How to read Pet Food Ingredient label

A reader recently asked a question about the traditional commercial pet food, Beneful. I prefer to educate rather than to diss … There is, after all, a place for everyone at the table. For pricing and availability, it’s just not possible for every pet owner in the United States to feed holistically.

So let me just use this as a forum to educate on how to read the pet food label. My source is The Dog Food Project unless otherwise noted: :

Primary ingredients in order by weight:

• Ground yellow corn
  Indicates feed-grade source of protein/filler, not “whole” ground.
  Ranked two of five stars on Pet Food Ingredients Ranking List created by pet food formulator Dr. Lisa Newman and non-profit Consumer Wellness Center. Found in 8% of pet food products analyzed
• chicken by-product meal
  AAFCO: Consists of the dry, ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines — exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.Chicken byproducts are much less expensive and less digestible than the chicken muscle meat.The ingredients of each batch can vary drastically in ingredients (heads, feet, bones etc.) as well as quality, thus the nutritional value is also not consistent. Don’t forget that byproducts consist of any parts of the animal OTHER than meat. If there is any use for any part of the animal that brings more profit than selling it as “byproduct”, rest assured it will appear in such a product rather than in the “byproduct” dumpster.
• corn gluten meal
  AAFCO: The dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm.An inexpensive by-product of human food processing which contains some protein but serves mainly to bind food together. It is not a harmful ingredient but should not rank high in the ingredient list of a quality product.
• whole wheat flour
  Whole ground wheat grain, more nutritious but flour is too processed.
  Ranked three of five stars on Pet Food Ingredients Ranking List created by pet food formulator Dr. Lisa Newman and non-profit Consumer Wellness Center. Found in 1% of pet food products analyzed
• animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E)
  AAFCO: Obtained from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial processes of rendering or extracting. It consists predominantly of glyceride esters of fatty acids and contains no additions of free fatty acids. If an antioxidant is used, the common name or names must be indicated, followed by the words “used as a preservative”.Note that the animal source is not specified and is not required to originate from “slaughtered” animals. The rendered animals can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: “4-D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on.
• rice flour
• beef
• soy flour
  AAFCO: The finely powdered material resulting from the screened and graded product after removal of most of the oil from selected, sound, cleaned and dehulled soybeans by a mechanical or solvent extraction process.Much of the nutritional value is lost already during processing of the grain to flour. May contain particles of hull, germ, and the offal from the tail of the mill.

Remaining ingredients, in order by weight:

• sugar
  Can include sucrose, cane sugar, caramel, corn syrup and others. Sugar or sweetener is an absolutely unnecessary ingredient in pet foods, added to make the product more attractive. Continuous intake can promote hypoglycemia, obesity, nervousness, cataracts, tooth decay, arthritis and allergies. Pets also get addicted to foods that contain sugars, so it can be a tough piece of work to make them eat something healthier.

• sorbitol
  A white, sweetish, crystalline alcohol, C6H8(OH)6, found in various berries and fruits or prepared synthetically and used as a flavoring agent, a sugar substitute for people with diabetes, and a moisturizer in cosmetics and other products. Sugar or sweetener is an absolutely unnecessary ingredient in pet foods, added to make the product more attractive. Continuous intake can promote hypoglycemia, obesity, nervousness, cataracts, tooth decay, arthritis and allergies. Pets also get addicted to foods that contain sugars, so it can be a tough piece of work to make them eat something healthier.
• tricalcium phosphate
• water
• salt
  Also listed as Sodium Chloride. A colorless or white crystalline solid, chiefly sodium chloride, used extensively in ground or granulated form as a food seasoning and preservative. May also appear in ingredient list as “Iodized Salt” (iodine supplement added), “Sea Salt” (as opposed to salt mined from underground deposits) or “Sodium Chloride” (chemical expression).While salt is a necessary mineral, it is also generally present in sufficient quantities in the ingredients pet foods include. Just like for humans, too much sodium intake is unhealthy for animals. In poor quality foods it is often used in large amounts to add flavor and make the food more interesting.
• phosphoric acid
  A clear colorless liquid, H3PO4, used in fertilizers, detergents, food flavoring, and pharmaceuticals.A harmless but unnecessary ingredient, used in inexpensive, poor quality dog food as flavoring, emulsifier and discoloration inhibitor. Used for example as a flavoring for Coca Cola.
• animal digest
  AAFCO: A material which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed animal tissue. The animal tissues used shall be exclusive of hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers, except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably in good factory practice and shall be suitable for animal feed. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind or flavor(s), it must correspond thereto.A cooked-down broth made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals. The animals used can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: “4-D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on.
• potassium chloride
• dicalcium phosphate
• sorbic acid (a preservative)
• L-Lysine monohydrochloride
• dried peas
• dried carrots
• calcium carbonate
• calcium propionate (a preservative)
• choline chloride
• added color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2)Ask yourself: What is the reason to color pet food? The pets don’t care. Some of these colors come through in after-meal vomiting and their bathroom habits, as you’ll see when your carpet is stained.The Dog Food Project says:
  Blue 2 - The largest study suggested, but did not prove, that this dye caused brain tumors in male mice. The FDA concluded that there is “reasonable certainty of no harm”, but personally I’d rather avoid this ingredient and err on the side of caution.Red 40 - The most widely used food dye. While this is one of the most-tested food dyes, the key mouse tests were flawed and inconclusive. An FDA review committee acknowledged problems, but said evidence of harm was not “consistent” or “substantial.” Like other dyes, Red 40 is used mainly in junk foods. Personally I’d rather avoid this ingredient and err on the side of caution.

  Yellow 5 - The second most widely used coloring can cause mild allergic reactions, primarily in aspirin-sensitive persons.

  Yellow 6 - Industry-sponsored animal tests indicated that this dye, the third most widely used, causes tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney. In addition, small amounts of several carcinogens contaminate Yellow 6. However, the FDA reviewed those data and found reasons to conclude that Yellow 6 does not pose a significant cancer risk to humans. Yellow 6 may also cause occasional allergic reactions. Another ingredient I would rather avoid and err on the side of caution rather than risking my pet’s health.

• DL-Methionine
• Vitamin E supplement
• zinc sulfate
• ferrous sulfate
• Vitamin A supplement
• manganese sulfate
• niacin
• Vitamin B-12 supplement
• calcium pantothenate
• riboflavin supplement
• copper sulfate
• biotin
• garlic oil
• thiamine hydrochloride
• pyridoxine hydrochloride
• thiamine mononitrate
• folic acid
• Vitamin D-3 supplement
• menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity)
  Vitamin K3, synthetic vitamin K.
  Feed grade. Also listed as Menadione Dimethyl-Pyrimidinol Bisulfate, Menadione Dimethyl-Pyrimidinol Bisulfite, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite and Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex. Unnecessary ingredient in dog food. This synthetic version of vitamin K has not been specifically approved for long term use, such as in pet food. It has been linked to many serious health issues. More Details
• calcium iodate
• sodium selenite