Which cat food has better ingredients?

[missmimz]

 
No, there's no confusion about what By-Products are in the USA market.  Our concern is WHICH By-Products are included as ingredients in pet food sold in the U.S.A.

Look if you want to believe that what's actually in "by products" is just organs or parts of animals that humans wont eat, that's your choice, but there is plenty of evidence out there that by products added to pet foods manufactured in the US contain more than that, and often contain ingredients that likely aren't safe or good for our animals. There's a reason you only see by-products in low end cheap pet foods, because companies are looking to cut corners. "not for human consumption" doesn't mean it's mean parts humans can't or wont eat, it means they aren't safe for human consumption. 

 

[catmom marcia]

As I understand it, meat "by-products" are all the things we would not want to eat like the beaks, the toes and such.  Meat by-product meal is this stuff dried and pulverized into flour type mixure. Not sure just how accurate all this is but I was told this by someone that used to work in a processing plant.

 

[missmimz]

Here's some good info. Susan has been working in pet food reform for many years. 

http://truthaboutpetfood.com/fda-admits-some-pet-food-sourced-from-diseased-animals/

"Until the day arrives that pet food consumers sue the FDA forcing them to enforce law (and we will!), be aware that any pet food – regardless of price – containing one of the following ingredients could contain diseased animal material, non-slaughtered dead animal material, euthanized animal material, and/or decomposing animal material (all of these pet food ingredients DO NOT have the requirement to being sourced from a slaughtered animal)…

Chicken by products, Chicken by-product meal, Turkey by-products, Turkey by-product meal, Meat Meal, Beef Meal, Lamb Meal, Venison Meal, Meat and Bone Meal, Animal Fat and Animal Digest."

"Any poultry meal (chicken/turkey/duck) is required through legal definition to be sourced from a slaughtered animal. That can come with risks too, but at least it is not allowed to be sourced from dead/non-slaughtered animals. Poultry by-products and by-product meal do not have the requirement to be sourced from a slaughtered animal – so by-products can be sourced from diseased animals."

 

[karen dsupin]

Wow,

That whole by-product conversation was a head spinner.  I took them off the Sheba and put them on Nutro perfect portions chicken and turkey.  They love it, and lick the bowl clean.  I'm staying with this one, I've done so much research on cat food that I know more about it than people food.

Chicken, Chicken  Liver, Chicken  Broth, Pork Broth, Natural Flavors, Guar Gum, Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Copper Sulfate), Sodium Phosphate, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Thiamine Mononitrate ...

These are the ingredients for Nutro perfect portions chicken pate.  Much better than Sheba.  I'm just thankful that my fussy eaters love this food, they are only on grain free, by-product free food.