such an extensive mixture of unhealthy additives (e.g., artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, etc.) that it’s difficult to identify a single ingredient with any nutritional value whatsoever.

Why would manufacturers produce such clearly unhealthy treats? In a nutshell, it’s the profit angle. Many pet food companies get away with this because, first, their marketing budgets can more-or-less buy consumer trust and second, the lack of available information on nutrition and diet-based preventive healthcare leaves some major detective work concerning quality of food ingredients and processing methods entirely up to the consumer.

Is your pet’s treat species appropriate?
Any truly natural treat should be formulated to take into account specific aspects of an animal’s constitution. For example, animals like cats do poorly on dry diets simply because they may not drink as much as they should after eating dry food, and dehydration can cause a variety of health problems (this is not the case for dogs, birds, or rodents). Therefore, for cats, a good natural treat would be something moist, like certain vegetables, some grass, or even fruits. Such treats can have great health benefits, even if felines can’t digest them entirely. On the flip side, one of the worst examples of ignoring the importance of formulating pet food composition for specific species are those products that are clearly marketed for herbivores, yet contain animal-based fats and proteins.

The formulation of natural prepared pet treats should always take into account these seemingly obvious facts. The ingredients in any natural treat should be healthy, which simply means that they should present no problem for the pet (i.e., they shouldn’t include any known allergens) and are formulated specifically for the constitution and dietary needs of the animal that will eat them.

Even treat ingredients should be healthy and safe - Best bet: Choose certified organic
In general, the best ingredients to be found in pet treats are those that have been certified organic. Such certification guarantees that no agricultural toxins (e.g., pesticides, fertilizers such as sewage sludge, herbicides, or insecticides) are present in the food ingredients. Furthermore, certified organic ingredients must be verifiably free of genetically modified organisms (GMO-free), hormones, antibiotics, or synthetic food additives. Since GMO-based ingredients have been implicated in such disorders as allergies and growth and reproductive problems, sticking to certified organic food products could actually help your pet avoid such problems later. Organic certification also guarantees that no toxins were used during the manufacture of a given treat and that neither the treat nor its ingredients were sanitized by gamma irradiation, the effects of which on food qualities and health are currently in dispute. Toxic chemicals, such as corrosive sanitizers, pesticides (which are routinely used to fumigate food and ingredient storage areas to prevent insect infestation), and detergents, are routinely used in the manufacture of conventional (i.e., non-certified organic) food products for both pets and humans; these are strictly forbidden in the production of certified organic products.

Is my pet’s treat organic?
When a label for a particular pet food product states that some or all ingredients are organic, you need to make sure that the claim is substantiated. This is simple: just look for both the USDA organic seal and the name of the certifying agency on the label. These are the only indications that a product is indeed certified organic. Keep in mind what a compliance officer at CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) said in September 2008: “ … It is a buyer beware of any pet food product that does not show that it is certified by one of the NOP [National Organic Program] certification agents.” Why? Because, in the pet food industry, only organic certification guarantees that organic (GMO-free, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free) claims made by manufacturers are actually true.

Organic alone doesn’t make a treat healthy - Consider how the treat is manufactured
But consider this: even treats that have been manufactured using all certified organic ingredients can be rendered less than nutritious through a variety of processing methods. For example, no matter how cute a treat looks (i.e., little mouse-shaped biscuits for cats), over-processing at high temperatures, such as employed during baking or most extrusion processes, can render the best organic ingredients lifeless and diminish the nutritional value of the treat for your pet. The treat might look appetizing, but looks can be deceiving. Why would manufacturers do this? Again, to increase sales – somehow cute shapes seem to have a big impact on consumers’ buying habits. And processing using high-heat methods such as baking or extrusion allow for large-scale production, which can save a lot of money. This is also true for artificially colored pet foods and pet treats. Whether or not artificial coloring is implicated in health problems is almost beside the point; what is clear is that consumers often choose unusually colored products over untreated, naturally colored pet food products. But if animals such as cats or dogs were to choose, they’d go for virtually any shape or color as long as the treat tastes good and is healthy. Indeed, studies have shown that pets tend to choose foods made with organic ingredients over those made with conventional varieties.

