Who’s Regulating the Dog Food Industry?
Pet food is supposed to be regulated on a federal and state level. On the federal level it is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In most states it is the State Department of Agriculture that enforces law on a state level. So there are federal laws and state laws. Interestingly enough, in three states, pet food is regulated by universities. The misleading thing is that it appears on the surface that pet food is regulated on a state level and a federal level. Therefore, it must be highly regulated right?
Last year in the US, we spent over $33 billion on commercial pet food and treats. Compare that to 2017, that was an increase of 5 percent, or $1.5 billion in sales. We really have to ask ourselves just what are we getting in return?
Susan Thixton is a dog and cat food consumer advocate, representing pet owners with the FDA and AAFCO (pet food regulatory authorities), and heads the largest pet food stakeholder organization - Association for Truth in Pet Food. Susan is also the Publisher of the website TruthaboutPetFood.com and creates The List, a list of pet foods that she would trust to give her pets… and for manufacturers who make The List, it’s a big deal because the foods on there were chosen after detailed information and verification of quality of ingredients were provided. Of course, Susan is super picky on what she feeds her pets.
Association for Truth in Pet Food
Dinner PAWsible: a cookbook of nutritious, homemade meals for cats and dogs
Buyer Beware: The Crimes, Lies and Truth about Pet Food
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