Pet Foods
My-Dog.info > Dogs, Diet & Food
The FDA regulates that can of cat food, bag of dog food, or
box of dog treats or snacks in your pantry. The FDA's regulation
of pet food is similar to that for other animal feeds. The
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) requires that pet
foods, like human foods, be pure and wholesome, safe to eat,
produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful
substances, and be truthfully labeled. In addition, canned pet
foods must be processed in conformance with the low acid canned
food regulations to ensure the pet food is free of viable
microorganisms.
There is no requirement that pet food products have premarket
approval by the FDA. However, FDA ensures that the ingredients
used in pet food are safe and have an appropriate function in the
pet food. Many ingredients such as meat, poultry, grains, and
their byproducts are considered safe “foods” and do not
require premarket approval. Other substances such as mineral and
vitamin sources, colorings, flavorings, and preservatives may be
generally recognized as safe (GRAS) or must have approval as food
additives.
Pet food labeling is regulated at two levels. The FDA
regulations require proper identification of the product, net
quantity statement, name and place of business of the
manufacturer or distributor, and a proper listing of all the
ingredients in order from most to least, based on weight. Some
states also enforce their own labeling regulations. Many of these
regulations are based on a model provided by the Association of
American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
BSE and the safety of pets
With the exception of cats, no pets (companion animals) are
known to be susceptible to the infectious agent that causes BSE
in cattle. No evidence of BSE has ever been found in dogs,
horses, birds, or reptiles.
However, cats are susceptible. Approximately 90 cats in the UK
and several cats in other European countries have been diagnosed
with the feline version of BSE, or FSE. Before it was
recognized that they were susceptible to the BSE agent, cats were
exposed to the infectious agent through commercial cat food or
through meat scraps provided by butchers. The number of
reported cases of FSE in the UK and Europe has been declining
annually since 1994 after implementation of feed bans in those
countries.
Currently in the U.S. , animal products that are prohibited
from cattle feed are acceptable for use in pet food. Such
products include meat and bone meal, for example. However, FDA
believes that the safeguards it has put into place (i.e. ruminant
feed rule) to prevent BSE in the U.S. have also protected cats.
To date, no case of FSE has been found in the U.S. FDA continues
to review these safeguards to be sure they are adequate,
especially in light of the BSE case found in Washington State in
December, 2003.
Material from the BSE positive cow in Washington State did not
pose a risk to cats in the U.S. because none of it was released
into distribution. All firms involved with the incident in
Washington State were found to be in compliance with the BSE
rules.
In addition, when the BSE positive cow was found in Canada in
May 2003, the FDA stopped imports of all pet foods made from
material derived from mammalian sources, and the pet food
manufacturer recalled the food it had manufactured that was
thought to contain material from the infected cow.
The Centre for Veterinary Medicine DOES NOT recommend one
product over another or offer guidance on individual pet health
issues that are normally provided by the pet’s veterinarian.
Questions regarding your pets' health and/or the specific use of
any veterinary drug, pet food, or other product should always be
referred to your veterinarian.
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