Pet food is a plant or animal intended for consumption by pets. Usually sold in pet stores and supermarkets, usually specialized for animal types, such as dog food or cat food. Most of the meat used for nonhuman animals is a by-product of the human food industry, and is not considered a "human class".
Four companies - Procter & amp; Gamble, Nestlà ©  ©, Mars, and Colgate-Palmolive - are estimated to account for 80% of the world's pet food market, which in 2007 amounted to US $ 45.12 billion for cats and dogs alone.
Video Pet food
Industry
Pet food sales in 2016 reached an all-time high of $ 28.23 billion in the United States. Mars is a leading company in the pet food industry, generating about $ 17 billion annually in pet care products. Online pet food sales are increasing and contributing to this growth. Online sales in the US increased 15 percent by 2015. Worldwide, an increase in online pet food sales was between 6 and 14 percent. In 2015, the US leads the world in pet food shopping.
The main commercial pet food formulations are generally based on nutritional research and many manufacturers undertake animal nutrition studies. For example, Mars, Incorporated is funding the Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition, which conducts scientific research on the nutrition and welfare of pets, sharing its findings in publicly reviewed journals.
Maps Pet food
Fish food
Fish foods usually contain macronutrients, trace elements and vitamins needed to keep fish healthy. About 80% of fishkeeping enthusiasts feed their fish exclusively prepared foods that are most often produced in the form of flakes, pellets or tablets. The forms of pellets, which are partially submerged rapidly, are often used for larger fish or under-fed species such as loaches or catfish. Some fish foods also contain additives, such as beta carotene or sex hormones, to artificially increase the color of ornamental fish.
Bird food
Bird food is used well in bird feeders and to feed pet birds. Usually consisted of various seeds. However, not all birds eat seeds. The nectar (basically sugar water) attracts hummingbirds.
Cat food
Cats are carnivorous, although most commercial cat food contains animal and plant material equipped with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Cat food is formulated to meet the special nutritional requirements of cats, especially those containing amino acid taurine, since cats can not thrive on foods that are deficient in taurine. The optimal level of taurine for cat food has been set by the Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition
Dog food
Different recommendations on what foods are best for dogs. Some people argue that dogs have grown well on leftovers and leftovers from their human owners for thousands of years, and commercial dog food (which was only available for centuries ago) contains meat, additives, and other ingredients that should not be consumed by dogs, or that commercial dog food is not adequate enough for their dogs. However, many commercial brands are formulated using insights gained from scientific nutrition studies and there is no evidence that peers can review that domestic options are superior. Since conventional meat factory farms are becoming obsolete when compared to the health and environmental benefits of insects (see entomophagy), experts now suggest dogs should diet with crickets replacing meat. Most of the store-bought pet food comes in dry form, also known as kibble, or wet, canned form.
Eat raw
Eating raw is the practice of feeding domestic dogs, cats, and other animal diets consisting mainly of raw meat, edible bones, and organs. The ingredients used to formulate a raw diet can vary. Some pet owners choose to make artificial raw food to feed their animals but commercial raw foods are also available.
The practice of feeding raw foods has caused some concern because of the risk of foodborne illness, zoonoses and nutritional imbalances. People who feed their dogs raw foods do so for many reasons, including but not limited to: culture, beliefs about health, nutrition and what is considered more natural for their pets. Feeding raw foods can be considered as allowing pets to keep in touch with their wild and carnivorous ancestors. The raw food movement has taken place along with the changing trends of human food for natural and organic products.
Feeding human food to animals
Processed foods and some raw materials may be toxic to animals, and care should be taken when feeding the leftovers. It is known that the following foods are potentially unsafe for cats, dogs and pigs:
- Chocolate, coffee and soft drinks products
- Raisins and grapes
- Macadamia nuts
- Garlic (in large doses) and onion
- Alcohol
Generally, cooked and salted foods should be avoided, as well as sauce and gravies, which may contain ingredients that, although well tolerated by humans, may be toxic to animals. Xylitol, an alternative sweetener found in chewing gum and grilled foods designed for diabetics, is highly toxic to cats, dogs and civets.
