Some New Mystery Ingredients in Pet Food – Truth about Pet Food

They aren’t AAFCO defined, we don’t know if they are safe or what some of these ingredients will be labeled as on a pet food.

Crickets

There’s a new pet food on the market that includes “cricket” as the protein source. The manufacturer lists simply “cricket” on the pet food label, but refers to it as “cricket protein powder” in a description.

What is it? There’s no legal definition of the ingredient ‘cricket’ in pet food, AAFCO has not defined the ingredient or approved its use in pet food. In fact, in 2017 we brought this to FDA and AAFCO’s attention during an AAFCO Ingredient Definitions Committee meeting. From the meeting minutes: “Susan Thixton brought up cricket meal as another thing that is being used in pet food. What are Regulators going to do–let it go? Jan Jarman (former State Department of Agriculture representative) stated that no, regulators will not approve cricket meal. Charlotte Conway (FDA representative) talked with “cricket ranchers” to help them understand that cricket meal needs to be defined. Hopefully companies/people will do the right thing.“

But…as it ends up…they did let it go – cricket ranchers and pet food manufacturers didn’t do the right thing. The pet food Jiminy’s Cricket Crave Dog Food sells on Amazon, and in pet stores all across the US. The first ingredient in this dog food is “cricket” – an ingredient that is not defined by regulatory authorities, and no one has stopped it from selling to pet owners.

Is it safe? Do crickets provide the proper nutrition for dogs? We don’t know.

Why hasn’t regulatory authorities stopped this pet food from sale? We don’t know that either.

Extracted protein from whole stillage

Per an industry trade publication, we’ve learned of another new and undefined ingredient that is currently being sold to pet food manufacturers. “Flint Hills Resources, an ethanol ingredient supplier based in Wichita, Kan., announced Oct. 27 it has begun shipping its NexPro® protein ingredient to pet food and animal feed manufacturers globally. NexPro is an extracted protein from whole stillage, a co-product of ethanol manufacturing.”

The company goes on to explain “Typically, whole stillage is processed into distillers corn oil and distillers grains for use in animal feed, the supplier explained. Using MSC technology, Flint Hills Resources is now able to extract and refine whole stillage to offer a protein ingredient for animal food products.”

In other words, ingredients that are currently AAFCO defined and used in animal feeds/pet foods are processed in a different manner to produce a different ingredient. But again, even though this company has already shipped the ingredient to pet food manufacturers, it’s not defined by AAFCO.

Is it safe? We don’t know. Are the methods used to extract and refine the distillers grains safe for pets? We don’t know. We don’t even know what the name of this ingredient will be on the pet food label, everything about it is a mystery (even though its being sold to pet food now).

Why hasn’t regulatory authorities stopped this ingredient from being sold to pet food?

Miscanthus grass

A trade publication also tells us that “Both Miscanthus grass and powdered cellulose can be incorporated in pet food products as a source of fiber.” However, Miscanthus grass is not defined by AAFCO either – just like the other ingredients above.

Is Miscanthus grass safe for pets? We don’t know. And we don’t know what this ingredient will be named on a pet food label.

Why isn’t regulatory authorities – FDA and each State Department of Agriculture – stopping these ingredients from sale to pet food until they go through the AAFCO process as all other pet food ingredients are required to? In 2020 and 2019 alone, more than $13 million dollars of tax payer money was sent to States (from FDA) for consistent enforcement of pet food regulations that require ingredient definitions. (To validate the $13 million dollars, visit https://taggs.hhs.gov/SearchAward, enter Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards in the Keyword Search, add years 2020 and 2019 to Fiscal Years Issue Date).

What are pet owners getting for their $13 million tax dollars? Undefined – who knows what they are – ingredients.

Pet owners are encouraged to write the FDA and their State Department of Agriculture to ask why these ingredients are being sold to pet food manufacturers without being legally defined by AAFCO. Email the FDA at: AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov. To find your State Department of Agriculture representatives, Click Here.

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food

Become a member of our pet food consumer Association. Association for Truth in Pet Food is a a stakeholder organization representing the voice of pet food consumers at AAFCO and with FDA. Your membership helps representatives attend meetings and voice consumer concerns with regulatory authorities. Click Here to learn more.

What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients?  Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘rest of the story’ on over 5,000 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. www.PetsumerReport.com

Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area Click Here

The 2020 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here to learn more.