Very quick ?? about red dry food

What ingredient is it that is in some dry food that makes it a red colouring, that is not good for cats? My shelter stopped feeding food that has the majority of it a red colouring and I know it isn't good, but why? No one there that I have asked seems to know. Is it the same for dog food too I assume?

In my short education on pet foods food coloring was a concern. I guess if it was colored from beet juice it would be ok.

Red 40, red6 and one that excapes me at the moment

I don't think it's harmful, just artificial. Besides the fact that foods with artificial colors have pretty lousy ingredients as well, I personally would prefer not to deal with technicolor hairballs on my carpet! The regular ones are enough of a pain for me.

Many cats are allergic to food colourings - red in particular - my Bumper is ok with the darker brown food but can't eat beige or red coloured foods.

As semiferal said, the artificial colouring usually means a cheap food

My cats gets sick from colored food.. I always have to stick with brown..

I am not so sure that red dyes are harmless, this is an interesting link that lists red dye 40 - click here

I think anything that can stain my carpet when it gets upchucked is def. not a safe ingredient (!)...especially when I once had a cat upchuck a multi-colored treat I was reviewing - well over 24 hours after consumption - it came up undigested and full of dye that it promptly deposited on my carpet. UGH!

I think most of the pet food you buy at a grocery store has some type of red dye. Since the cats caanot see color I think the manufacturer's do it as a marketing ploy for the pet owners. Plus as Pat stated above it does stain carpeting i the cats vomit it back up.

Like garlic, that's one thing that should be removed from cat food.

All dyes, in time, can affect liver and kidney function to some degree.
Now while I'm not sure the length of time, nor the amount of exposure as far as cats go, I do know that most pet bird species can be killed by dyes in as little as three years.

It can't really be all that great for cats either, they aren't really a large animal.

hey thanks guys, just curious about it, everyone was very helpful...

excerpt from Dr. Pitcairn's book-

"in the mid 1970's Red #1 and Red #3 were banned from both pet foods and human foods. Included in this ban was Red #2 (which appeared to increase cancer and birth defects) and Violet No 1 (a suspected carcinogen that can also cause skin lesions. Although concerned citizens have tried to get the FDA to ban the inclusion of all dyes in pet foods, the use continues unabated."

The dyes are added for one reason, to appeal to YOU and make you want to buy the colorful food. True pet food is slate grey not an attractive color for anyone to buy.

geez thats terrible! i cant believe they sell it! if its that bad for people so its not used but to still give it to animals??

Originally Posted by semiferal

I don't think it's harmful, just artificial. Besides the fact that foods with artificial colors have pretty lousy ingredients as well, I personally would prefer not to deal with technicolor hairballs on my carpet! The regular ones are enough of a pain for me.

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