Why Have Big Pet Food Manufacturers and Regulators Become so Terrified of Small, Local, Fresh Food Producers?
Story at-a-glance
- The FDA is illegally bullying raw pet food manufacturers into recalling products based on data that is not proven or scientifically validated
- The FDA is advertising to veterinarians and consumers that fresh food feeding is dangerous to the health of pets and other family members, despite their own data that shows dry pet food as a primary risk
- Urging consumers to avoid fresh foods increases and stabilizes profits for processed pet food manufacturers
- To protect big pet food companies, the FDA continues to overlook dangerous AAFCO-approved ingredients in pet and agricultural foods, such as meat from euthanized pets, “waste” (feces) including litter and even salvaged pet foods
- Almost every raw pet food recall is the result of misinformed officials acting on knowledge shared with them by large corporations
Original Article at Mercola Here
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and State Departments of Agriculture have been quietly cracking down on raw pet foods, but their stated reasons for doing so contradict their own published data. There are several important things to know about how this can affect your pet and family.
No. 1 — Processed Pet Food Manufacturers Are Threatened by Fresh Foods
Consumer education about factory farming has turned alternatives like raw foods into industry disruptors. Smaller manufacturers able to prioritize quality, humane sourcing and cleanliness over the interests of corporate shareholders are gaining a larger market share than ever before.
Huge brand name companies can't profitably manufacture fresh food products because quality ingredients are more expensive. Sourcing from industry trash (biodiesel, rendering, oleochemical, pharmaceutical)1 is far more profitable and sustainable when selling price-motivated products.
In a "vote with your dollar" economy, choosing raw or hand-prepared foods means supporting a healthy local economy and keeping your money out of the hands of corporate shareholders.
No. 2 — Claiming Fresh Pet Food Is Dangerous Makes Processed Diets Look Better
Advertising the risks of feeding fresh foods2 ensures profits for processed pet food manufacturers. Pet food manufacturers are expected to comply with the Zero Tolerance Policy,3 but in reality, the FDA only enforces it on raw pet foods.4
The FDA, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) and the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) all publicly claim that raw pet foods are more likely to contain harmful pathogens than kibble products and urge consumers not to use fresh foods.5
However, the FDA's published recall documents evidence that kibble is far more risky. While commercially available raw pet foods have not been confirmed to be responsible for illness in humans or pets, kibble products have caused 100,000+ illnesses and deaths in pets6and 190 illnesses in humans.7,8,9
Citations
- 1 Dog Food Advisor (trash in pet foods)
- 2 FDA.gov (FDA recommends against raw feeding)
- 3 FDA.gov (FDA’s zero tolerance policy for pet foods)
- 4 TruthAboutPetFood.com (FDA focuses on fresh, raw pet foods and ignores corporate giants)
- 5 FDA.gov (FDA recommends against raw feeding again)
- 6 Wikipedia (one large corporate recalls kills and sickens thousands)
- 7, 14 CDC.gov (2007 outbreak caused by salmonella in kibble)
- 8, 15 CDC.gov (2008 outbreak caused by salmonella in kibble)
- 9, 16 CDC.gov (2012 outbreak caused by salmonella in kibble)