Sources

We encourage you to sniff around.

Multiple studies have found more than half of pet foods tested were not truthfully labeled:

Studies:

2018 Study — University of Turin

Pagani E, Soto Del Rio MLD, Dalmasso A, et al. Cross-contamination in canine and feline dietetic limited-antigen wet diets. BMC Veterinary Research

  • Undeclared animal protein found in 54.5% of tested foods


2018 Study — Vialle University

Ricci R, Conficoni D, Morelli G, et al. Undeclared animal species in dry and wet novel and hydrolyzed protein diets for dogs and cats detected by microarray analysis. BMC Veterinary Research. 2018 Jun 27;14(1):209. 

  • 13/14 brands (92%) tested included at least one mislabeled product


2019 Study — UC Davis

Fossati LA, Larsen JA, Villaverde C, Fascetti AJ. Determination of mammalian DNA in commercial canine diets with uncommon and limited ingredients. Veterinary Medicine and Science. 2019 Feb;5(1):30-38. 

  • 21 dog foods were analyzed; all of them (100%) contained unlabeled species. “The presence of DNA from one or more species not declared on the label was identified in all 21 diets”


2020 Study — UC Davis

Cox A, Defalque VE, Udenberg TJ, et al. Detection of DNA from undeclared animal species in commercial canine and feline raw meat diets using qPCR. Canadian Veterinary Journal. 2020 Sep;61(9):977-984. 

  • More than 60% of tested foods contained unlabeled species.


2023 Study — University of New Mexico

Using Pet Food as the Subject to Investigate the Effectiveness of Whole-Genome Sequencing in the Authentication of Highly Processed Complex Food

Xuechen Zhu, Emily N. Alden, and Jeremy S. Edwards ACS Food Science & Technology 2023 3 (1), 50-60

  • Test detected DNA of undeclared ingredients in all tested pet food samples. (100%)

 

Article: Dogs Naturally Magazine: Why You Can't Trust Pet Food Labels

 

Dog DNA found in dog food:

Studies:

2023 study — University of New Mexico

Using Pet Food as the Subject to Investigate the Effectiveness of Whole-Genome Sequencing in the Authentication of Highly Processed Complex Food

Xuechen Zhu, Emily N. Alden, and Jeremy S. Edwards ACS Food Science & Technology 2023 3 (1), 50-60

  • Dog DNA found in 2 of 6 tested pet foods.



Article: Truth About Pet Food: Dog DNA Found In 2 Dog Foods

Article: Truth About Pet Food: Lawsuit Testing Finds Dog DNA In Dog Food

 

More slightly depressing reading:

Article: The Nutrition Connection: What's Really In Dog Food

Article: Association for Truth in Pet Food: The Failed Pet Food Regulatory System in the United States

 

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