.jpg)
All Pages
Pet Food Article Categories
EPA Document Proves Euthanized Dogs and Cats are Rendered
- 8-24-2010
- Categorized in: Pet Food Ingredients
One more confirmation to the horror many of us have suspected for years; an EPA document clearly states Rendering Facilities "obtain animal by-product materials" from "animal shelters." Along with another EPA report, the evidence is mounting; current pet food regulations must be changed.
No pet lover in their right mind would ever wish to feed their dog or cat ground up dog and cat. But that is exactly what is happening. Deep within the EPA document 'Emissions Factors and Policy Applications Center, Chapter 9: Food and Agricultural Industries, Section 9.5 Introduction to Animal & Meat Products Preparation' is the section 9.5.3 Meat Rendering Plants. The truth is crystal clear.
"Meat rendering plants process animal by-product materials for the production of tallow, grease, and high-protein meat and bone meal. Plants that operate in conjunction with animal slaughterhouses or poultry processing plants are called integrated rendering plants. Plants that collect their raw materials from a variety of offsite sources are called independent rendering plants. Independent plants obtain animal by-product materials, including grease, blood, feathers, offal, and entire animal carcasses, from the following sources: butcher shops, supermarkets, restaurants, fast-food chains, poultry processors, slaughterhouses, farms, ranches, feedlots, and animal shelters."
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch09/final/c9s05-3.pdf
Since the first public awareness of rendered (cooked) euthanized dogs and cats, the Pet Food Industry has claimed this type of rendered material is not used in pet foods. However, to present day, there is no evidence or regulation to support their claim.
This is simply the most inexcusable horror. If no pet food or pet treat contained ingredients sourced from rendered dogs and cats, pet food regulations would clearly state such ingredients are forbidden. They do not.
In fact, existing pet food ingredient definitions and pet food regulations do NOT allow for pet foods to clearly separate themselves (those using human grade meat from those using rendered euthanized animals). There is no regulatory means for a pet food that does not use ingredients sourced from rendered dogs and cats from pet foods that do use ingredients sourced from rendered dogs and cats.
Why? The only answer could be is those that do use ingredients sourced from rendered dogs and cats don't want us to know who they are.
Regardless of quality of ingredients (regardless if ingredients are sourced from rendered dogs and cats), existing regulations state the pet food labels must all look the same. Same 'Premium' or 'Healthy' claim, same 'AAFCO Nutritionally Balanced'. Again, regardless if the pet food includes meat from the same quality of meat you purchase at the grocery or if the pet food includes meat from rendered dogs and cats, according to existing regulations the pet food label and advertising must all look and appear to be the same. Ridiculous.
The only way pet owners can possibly avoid using pet foods that include ingredients sourced from rendered dogs and cats is to read ingredients. According to FDA testing, "there appear to be associations between rendered or hydrolyzed ingredients and the presence of pentobarbital in dog food." (Pentobarbital is the drug used to euthanize dogs and cats.) The FDA found the common pet food ingredients Animal Fat, Meat and Bone meal, Beef and Bone meal, and Animal Digest "could include euthanized animals." http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/CVM/CVMFOIAElectronicReadingRoom/ucm129134.htm
Because existing pet food regulations and existing pet food ingredient definitions do not allow for grade or quality statements of ingredients, because there is a slew of evidence that clearly shows euthanized dogs and cats are rendered present day, conscientious pet owners must avoid any pet food and treat that contain the ingredients Animal Fat, Meat and Bone meal, Beef and Bone meal, and Animal Digest. Until pet food regulations provide conscientious pet owners with a classification of 'human grade ingredients', we have no option but to assume any dog food, cat food, or pet treat that contains Animal Fat, Meat and Bone meal, Beef and Bone meal, and/or Animal Digest does indeed include rendered dogs and cats.
Pet owners MUST be provided with clear and documented evidence to grade or quality of ingredients.
In the EPA document "Development Document for the Proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Industry Point Source Category (40 CFR 432)"...
