March 24th, 2010
Of all the pet food ingredients, it’s the fat that requires protection from spoiling. This includes stuff like animal fats, vegetable oils, and even fat-soluable vitamins. Indeed, if just 5 percent (0.05%) of the fat goes bad, we’re talking Rancid City. So, like it or not, most pet foods need preservatives. BUT, which preservatives is the question most debated between the industry and health-conscious consumers.
How Pet Food Preservatives Work
Basically, preservatives are either natural or artificial antioxidants. Thanks to media coverage I suspect that most of us think of “antioxidants” as good things. And, they are.
Imagine them like surge protectors you use for your electronics. These antioxidants sort of sacrifice themselves to oxidation in order to protect the fat in pet food.
They do not, however, prevent the oxidation that makes fats go bad and, in turn, produce some toxic “peroxides.” Preservatives instead slow the process down.
To be effective at all, these preservatives must be mixed into the pet food from the get-go … not, for example, sprayed on later like a protective shell.
Preservative effectiveness also depends on it’s “carry-through” rate. In other words, how much is still intact after the pet food is cooked.
Artificial preservatives have better carry-through than natural ones. They are also cheaper.
Artificial Pet Food Preservatives
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees food safety and food additives. This includes preservatives they deem “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for both human and animal food such as:
- BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), which can cause tumors and/or cancer in certain individuals
- BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), which may do the same as BHA
- TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinine), which also has pre-cancerous issues but is rarely used in foods sold internationally because it is not approved in Canada, Japan or Europe
- Ethoxyquin, which is considered “moderately toxic” at certain levels (especially to pregnant or nursing females), so the FDA called for voluntary reductions in the levels of ethoxyquin used in 1997
Yum! OK… maybe not.
You know those Center for Science in the Public Interest people (the ones who come out with often dire proclamations about our food)? Well, they list BHT in their “caution” section and BHA in their “avoid section.”
Natural Pet Food Preservatives
Because of concerns over artificial preservatives, including being blamed for everything from infertility to organ problems and skin issues to behavior changes, many people … including the K9Cuisine.com team … avoid artificial preservatives. Period.
That leaves natural ones such as:
* Mixed tocopherols (including Vitamin E and other similar agents)
* Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
* Rosemary extract
* Citric acid
Because these natural pet food preservatives have a lower carry-through rate and are a bit less effective, it’s VERY important to pay attention to “best used by” dates on pet food packaging.
Pet Foods With Lower Preservative Levels
Canned and frozen pet foods have lower levels of preservatives because they are preserved primarily in the cooking/canning or freezing process. So, if you are super concerned about preservatives, canned food may be a better way to go … if you go commercial.
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Tags: BHA, BHT, cat food, cat food preservatives, dog food, dog food preservatives, ethoxyquin, food preservatives, preservatives
Posted in Dog Food Basics, Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition | 4 Comments »
4 Responses to “Pet Food Preservatives”
A professional writer based in Colorado, Roxanne Hawn doesn't just love dogs. She deep-down requires them in life. Something inside her genes, perhaps? That's why it's such a joy to write about all things canine. Roxanne began writing about pets in 1995, when she worked for the American Animal Hospital Association and later for the American Humane Association. During this period in her career, Roxanne served on the board of directors for the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (a coalition of animal welfare groups). Roxanne also volunteered for many years at an animal shelter, where she witnessed firsthand what happens when the human-animal bond breaks or never forms.
Great post — I learned a lot from it! Thanks.
You’re so good at what you do, Roxanne! I’d never have been able to explain this the way you did. Good job!
I agree, Roxanne. What a great explanation!
Really an excellent article, this would give deeper understanding on processed food and which dog food should be avoided.