In a nutshell
The best natural treats are those made from high quality, certified organic ingredients that are whole food-based, minimally processed, and finally, treated without heat. For a cat, the best choice for a processed natural snack might be a certified organic frozen treat, particularly if the treat can’t be prepared fresh at home. The same applies for other animals (e.g., treats for dogs, birds, and rodents); but since these animals tend to drink more water after eating dry foods, they may also do well with high quality dehydrated treats. Unlike high-temperature baking or drying, low temperature dehydration leaves most vitamins and nutrients such as fiber, proteins, and enzymes, intact. The preservation of the molecular structures of many nutrients usually means that these nutrients pose little or no risk of allergic response in your animal.

Here’s the bottom line:
If your pet isn’t the kind who catches his or her own treats, or if you can’t provide or prepare fresh natural treats for him or her, always choose natural, certified organic, whole food-based treats which are fresh, frozen, or dehydrated (i.e., processed only in low heat). These treats will truly satisfy and reward your pet, help contribute to his or her physical and psychological well-being, and, down the line, should help stave off the kinds of disorders that have become far too common among our animal friends.

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.

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 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).

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Among all commercially available brands of pet foods, those that are certified organic are probably the most nutritious and health-promoting choices. – Why do I say that?

Certified organic ingredients contain much lower amounts of pesticide residues than conventionally produced, non-organic ingredient. They have significantly higher nutrient levels (e.g., antioxidants, minerals, vitamins). And, of course, the actual production of certified organic ingredients is significantly less toxic and far less damaging to the environment).

Organic certification assures that the production or manufacturing facility operates without use of toxins, such as conventional cleaning and sterilizing agents. This supports the safety of ingredients and final food products, as well as the health of animals and the environment. In conventional, non-organic certified, manufacturing sites, food and ingredient storage areas are often fumigated and treated with other highly toxic pest control measures. Moreover, toxic sanitizing chemicals are commonly used in the food preparation and storage areas of such facilities (and this also applies to factories where human foods are produced). In contrast to such less-than-healthy production environments, it is a real joy for me to work in my company’s certified organic facility, which is both toxin-free and clean as a whistle!

Organic certification includes an annual inspection of the manufacturing facility, as well as inspections of all ingredients used and records kept during the previous year. All records must be readily available (and scrupulously maintained) for inspection for a total of five years from the time of initial inspection. The inspection for organic certification assures that ingredients are indeed organic, as claimed by the manufacturer (records must include a current organic certificate for each ingredient used), and that each ingredient’s organic status is maintained as such (e.g., no addition of toxins; no synthetic ingredients which are used in the manufacture of conventional, or non-certified organic, pet foods; no ingredients which are known to be unhealthy, such as artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives). Furthermore, the use of ill-defined and untraceable ingredients, such as ‘byproducts,’ ‘animal protein,’ ‘vegetable oil,’ ‘chicken meal,’ is unthinkable for certified organic products because none of these can be sourced to their initial origin (not to mention the fact that these particular ingredients, by their very nature, are pretty unhealthy to begin with).

Organic certification also assures that no genetically modified organism (GMO)-based ingredients are included in the organic product you’re purchasing. Most importantly, the omission of GMOs avoids certain potential health issues and detrimental environmental practices associated with these ingredients.

Organic certification alone is no guarantee that the pet food you’re purchasing is actually healthy for your pet. – Why do I say that?
It’s certainly possible to use certified organic ingredients that are unhealthy for animals. For example, refined organic flour is, like its conventional counterpart, simply unhealthy, especially if consumed on a regular basis. Refining of ingredients—including flour—can lead to a marked loss of nutrients, and is known to contribute to many major diseases in the industrialized world, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, certain allergies, immune suppression, and certain forms of cancer. The very same health problems that human populations face as a result of poor food choices are now beginning to take hold among our pets. This isn’t surprising, given that we’ve adopted many of the same practices used in human food processing for the production of cheap and readily available pet foods.