Page 155
"Regulations promulgated under the authority of Poultry Products Inspection Act are more specific and require that all carcasses, organs, or other parts of carcasses be condemned, if it is determined on the basis of a sound statistical sample that they are adulterated because of the presence of any biological residue (9 CFR 381.80). Biological residue is defined as any substance, including metabolites, remaining in poultry at the time of slaughter or in any of its tissues after slaughter, as the result of treatment or exposure of the live poultry to a pesticide, organic compound, metallic or inorganic compound, hormone, hormone-like substance, growth promoter, antibiotic, anthelmintic, tranquilizer, or other agent that leaves a residue (9 CFR 381.1)."
Condemned animal carcasses are currently allowed (by FDA compliance policy) to be rendered into pet food and pet treats. They become the pet food ingredients by-product meal, poultry by-product meal, chicken by-product meal, beef by-product meal, meat and bone meal, beef and bone meal, animal fat, and/or animal digest.
Page 184
"When the solids are disposed of by rendering, the use of organic polymers is preferred to avoid high aluminum or iron concentrations in the rendered product produced."
As with some pet food manufacturers, not all renderers process horrendous ingredients into pet food ingredients...
Page 221
"EPA also observed during site visits that some independent renderers reject raw materials that have (1) a pH below 4 SU (with 3 SU being a general cut-off), (2) ferric chloride due to its corrosive nature, and (3) other contamination (e.g., pesticides)."
But...thanks to existing AAFCO regulations (American Association of Feed Control Officials is responsible for all pet food ingredient definitions and for the lack of pet food ingredient grade classification), pet owners are not provided with information of which pet foods use by-products that include contaminants or which pet foods use by-products that are human grade quality internal organs (considered by-product by definition).
So, fine. AAFCO and FDA, you leave us no option. Because you clearly consider the profits of big business to be of more importance than the health of our pets, we have no option but to avoid all pet foods and treats that include any by-product, animal fat, meat and bone meal, beef and bone meal, and animal digest ingredient. Because AAFCO regulations do not provide a clear definition of human grade ingredients, because FDA doesn't enforce existing Federal laws that should prevent anything less than human grade ingredients into pet food, both organizations further the great divide between pet owners and trust of pet food.
Read the ingredients of every food, treat, or chew you provide your pet. Unless you wish to feed your dog or cat a rendered dog or cat, or unless you wish to feed your pet numerous chemical residue contaminants, avoid pet foods, treats, and chews that contain any of the following ingredients...
Animal Fat
By-Products (any variation)
Meat and Bone meal (not meat specific meal such as chicken meal, turkey meal, lamb meal)
Beef and Bone meal
Animal Digest
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best, Susan Thixton
Truth about Pet Food
Petsumer Report
www.TruthaboutPetFood.com
Are you subscribed to Truth About Pet Food Newsletter? Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area
Receive future pet food articles and alerts delivered to your email box. Click Here to subscribe. Your privacy is guaranteed - your email address will not be sold or shared.
What's in Your Pet's Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients? Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the 'rest of the story' on over 1900 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. For each review you'll discover if ingredients are U.S. only or imported, human quality meat or pet grade meat, shelf life, red flag or risk ingredients, and recall history. New reviews added monthly. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. www.PetsumerReport.com
Follow Truth about Pet Food on Twitter. To follow TAPF on Twitter...Under People Search, look for Susan Thixton or TAPF (Truth about Pet Food was too long for Twitter). Instant pet food updates should an emergency occur. www.Twitter.com/TAPF
Become a Fan of Truth and Vindication on Facebook. TruthaboutPetFood Fan click here. Vindication Fan click here.
Click Here
Email to Friend
Fill in the form below to send this article to a friend:
I'm not sure why anyone in their right mind would allow or support by purchasing the product any substance whereby rendered dogs and cats were added. What does it take for people to get the point that Susan has been trying to make for what, the last decade. Every purchase you make of commercial, corporate owned "animal" food is an ingredient hazard to your pet. About the only "testing" any of these companies do is to make sure it won't kill your pet outright leaving any trail of evidence. And if you think your own special selection of "boutique brand" of pet food is any different then you'd better seek some proof to back it up. Or you continue to live in a perpetual state of DENIAL. Time for the manufacturers to document their practices or be put out of business either through the government (yes the people YOU vote into office) or through lack of sales (yes your dollar also VOTES).
