Despite current pet food
advertising campaign claims, the majority of by-products and corn in pet foods
are a cost effective means to provide very good nutrition to pets. Remember that advertisers want to sell their
product. Pet food companies know that
pet owners are willing to pay a premium if they perceive that a pet food
provides better nutrition for their pet.
Therefore, pet food is marketed towards those perceptions and not
towards nutrition facts. Many pet foods
are now made to look like food that their owners eat or touted to be the same
as what your pet would eat in the wild.
But, is feeding your pet the same as you or a wolf really the best
nutrition for your pet? Let’s take a
look at by-product and corn facts.
A by-product is any
ingredient that is produced or left over when some other product is made. Broths and gelatin are examples of
by-products. In pet foods, by-products
come from “clean” animal parts such as liver, kidneys and other organs which,
although not aesthetically pleasing for we humans to eat, may provide superior
nutrition compared to “traditional“ animal parts. Muscle meat is deficient in many nutrients,
including calcium and other vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are abundant in meat
by-products and boost the nutrient value of a pet food. Using these other animal parts allows the
whole animal to be utilized thus decreasing waste. While we in western cultures may not choose
to eat those parts, your pet would definitely eat those nutritious parts if
hunting their food.
Corn provides an inexpensive,
good source of carbohydrates, protein and essential fatty acids in the diets of
dogs and cats. Although cats, which are
true carnivores, may do better with a primarily protein diet, decades of dog
domestication have created dogs that are omnivores, digesting both protein and
carbohydrates well. Corn gluten meal
contains 60-70% protein with many essential amino acids. Corn gluten meal is easy to digest, making
its nutrients readily available to your pet.
When combined with other protein sources, corn meal can contribute to a
highly digestible and nutritious diet.
There are 5 grades of corn quality, of which human food traditionally
uses grades 1 and 2. Quality pet
nutrition companies also use grade 1 and 2 for their pet foods. Incorporating some corn allows companies to
provide good nutrition while keeping their price reasonable.
When it comes to pet food,
advertising may be misleading. We’ll
continue to discuss the nutrition “facts” in coming articles.