Even if we add fiber or other supplements to our animals’ foods, the reality is that these isolated nutrients can never substitute for what has been lost through the separation of components from natural, whole foods; this applies to vitamins and minerals, as well. Moreover, simply adding supplemental vitamins and minerals—out of context—to foods (many of which may already contain the same nutrients to begin with) can actually have negative effects on the health of both humans and animals.

Pet food products that are both certified organic and contain whole food ingredients aren’t necessarily nutritious or healthy. – Why do I say that?
Even if you chose the right ingredients, you can damage their nutritional properties if you over-process them with heat. Heat destroys all enzymes, denatures most proteins, and can even alter the molecular structure of fiber, rendering hard, or even impossible, for the body to digest or absorb. Heat also destroys many vitamins and antioxidants. Even if you supplement foods with minerals or vitamins after heating (i.e., through pressurized spraying after baking or cooking), isolated nutrients will never function as well, or in the same way, as naturally occurring food-based nutrients.

So, the most gentle preparation method would involve preparing foods fresh (i.e., on a par with ‘home-made’ foods), dehydrating products at appropriately low temperatures to guarantee the integrity of constituent ingredients, or flash-freezing.

Canning is one of the least desirable food preparation methods also because there is little understanding of the potentially negative health effects of certain canning materials that are known to leach out over time.

What to look for on the label and/or packaging of a good, commercially available, certified organic food product: I recommend paying more for good quality, certified organic, pet foods. They are more expensive than conventional, non-certified organic pet foods for a reason: certified organic ingredients are considerably more expensive than their conventional—and less healthy—counterparts. This is money well spent, as you’ll be supporting your animal’s health and reducing almost-certain future expenses for veterinary care (how many friends do you know with overweight, or even diabetic, cats?). Investing in high-quality organic pet foods—and avoiding poor diet and its physical and behavioral consequences—will make for a happier—and ultimately, more satisfying—pet-guardian relationship.

Certified organic foods contain at least 95% organic ingredients; the remaining content must be both GMO-free and free of a number of unhealthy additives or ingredients. The certified organic status of a given product or ingredient is indicated by the USDA Organic seal, as well as the name of a USDA-accredited organic certifying agency, such as Quality Assurance International (QAI) or Oregon Tilth (OTCO). Products that contain more than 70% (but less than 95%) organic ingredients cannot bear the USDA organic seal, but must nevertheless display the name of the USDA-accredited organic certifying agency. In this case, you’ll see the phrase, “made with such-and-such organic ingredient,” on the package. These clear labeling protocols are meant to protect the consumer from any misleading use of the term ‘organic’ by some, less-than-scrupulous, companies. Such protocols also allow the consumer to determine what percentage of ingredients is actually certified organic or conventional.

Organic claims without the USDA organic seal or the name of an organic certifying agency may, or may not, contain the organic ingredients that are claimed by the manufacturer. In any event, in such instances, it really comes down to plain and simple trust, since no third-party certifier is verifying the organic claims of a company whose products do not bear a USDA organic seal or the name of a certifying agency. It would be nice to think that governmental regulations and laws could keep up with, and effectively discourage, the deceptive practices—marketing and otherwise— of companies determined to make a buck by praying on ill-informed consumers. Unfortunately, the reality is much more complicated.

What else should the educated consumer and pet guardian look for?
Never buy a food—even if it’s unrefined, certified organic, raw, frozen, or gently dehydrated—if its ingredients don’t make sense to you. For example, I’ve come across herbivore foods that contain animal proteins and/or fat. Now, why would you feed your herbivorous pet meat or animal fat? Also, ask yourself: does it make sense to feed grains, as major staples—to cats or dogs—animals that evolved to exploit animal protein and fat or omnivorous resources, respectively? The manufacture of grain-based foods for dogs and—especially—cats makes no sense to me, as a zoologist, a pet guardian, and, most of all, an animal lover. Despite the common knowledge that grain, gluten, rice, corn, and soy are allergens for dogs, many pet food manufacturers continue to include these ingredients in their dog food products. The reason for this is that these particular ingredients are inexpensive, plain and simple. To knowingly add something that can cause allergic responses in many dogs is just beyond the scope of my understanding.