End of story.
So the question is what does inedible rendering mean? It is the rendered material used for feed which pet food falls under. It's actually called inedible, then put in the pet food chain as meat and bone meal. Sad.
There has been some concern about this post on a forum that I visit. Namely, the EPA article is from 1995 and there are claims that it is now disproven. Have there been any changes of record since the original EPA finding? The article regarding phenobarbital detection also states that they were unable to find traces of either dog or cat in the samples they tested. Their conclusion was that the phenobarb came from cows or horses. Believe me, I am not a fan of pet food manufacturers. I would just like to know exactly what is and isn't allowable in 2010. Thanks for bringing this matter to the forefront. It needs to be discussed and clarified.
I would love nothing more than finding proof dogs and cats are no longer rendered, but to my knowledge there is no such proof. For starters, cows are rarely if ever euthanized by means of pentobarbital. Farmers cannot afford for a veterinarian to come out and chemically euthanize. After the original FDA report Risk of Pentobarbital in Dog Food, FDA follow up testing did not find a DNA source of the letal drug. They - FDA/CVM - made the statement that since no dog or cat DNA was discovered, no dog and cats are rendered. But...the FDA/CVM never made a clinical connection between pentobarbital in dog food and a species source of the drug.
A pet owner in Australia has pushed her government to find such clinical evidence. The last I heard was that Australia did indeed finally have a testing method to determine all animal DNA sources in highly processed pet foods (including rendered ingredients with very damaged DNA). No results have been published, but we are expecting this information (hopefully) soon.
Pentobarbital is used to euthanize horses. However, compare the numbers of euthanized horses to euthanized dogs and cats. Los Angeles County reported recently that over one million animals (dogs and cats) are euthanized annually. Unless an animal shelter has a crematory and the funding to operate it, the euthanized animals have to go somewhere. Most states do not allow any euthanized animal to be buried in landfills. Where do those bodies go?
I did a radio interview several years ago in Eugene Oregon. In speaking with the host days before the interview, this topic came up. He didn't believe it; he didn't believe that any shelter could/would send euthanized dogs and cats to be rendered. What I didn't know is that between our initial conversation and our on air interview, he called the local Animal Shelter and discovered the animals were indeed taken by a local renderer - at tax payer expense. It cost the county $18,000 a year to simply dispose of the bodies of euthanized dogs and cats. The shelter gave him the name of the renderer (which is rarely done), a phone call to the renderer gave him no information - they would not speak with him.
So, long story short. I really hope this doesn't happen, but my gut and far too much evidence tells me it does. If there is proof that euthanized dogs and cats are not rendered - where is it? It doesn't matter how old the EPA report is, there still remains no evidence (to my knowledge) that dogs and cats are not rendered.
here's one more document - 2004 Report to Congress on the Rendering Industry.
Under the title Industry Overview, the first paragraph states "Renderers annually convert 47 billion pounds or more of raw animal materials into approximately 18 billion pounds of products. Sources for these materials include meat slaughtering and processing plants (the primary one); dead animals from farms, ranches, feedlots, marketing barns, animal shelters, and other facilities; and fats, grease, and other food waste from restaurants and stores.
http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/RS21771.pdf
Thanks so much! That helps to put things in focus!
Many animal shelters pay for a service to pick up deceased animals because they do not have or cannot afford crematory servcies. The services available deliver to independant rendering plants. Since this first was published in the 90's many services have stopped picking up from shelters or vets because the report showed that euthanasia solution survives the rendering process. However, they still use deceased animals in rendering they just try not to get any that have been chemically euthanized.