Labeling and setting
In the United States, all pet foods are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This is set further at the state level. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets the standards by which countries base their food laws and regulations but do not have regulatory authority.
Dog and cat foods labeled as "complete and balanced" should meet the standards set by AAFCO either by meeting the nutritional profile or by passing the food test. The nutritional profile of dog and cat food was last updated by the Nutritionist Subcommittee of Feline AAFCO (1991-1992) and Subcommittee of Dog Nutritionists (1990-1991), respectively. The updated profile replaces the previous recommendation set by the National Research Council (NRC). The NRC issued new recommendations in 2006; AAFCO is currently (2010) in the process of updating the nutrition profile.
Products found "complete and balanced" by feeding trials of label statements "animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures prove that (product name) provides complete and balanced nutrition." The protocol requires that six out of eight animals complete a 26-week feeding trial without showing any clinical or pathological signs of malnutrition or excess. General health of cats or dogs is evaluated by veterinarians before and after the test. Four blood values ​​(hemoglobin, packed cell volume, serum alkaline phosphatase and serum albumin) were measured after the trial, and the mean value of the test subjects should meet the minimum level. No animal shall be allowed to lose more than 15% of its original weight.
Products formulated with ingredients to fulfill an established nutrition profile will include the following statement, "(Product name) is formulated to meet the nutritional level specified by the AAFCO Nutrition Food/Dog Nutrition Profile." There are two separate nutrition profiles - one for "growth and reproduction" and another for "adult maintenance". The nutritional adequacy statement will include information about the life stage (s) for a suitable product. A product labeled "for all stages of life" should meet a stricter nutrition profile for "growth and reproduction". Products labeled "intended for short or extra breastfeeding" do not need to fulfill any of the profiles.
The "Family Rule" allows the manufacturer to have a "nutritiously similar" product with other products in the same "family" to adopt the final "complete and balanced" statement without itself undergoing a feeding test. "Similar" foods should be of the same type of processing; contains the same moisture content; bear the statement of nutritional adequacy for the same or less demanding stage of life as the main product; containing dry matter, metabolic energy (ME) content in 7.5% of lead ingredients; meets the same crude protein, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, lysine, thiamine (and for cat, potassium and taurine) foods as the main food; and meet or exceed the nutritional level and primary family product ratios or AAFCO nutrition profile, whichever is lower. The label statement on the same food can be the same as the main product if ME is evidenced by the study of ME 10 days.
Critics of the AAFCO standard argue that the requirement is too lax. A generation study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis has shown that some foods that pass through AAFCO feeding trials are still not suitable for long-term use and estimate that out of 100 foods that pass from nutritional analysis, 10 to 20 will not pass the test. Although the maximum level of intake of some nutrients has been established due to concerns with excess nutrients, many still lack maximum permissible levels and some contain a large difference between the maximum and minimum values. The NRC accepts that despite ongoing research, large gaps still exist in quantitative nutritional information knowledge for certain nutrients. Some professionals recognize the possibility of phytochemicals and other important nutrients that have not been recognized important by the science of nutrition. With broad guidelines and loose feeding standards, critics argue that the term "complete and balanced" is inaccurate and even deceptive. An AAFCO panel expert has stated that "although AAFCO profiles are better than nothing, they provide fake securities." James G. Morris and Quinton R. Rogers Assess the Adequacy of Animal Food Nutrition through Life Cycle. J. Nutr. 124: 2520S-2534S, 1994.
Certain manufacturers label their products with terms such as premium, ultra premium, and holistic. Such terms do not currently have an official definition. AAFCO is currently considering defining some terms. However, the terms "natural" and "organic" do have definitions; eg, organic products must meet the same USDA regulations as for organic human foods.