‘Balanced’ foods or ‘complete diets?’
Whether the nutrient levels that are required to call foods ‘balanced’ or ‘complete,’ are ideal for animal health has become a major point of contention among experts. First, there are issues concerning how these levels are determined in the first place (What breed of dog or cat is used? In what kinds of condition were the experimental animals kept? What were the ages of the animals studied? How long were these studies conducted? What data are collected?). In many cases, the required nutrient levels for balanced, or complete, foods are achieved by adding mostly synthetic mineral vitamin mixes to food. As I said earlier, the addition of synthetic nutrients is unlikely to be supportive of animal health.

Although some nutrients may really prevent certain deficiencies (especially in cases where animals don’t receive a fresh diet that provides a variety of natural food-based nutrients), others might actually do some harm. Personally, I prefer to stay away from synthetic supplements, and would recommend that other pet owners add appropriate high quality, naturally occurring, supplements to their pet’s foods at home (there are some commercially available ones). Of course, the best solution would be to provide foods that contain high-quality, naturally occurring nutrients in the first place; this can often be achieved by simply providing a diverse variety of high-quality foods.

Human-grade ingredients
I would never buy a product that contains something other than human-grade ingredients for my animals. Quite simply, even if something that contains ‘animal feed-grade’ ingredients is certified organic, it wouldn’t be good enough for my animals because the distinction ‘animal feed-grade’ implies a lower-grade quality of ingredient. For example, I don’t understand how an egg could possibly be classified as either ‘human-grade’ or ‘feed-grade’ quality; an egg is either produced under humane, healthy, and environmentally sustainable circumstances, or it isn’t!

Out-sourcing of production
It’s important to determine if a given pet food manufacturer produces products in it’s own facility, or if they’ve contracted another company to manufacture their products. Generally speaking, quality control is often better when products are manufactured in-house. If production is outsourced—even in the same town, state, or country—the pet food manufacturer cannot have complete control over quality assurance, and in any case cannot determine the state of the manufacturing facility at all times.

Such outsourcing might also ignore the status of employees at a third-party manufacturer, who may or may not be well-treated by their employer. This is not to say that outsourcing can’t yield a good product manufactured with the highest quality and ethical standards; it simply indicates that third-party manufacturing warrants much greater scrutiny, both by the consumer and the first-party manufacturer.

Size of the pet food company
I’m generally more partial to smaller companies, as I believe such companies are better able to check their equipment, food storage areas, and manufacturing areas. Unlike such trappings of large-scale manufacturing as silos, huge open storage containers, and enormous mixers, a smaller operation has few, if any, such quality assurance ‘blind spots.’ By their nature, smaller manufacturing companies tend to have better quality control than large multinational corporations. The common practices of small food manufacturers—smaller batches, lower risk, and careful sourcing of ingredients that can be readily inspected by employees—all likely make for better quality products.

Beware of unregulated terminology
‘Natural’ is a term that is not regulated; nor is the term ‘holistic.’ But, as the Green Seal organization recently indicated to me, the USDA organic label is certainly the best and most credible certification for pet and human food products. It’s also a good indicator of the ‘green’ status of a food.

Unfortunately, all unregulated terms can be used—and abused—to their legal limit. Moreover, very misleading marketing and advertising can be used to boost sales at the expense of unwary consumers and their pets. Such practices are, of course, unfair— first, to the consumer who is paying extra for a product she thinks is organic; second, to the true manufacturers of certified organic products who often work hard and responsibly to create quality foods; and finally, to the pets we all love.

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