As long as there are laws on the books that allow such things it will happen somewhere in someone's dog food. I still worry about how cleverly they can hide the things we don't want in our pet's food, and even still if they really even list them all. So my statement to FDA, the EPA and all dog food manufacturers (both good and bad).........since the last four years I have been feeding a fresh food diet to my dogs. My dogs save lives for a living, and I refuse to feed kibble until the playing field is fair for consumers, and benefits the good manufacturers as it now does the bad ones. I want to know what I am feeding my dog, and kibble dog food is too much of a mystery right now. Every time I read a kibble dog food label it is like reading a Mystery novel, you never know what you’re going to get in the end. The more dog owners that stop feeding kibble, the more they will listen. I changed my lifestyle to be able to afford to feed all my dogs a fresh food diet, and I do not regret the decision. In fact at this point, I could not imagine feeding my dog kibble.
Kim Willis, Master K9 Trainer
Retired VB Master Police Officer/Detective
City of Chesapeake Community Emergency Response Team, K9 Operations
Leader/Trainer, Operational K9 Teams, Animals in Disaster Coordinator
State Certified Professional Ground Searcher
Man Tracker Level I
North American Police Work Dog Association, Associate Member, and Associate
Member East Coast SAR Liaison
Chesapeake Community Animal Response Team "CART" (co-founder), Supported by Virginia State Animal Response Team "SART"
www.kustomk9training.com
kustomk9training@cox.net
During my phone conversation with the acting chair of AAFCO’s pet food committee, the practice of utilizing euthanized pets as an ingredient in pet foods came up. For years, savvy animal lovers have suspected that euthanized pets from veterinary offices and shelters were ending up in pet food. Ms. Crenshaw admitted that there is an “abundance of protein that comes from animals that are put down at shelters and they are often picked up by renderers. Most pet food companies, however, sign agreements that they will not take rendered product that contains euthanized animals.”
The ethical problem lies, however, in the term “most.” If all pet food companies don’t sign contracts like that, how is a consumer to know if the food they are feeding to their pets contains euthanized dogs and cats? Again, AAFCO would consider a reference to this a “claim” that we will probably never see on a bag of dog food, thereby protecting manufacturers who choose to use this ingredient. “It would be a difficult thing to prove in order to make that claim,” Ms. Crenshaw pointed out. Kurt Gallagher of the Pet Food Institute (a national lobbying firm that represents the majority of pet food manufacturers in the U.S.) explained that, “As a condition of membership, no Pet Food Institute member may utilize any material in their products that is derived from cats and dogs.” Consumers can find a list of PFI member companies at www.petfoodinstitute.org
http://www.read.theamericandogmag.com/nutrition/nu...
...and those who don't take euthanized pets still use pets. For meat. In pet food. It's rendered meat so it's very unlikely that diseases from dogs or cats can survive the process. Most do this and it's unlikely to be a problem. Not good enough. No meat meal for mine.
I stopped at my local Humane Society not realizing that they were closed,So I went around back to look at the dogs that are housed outside....there was the dumpster.I looked inside-and saw big black garbage bags,I could see the outline of some large dogs inside the bags.It was very hot out-summertime-If these dogs and cats were rendered,they had to be rotted and covered in maggots...I can't imagine how this could be made into anything edible.If they were rendered-THEIR SHOULD BE A LAW AGAINST IT!!!!
There actually is a law - a Federal Law - that says ingredients like this is not allowed into any food. The laws are the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. However the FDA has chosen to NOT enforce these laws with pet food. They don't have that authority, but no one seems to care (except pet owners). The FDA has a 'compliance policy' that states "pet foods consisting of diseased animals or animals which have died other than by slaughter will not be actionable". Almost 500 pet owners have signed a Citizen Petition sent to FDA requesting them to abide by existing Federal law; they have received the petition however we have received no comment or response yet. It might take years.
You can read the laws and the Citizen Petition here: http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/citizen-petition-to-the-fda.html
Rendering actually does make rotten meat into digestible protein. That's why they do it.
FDA doesn't regulate pet food.