In Canada, a product that passed the Canada Veterans Veterinary Food Certification Program (CVMA), which involves a food trial, carries a CVMA label on its packaging. Participation in this program is voluntary. There are no government regulations on pet food in the Canadian market. The CVMA program was discontinued at the end of 2007.
In the European Union, pet food is regulated by the same harmonization standards across the EU, through the Feed Feeding Act.
All ingredients used for pet food should be suitable for human consumption in accordance with EU requirements. But regulations require that pet foods containing byproducts are labeled as "Not for human consumption" even though those by-products should come from animals declared fit for human consumption. Raw pet food should be labeled "Pet food only".
Products intended to feed each day are labeled "Complete food" or "full pet food" or other equivalent EU languages. Products intended for intermittent feeding are labeled "complementary food or" complementary animal food "while products with ash content of more than 40% are labeled" Mineral Feed Materials ". Materials are listed in weight-based order.
With the newly released Regulatory Commission (EU) No 107/2013, the EU has set a new maximum rate for melamine in canned animal food. According to recent results from an in-depth study of the pet food crisis of 2007, melamine used in coatings for pet foods can migrate to food. Therefore, the limit of regular melamine migration (SML) of 2.5Ã, mg/kg for food and feed has been expanded for animal feed. This limit applies to wet wet pet foods on a 'as sold' basis.
2007 recall
The shooting of pet food in 2007 involved the massive withdrawal of many cat and dog food brands beginning in March 2007. The recall came in response to reports of kidney failure in pets that consumed most of the wet animal food made with wheat gluten from a Chinese firm , starting in February 2007. After more than three weeks of complaints from consumers, the withdrawal began voluntarily with the Canadian Food Menu Company on March 16, 2007, when a company showed sickness and death in some test animals. Soon after, there were numerous media reports of animal deaths due to kidney failure, and several other companies receiving contaminated wheat gluten also voluntarily recalled dozens of pet food brands. The Foods menu attracts almost more than 50 dog food brands, and over 40 cat food brands. NestlÃÆ' Â © Purina PetCare attracts all sizes and varieties of Alpo "Prime Cuts in Gravy". Some companies are unaffected and exploit the situation to generate sales for alternative pet food.
At the end of March, veterinary organizations reported more than 100 pet deaths among nearly 500 cases of kidney failure, with an online database reporting 3,600 deaths as of April 11. On April 8, Menu Foods has confirmed only about 16 deaths. The US Food and Drug Administration refuses to estimate the number of sick or dead people because there is no central government record data of animal diseases or deaths in the United States because there are humans (such as the Centers for Disease Control). As a result, many sources speculate that the actual number of affected pets may never be known and experts fear that the actual death toll could reach thousands.
Overall, some large companies have attracted more than 100 pet food brands, with most products drawn from Menu Foods. Although there are several theories about the source of disease-causing agents in affected animals, with extensive government and private research and forensic research, to date, no definite cause has been isolated. On April 10th, the most likely cause, according to the FDA, though not proven, is shown by the presence of melamine in wheat gluten in affected foods. The Chinese company behind contaminated wheat gluten initially denied involvement in the contamination, but cooperated with Chinese and American investigators.
In the United States, there is extensive media coverage of recalls. There is widespread public outrage and calls for government pet food regulations, which have previously been self-regulated by pet food manufacturers. The United States Senate held a supervisory meeting on the issue on 12 April. The economic impact on the pet food market has expanded, with Menu Foods losing approximately $ 30 Million alone from withdrawals. The incident has caused the mistrust of most processed animal foods in some consumers.
See also
- Food safety
- Insect based animal food
References
External links
- The History of the Animal Food Industry Voice of the US pet food maker
- Pet food safety center at Humane Society of the United States
- Interpreting the pet food label - Label of pet food according to AAFCO rules
- Animal Food Rating - Breakdown of groceries
- Study on Pet Food for Pets - Evidence Based Information
- Open Pet Food Facts - An open crowdsourcing data from animal feed products, from Open Food Facts
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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