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Dead Cats And Dogs Used To Make Pet Food 4-26-6
We see pictures of whole grains, prime cuts
of meat and human grade vegetables on the bag, and we assume there's
some chef in a pet food kitchen cooking up the best for our loved ones.
Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Most of what makes up dog and
cat food comes from the rendering plant.
To render, as defined in Webster's Dictionary, is "to process as for
industrial use: to render livestock carcasses and to extract oil from
fat, blubber, etc., by melting. "When chickens, lambs, cattle, swine,
and other animals are slaughtered for food, usually only the lean muscle
is cut off for human consumption. This leaves about 50 percent of
a carcass left over. These leftovers are what become what we so commonly
find on pet food labels, such as "meat-and-bone-meal" or "by-products.
"So basically, what pets eat are lungs, ligaments, bones, blood and
intestines. Some other things that go into rendering to make your
Cat and Dog
Food are:
* Euthanized companion animals Cats and Dogs
* Spoiled meat from the supermarket, Styrofoam wrapping and all
* Road kill that can't be buried on the roadside
* The "4 D's" of cattle: dead, dying, disease and disabled
* Rancid restaurant grease
When dead animals from cow pastures are picked up, they may not be
rendered until up to a week after they are dead. Because of this, it is
estimated that E. coli bacteria contaminate more than 50 percent of meat
meals.
The rendering process destroys the bacteria, but it does not eliminate
the endotoxins bacteria release when they die.
These endotoxin, which can cause sickness and disease, are not tested
for by pet food manufacturers. When all this comes to the
rendering plant, it's put in a huge vat and shredded. Then it's
cooked at 220 to 270 degrees for 20 to 60 minutes. After it cools, the
grease is skimmed off the top.
This is "animal fat." The rest is pressed and dried. This is "meat and
bone meal. "Dogs wouldn't eat this stuff in the wild, so why will they
eat it out of their bowls? Their noses are tricked by the smell of it.
The smell of animal fats for dogs and fish oil for cats is sprayed on
the dry, bland kibble bits to make them appetizing.
These flavors usually come from rendered restaurant grease, animal fat,
or other oils unfit for human consumption. Huge conglomerates use pet
food companies as a cheap, and even profitable, way of disposing of the
waste from their human food companies. Three of the five major pet food
companies are owned by these huge corporations.
Who owns what? Corporation & Pet Foods:
Nestle: Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog, Purina One
Heinz: 9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles-n-Bits, Nature's Recipe
Colgate-Palmolive: Hill's Science Diet
Proctor & Gamble: Eukanuba and Iams
Mars: Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba, Waltham's
VETERINARIANS AND PET FOOD
So, why don't vets warn people? The question should be, what makes
veterinarians think they can recommend food. In Food Pets Die For, Ann
Martin says, Our family physician doesn't display weight loss products
in the reception room So why is this going on in our veterinary clinics
that do not specialize in nutrition. She says she considers it unethical
for vets to sell pet food unless they are trained in pet nutrition.
The reason your vet thinks so highly of the pet food they sell probably
has more to do with money than nutrition. In vet school, the only
classes offered on nutrition usually last a few weeks, and are taught by
representatives from the pet food companies.
Vet students may also receive free food for their own dogs and cats at
home. They could get an Iams notebook, a Purina purse and some free
pizza. The companies also hire students to be representatives for
the company and to promote their products to other students. This
issue was even placed on the agenda for an Executive Committee meeting
at the vet school at Colorado State University. According to the minutes
discussion was held on how to handle dealing with pet food companies and
their donations of pet food to the university. It was agreed to put
together a task force to discuss this issue, investigate the
possibilities, and make suggestions to the Executive Council on how to
work with the numerous pet food companies that want to donate to CSU.
There was no further mention of this topic in meetings since.
In May 2000, Purina made the announcement that in an effort to help
university, veterinary hospitals provide optimal nutrition
recommendations for dogs and cats, Ralston Purina is funding three new
veterinary diet technician positions. They donated $100,000 to support
these positions for the first year. How would you feel about a company
that paid your salary?
CHEMICALS IN PET FOOD
Because the ingredients in pet food aren't exactly as pure as consumers
are made to believe, not only is the food unhealthy, it may also be
poisonous. When the "food" comes out of the rendering plant,
there's no way it would be bought by a consumer or eaten by a dog. To
make it more pleasing to the eyes of owners and the mouths of animals,
the producers of pet food add a myriad of chemicals. To keep the
food fresh, the first thing added is a preservative. The bags of food
must stay fresh through shipping and on the shelf. There are several
synthetic preservatives out there:
* Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)
* Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
* Propylene glycol (also used as automotive antifreeze)
* Ethoxyquin
Their is little known about the effect these chemicals may have on an
animal. Some experts and veterinarians claim ethoxyquin is the best and
safest preservative on the market, others claim it is a potential
carcinogen, causing skin problems and infertility in dogs. Some
other things that may be added to your dog or cat food are:
* Coloring agents
* Drying agents
* Flavoring agents
* Lubricants
* Nutritive Sweeteners
* Texturizers
IS THERE CAT AND DOG IN PET FOOD?
Reporter John Eckhouse was one of the first people to discover the
practice of sending euthanized pets to the rendering plants. He
quoted an employee of Sacramento Rendering as saying, "Thousands and
thousands of pounds of dogs and cats are picked up and brought here
every day. "When a vet tells a grieving owner that they'll "take
care" of their dead loved one, they usually mean sending it off with the
disposal company for rendering. This is all perfectly legal. Many
veterinarians and especially shelters don't have the money to bury or
cremate animals. Although many in the pet food industry deny that
they use euthanized animals, proof that the practice goes on continues
to surface.
Also - Do you know what is in 'meat meal' - the major constituent of dry
dog and cat food? Urine, fecal matter, hair, pus, meat (from animals,
afflicted) with cancer and T.B., etc."
http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/04/1817991.php
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