17 Ingredients to Avoid in Your Dog’s Food

On March 11, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I think my previous posts made it clear that I am not a big fan of commercial dog food. This is mainly because of the ingredients used by the pet food companies. In this article I will try to present the most dangerous ones. So, let’s take a journey into the world of food additives!

17 Ingredients You Need to Avoid in Your Dog's Food
Artificial Antioxidants*
BHA and BHT (E320 and E321, officially known as Butylated hydroxyanisole and Butylated hydroxytoluene)	Commonly used for preserving the food. There has been constant controversy around these preservatives, mostly based on evidence of carcinogenicity in animal experiments. They've been banned from human consumption in many countries.
Ethoxyquin (E324)	This is a quinoline-based antioxidant, used as a preservative but also as pesticide. It preserves fats and oils from decomposition. You can also find it in spices, preventing the color loss. Although, there are no certain research results related to health consequences, ethoxyquin is connected to elevations of liver enzymes and mortality in fish. In 1997 the Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine requested a reduction of ethoxyquin from 150 ppm to 75 ppm.
Propyl gallate (E310, also known as Gallic Acid or Propyl Ester)	It's an antioxidant used to prevent oxidation in oils and fats. The compound is not proven to be harmful but it is, however, suspected of causing liver diseases and cancer.
Emulsifiers**
Propylene Glycol (E1520)	This is an emulsifier but also a solvent. It's commonly used in antifreeze solutions and hydraulic liquids. It is added in semi-moist kibble to prevent it from drying out. Although approved and considered safe, the compound can be harmful if used in large amounts. Its use is prohibited in cat foods and considered lethal for dogs at doses of 9mL/kg.
Glyceryl Monostearate	This is is an emulsifier used for thickening, anti-caking, anti-sticking, foaming and dispersion. It can usually be found in cosmetics and hair care products but also in foods like ice cream, giving it the smooth texture.
Food Colorings***
Allura Red AC or Red No. 40 (E129)	The coloring has been banned in some countries of the European Union but it is widely used in the United States, especially in junk foods. Like any other synthetic chemical it doesn't have any impact on the nutritional quality of the foods, but rather leads to health and behavior problems.
Indigo carmine or indigotine Blue No. 2 (E132)	Often used in the blue jeans industry but also in foods. It is harmful for humans, causing respiratory problems if swallowed.
Tartrazine or Yellow No. 5 (E102)	This is probably the most used coloring in the whole world, commonly found in chewing gum, chips, jelly, marshmallows etc. Experiments have shown that it has a considerable effect on animal's health (mice and rats). Tartrazine is banned in some countries in Europe, mainly because it can cause hives, indigestion, anxiety, itching and hyperactivity and asthma attacks in children.
Sunset Yellow FCF or Orange Yellow S or Yellow No. 6 (E110)	Commonly used for orange juices, marmalade, sweets, snacks, chips. It is well-known for causing an allergic reaction in people having aspirin intolerance, with symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. In 2010 the Center for Science in the Public Interest requested FDA to ban Yellow No. 6.
Flavors****
Animal Digest	This ingredient results from the chemical hydrolysis of animal tissue. The source can be specified like in "chicken digest" or not. Pay attention to the type of foods mentioning "flavored" on their label. A Chicken Flavored food usually contains chicken digest, without any actual chicken in it. Moreover, when the source is not specified, the flavoring agent can derive from any kind of animal tissue, including dead, diseased, roadkill, euthanized animals, etc. Basically, there is no control over the quality or contamination risk of these foods.
Questionable Proteins
Poultry By-product Meal	This is is one major component in dog foods. It comes from bones, carcasses, offal and feathers. It is used because it's much cheaper than the chicken muscle. However, together with the price come the low quality and the low nutritional value.
Blood Meal	This is a slaughterhouse by-product, used as pet food supplement. The main problem with this supplement is that no one can actually determine its origin. It can come from any kind of animal and can represent a source of infection, as blood can have residues of hormones, drugs etc.
Corn gluten (and wheat gluten) Meal	A cheap protein source for dog foods. It also serves as a binder for the ingredients. When eaten for a long period of time, the corn gluten meal can trigger allergies.
Liver (meat, bone and other general terms) Meal	These general names make it impossible to determine the source of the meat. It can come from any animal and the problem is that pet companies prefer the "4-D animals", this category including dead, euthanized, diseased and roadkill animals, because of their low price
Questionable Carbohydrates
Brewers Rice	A highly processed product, missing the nutrients that can be usually found in whole ground rice or brown rice. It's cheaper than the whole ground rice and its quality is poor.
Cereal Food Fines	A left-over from the cereal food processing. You can find it in the low quality dog foods. The cereal fines might contain additives and sweeteners and a lot of sugar.
Questionable fats
Animal (poultry, beef or other general terms) Fats	Obtained in the rendering process from animal tissues. The problem is the same as with other above mentioned ingredients: the questionable origin. No one can actually determine the source of these animal tissues. They can come from dead or diseased animals.

*As you probably know, there are natural and artificial antioxidants. The both types are used in dog foods in order to prevent fats from oxidation. Dog foods containing natural antioxidants like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, rosemary and citric acid are healthier, but they are more expensive. Also, the food has to be used as soon as possible after the bag has been opened, so that it doesn’t lose its freshness.The artificial antioxidants are very common in dry foods, like kibble and treats. Cheap dog foods contain a high level of fats and therefore, they require the use of artificial antioxidants to expand their shelf life.

**These additives allow water and oils to remain mixed together in an emulsion.

***The food colorings are used to replace colors lost during preparation, or to make foods look more attractive.

****Flavors are used to give a certain smell or taste to the food.

Apart from these ingredients, there are also some others worth mentioning like the cellulose, serving as a fiber source, or the synthetic vitamin K3 (Menadione Sodium Bisulfate), that is associated with health problems like vomiting, irritations, eczema, liver toxicity. Also, the sugar used by pet food companies is totally unnecessary, causing obesity, tooth decay, hyperactivity and nervousness. Another dangerous ingredient is the Xylitol, a sweetener with many side effects on dogs’ health, among which hypoglycemia and liver failures that can be fatal. A potential source of allergies are the Yeast Culture and the Yeast Fermentation Solubles, supplements with no considerable nutritional values. Of course, the list can go on.

Hope you find this post useful!