With few national guidelines, pet food is a Wild West of food safety, says Modern Farmer. Pet food is technically overseen by the FDA, but due to limited resources the agency has handed over that responsibility to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which has no regulatory control and can only ask companies to adhere to voluntary guidelines.
In a much-watched YouTube video, AAFCO president explained that manufacturers are allowed to use rendered animal parts, which could include euthanized shelter animals. In other words, dogs and cats could be eating other dogs and cats. Reports have discovered “roadkill, restaurant fryer grease, spoiled supermarket meat, and the remains of diseased zoo animals,” in pet food, says Modern Farmer.
Concerned with food safety, as well as nutrition, more Americans are turning to premium, niche providers that promise organic meats and sustainably caught fish for Fido. But 93 percent of mid-priced dog and cat food is produced by just three corporations, Nestlé, Mars, and J.M. Smucker.
Ultimately, how Americans feed their pets has a major impact on the global food supply. “In her 2010 book, Pet Food Politics, New York University professor Marion Nestle estimated that supplying human-grade fare to the approximately 170 million dogs and cats then in the United States would equate to feeding an additional 42 million humans, further straining the already overtaxed agricultural landscape,” quotes Modern Farmer.