AAFCO is a voluntary oversight board made up of pet food "experts" (read employees of pet food companies) set up so FDA would not have any need to regulate pet food.
Feeding rendered pigs and cows to pigs and cows is implicated in the spread of disease (Scrapie and Mad Cow).
Again, drugs survive the rendering process including euthanasia solution.
Is there scientific research proving that rendered cat and dog is unsuitable for consumption or is this more of a taboo kinda thing? Anyone or anything consuming cats or dogs sounds uber scary to me cause I love my own cats and dogs but that's just my bias. When you zoom out, meat is meat... unless there is something inedible about cat and dog meat that Im not aware of. Under this logic shouldn't we be equally as disgusted that pets are fed cow, pigs and chickens?
Oops, forgot to answer your last question, "Under this logic shouldn't we be equally as disgusted that pets are fed cow, pigs and chickens?"
The thing is, THAT'S what those crooks have illustrated on their deceitful packaging and advertisements to get us to buy it -- when it's actually just a bag full of corn, utter waste/fillers and ... see links above.
Here's what the AAFCO President, himself, had to say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4nZKP-h-Bk
Here's proof -- literally ("Graphic" warning; undercover video from "beginning to end"): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9DTzDfYMxo
Anne Martin, Author of "Food Pets Die For" spent many years undercover investigating.
You must sign up (if you're not already) for Youtube just to view it, as the graphic nature got it flagged so many times. http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http%3A...
Oh so plenty more proof out there.
Jason, if defrauded pet owners were remotely aware of all this, could you imagine their anger -- especially after having had all those charming, heartwarming commercials and ads shoved down their throats all these years?
Being totally deceived and defrauded all these years -- by companies they've grown up trusting -- wouldn't even hold a candle to the utterly "unthinkable and unimaginable" reality setting in.
Trusting, vurnerable (as pets can't speak) pet owners = The World's Biggest Ca$h Cow$.
And to think that my family was yet again updated just today on the latest on Tiger's Divorce on the evening (alleged) "News" which they still waste their time tuning in to!!
What great work Susan. Too bad it is horrible news. I first heard of this a couple months ago as I researched pet foods. It literally made me sick to my stomach when I read this article:
http://www.naturalnews.com/012647.html
Not only that my pets may have eaten their own kind but that humans have no morals to say no to such practices.
In today's society, we are taught to conform and not complain, mind your business and other ignorant acts. I never conformed or at least kept it to a minimal level. I am so glad to see others standing up with me.
We will never hear about this from the mainstream morons that report disasters and death with joy but ignore this holocaust that takes place daily and FOR PROFIT. Now I totally realize why the local bitch at the Inhumane Society is so quick to kill every thing in her path. This enrages me.
We must spread the news far and wide. This MUST end. Sadly the low life's in government and corporate greed will find another way around it.
Also explains why governments don't push to spay and neuter. Sick humans.......
When my cat jeffery dies what can we do for him?
Also my stomach churned when i saw what tallow was on you tube i typed in "What happens to euthanized pets" in return i got sick and have nightmares im lucky i slept good last night.now i don't use white products even shampoo!
http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/CVM/CVM...
you failed to mention this, in which the FDA tested cat and dog DNA and did not find it in any sourced rendered materials used for pet food.
http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/CVM/CVM...
you failed to mention this, in which the FDA tested cat and dog DNA and did not find it in any sourced rendered materials used for pet food.
Hey I have turned to high quality organic dog foods for this very reason . . I feed my dogs ZiwiPeak along with some other high quality organic foods . .
How do I get the people I love around me, namely my family members, who don't believe this, to really see what gets rendered into "meal" and such? I am telling my family and no one believes me, who would believe such rubbish right?
Is there any way to make people see what's going on in the commerical pet food industry? People keep saying "the internet is full of lies" which is usually true, what can a man like me do its frustrating!!!!!!
Thank you so much for putting this information out there in such a coherent, no-nonsense and lucid account of the facts that is immediately officially documentable. Well done.