August 3, 2011
In a recent article called "Tame Your Pet Costs", Consumer Reports magazine states, in summary, that basically all dog foods are the same, nutritionally speaking, as they all meet the minimum standards for nutrition required by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. The article then goes on to indicate that Walmart's Ol' Roy is the best buy, at just 34 cents per pound.
Ol' Roy receives the lowest rating given on DogFoodAdvisor.com, one star. So, lets see what you get for your money when you purchase Ol' Roy. For a mere 34 cents per pound, you get ground yellow corn, meat & bone meal, soybean meal, chicken by-product meal, wheat middlings, & animal fat. Sound appetising?
Let's breakdown these ingredients. It is important to understand that when reading dog food labels, the first 2-3 ingredients listed are the ingredients that make up the majority of the food.
The dominant ingredient in Ol'Roy is corn. Then we have meat & bone meal. What is that? Meat & bone meal is a dry “rendered product from mammal tissues, including bone, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents.
Next we have soybean meal. This is what remains of soybeans after all the oil has been removed.
Now, we're to the chicken by-product meal. This is a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. In other words, this is a mixture of all the stuff that hits the slaughterhouse floor after removing the prime cuts of meat for humans. This can contain almost anything...feet, beaks, internal organs, undeveloped eggs, maggots, feces, basically anything (that is) except real meat. In a nutshell, chicken by-products are those unsavory leftovers usually considered "unfit for human consumption".
Next, wheat middlings - this is nothing more than milling dust and floor sweepings.
Lastly, animal fat. Animal fat is a generic by-product. Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this item could come from almost anywhere. Common sources are restaurant grease, slaughterhouse waste, diseased cattle, and even euthanized pets. What’s worse, this fat is preserved with BHA, a suspected cancer-causing agent (carcinogen).
So, Consumer Reports, please tell me, after looking at the facts, how you can possibly feel that all dog food is the same?
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