How important is eating "all natural" ingredients?

emilymaywilcha

emilymaywilcha

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
1,338
Purraise
29
Location
Gainesville, Florida
In a time when society is becoming increasingly sensitive about using artificial chemicals for what can be accomplished naturally, it is easy for us to assume BHA, BHT, and ethoxiquin, among other things, do not belong in pet food. At the same time we are quick to complain about the inclusions of carageenan and guar gum, which come from plants (red seaweed and guar beans). Should we assume natural is always better? Is it possible a synthetic ingredient could be safer than a natural one? Or does safety depend on low amounts whether something is natural or not?
 
kittylover23

kittylover23

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Messages
948
Purraise
41
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
IMO, I would prefer natural ingredients in my cat's food than something like BHA, BPA, BHT or ethoxiquin. It is true that not all natural ingredients are beneficial, and some are potentially harmful - but so are non-natural ingredients. When reading the ingredient list on your cat's food, would you prefer to see 'boneless skinless chicken' or 'chicken by-product meal'? Obviously, you'd go with the more natural option.
 
W

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,895
Purraise
28,301
Location
South Dakota
EmilyMayWilcha said:
"Chicken by-product meal" is natural. It is just the wrong parts of the chicken.
Click to expand...
Hmm, this would depend on how you define "natural". If you define it as "occurring in nature", then, no, it's not. Chicken by-products are natural. The meal isn't because it's rendered, which is an unnatural process. But if you define "natural' as "not synthetic", then I guess it is natural.

BHA and BHT are known carcinogens. Not sure about ethoxyquin.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6
emilymaywilcha

emilymaywilcha

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
1,338
Purraise
29
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Willowy said:
Hmm, this would depend on how you define "natural". If you define it as "occurring in nature", then, no, it's not. Chicken by-products are natural. The meal isn't because it's rendered, which is an unnatural process. But if you define "natural' as "not synthetic", then I guess it is natural.
BHA and BHT are known carcinogens. Not sure about ethoxyquin.
Click to expand...
Ethoxiquin causes a variety of problems including CRF. The FDA ruled very low levels of it are GRAS. That is why we see it so low on the list.

What they use to make chicken meal is natural - parts of the chicken. Of course, I would never want a rendered chicken.
 
W

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,895
Purraise
28,301
Location
South Dakota
I know of the problems associated with ethoxyquin. I'm just not sure if it's been proven to cause cancer like BHA and BHT have. Although since it's not allowed in human food they might not care.

Some of the things the FDA classifies as GRAS are frightening.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9
emilymaywilcha

emilymaywilcha

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
1,338
Purraise
29
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Willowy said:
I know of the problems associated with ethoxyquin. I'm just not sure if it's been proven to cause cancer like BHA and BHT have. Although since it's not allowed in human food they might not care.
Some of the things the FDA classifies as GRAS are frightening.
Click to expand...
The fact that the FDA does not allow ethoxiquin in human food makes me wonder why it is allowed in pet food.

Your last sentence is an understatement.
 
cinderflower

cinderflower

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 9, 2012
Messages
85
Purraise
4
EmilyMayWilcha said:
What they use to make chicken meal is natural - parts of the chicken. Of course, I would never want a rendered chicken.
Click to expand...
um . . . lol.  i don't know if you are imagining some nice pristine place where they sort of casually take only pieces of a chicken that can't be sold for human food, but that isn't what goes into a rendering pit.  you can read what i wrote on the by-product thread.  i'm going to make myself throw up if i write it again.  chicken meal or animal meal or anything that has been rendered doesn't belong as food for anything.  i consider plastic bags, pet collars and styrofoam highly unnatural.

i don't like any additives in food, unfortunately, if you buy pre-made canned food, you just have to live with some of it.  it would never last if they didn't put some preservatives in it, although it does make me wonder how my grandmother canned all that stuff and it lasted a pretty long time.  so i guess it wouldn't be impossible, it just wouldn't last more than a year i guess.  i don't even eat most of the things the FDA allows in food.
 
Last edited:
kittylover23

kittylover23

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Messages
948
Purraise
41
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
cinderflower said:
um . . . lol.  i don't know if you are imagining some nice pristine place where they sort of casually take only pieces of a chicken that can't be sold for human food, but that isn't what goes into a rendering pit.  you can read what i wrote on the by-product thread.  i'm going to make myself throw up if i write it again.  chicken meal or animal meal or anything that has been rendered doesn't belong as food for anything.  i consider plastic bags, pet collars and styrofoam highly unnatural.

i don't like any additives in food, unfortunately, if you buy pre-made canned food, you just have to live with some of it.  it would never last if they didn't put some preservatives in it, although it does make me wonder how my grandmother canned all that stuff and it lasted a pretty long time.  so i guess it wouldn't be impossible, it just wouldn't last more than a year i guess.  i don't even eat most of the things the FDA allows in food.
Click to expand...
Exactly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top