FDA - AIDING AND ABETTING BIG PET FOOD COMPANIES?

In a recent post by Susan Thixton at truthaboutpetfood, she stated: "I directly asked the FDA – “Is FDA going to continue to allow non-slaughtered, dead livestock – that are a direct violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act – into pet food?” The FDA told us ‘Yes – they will continue to allow animals that have died otherwise than by slaughter into pet food as long as the material has been treated to kill living dangerous bacteria’.The FDA openly admitted they will continue to allow pet food to violate federal law.
The simple truth of this situation: with the aid of FDA, the pet food industry is allowed to make billions of dollars each year selling adulterated pet foods to unknowing consumers, and pets are dying because of it. Some would call that aiding and abetting a criminal."

For those not familiar with this debate, the legal definition of pet food ingredients set by AAFCO, states that slaughtered animals can be used to make pet feed. State and federal laws state that pet feed is considered adulterated if it contains parts from animals that did not die at slaughter - as in: road kill, diseased and cancer filled carcasses,euthanized dogs, cats, and zoo animals, and animals that have died in the field and then transported un-refrigerated to rendering plants. At the rendering plant the carcasses are subjected to high heat to basically melt them. Included in the "melting" are I.D. tags, pesticide tags, drug residues, maggots, and all manner of toxins. Endotoxins are released from bacteria when they are killed and the endotoxins remain, even after heating. Bacteria commonly found in the bowel are some of the biggest producers of endotoxins. When the entire carcass, including the intestines and rotting putrid meat, is rendered, endotoxins are released. The endotoxins can lead to liver disease, reduced platelet counts, leaky gut, allergic reactions, inflammation, and in some cases, death for our pets. 

How do you know if the pet food you use contains these ingredients? Some common ingredients to avoid include Animal Digest, Animal Fat, Meat and Bone Meal, Animal By-Product Meal, Meat Meal, and Meat By-Product Meal. However, any kind of Poultry Meal or Poultry By-Product Meal will most likely contain the entire bird, including feathers and intestines and fecal matter, as poultry slaughter for pet food usually means grinding of the entire bird. 

How do you know how the different meat and poultry meals in your pet food are produced? You don't. Because nothing has to be revealed on the label. And many pet food companies buy meal that is produced elsewhere to mix into their pet food product. When people ask me why I won't feed kibble, I think this pretty much sums it up. For my pets, home cooked and high quality raw food are the only meals they eat.