Natural or Organic-Which is Best for Your Pet?
Natural or organic-which is best for your pet? As much as one would think these terms are interchangeable or that both mean the product is of higher quality, think again. These terms mean different things that make a world of difference when choosing products for your pet.
The term "organic" is a term that is legally defined with strict USDA restrictions as to what classifies a food as "organic." These restrictions dictate how a product's ingredients are produced and processed. According to the USDA, certified organic foods meet standards that forbid the use of antibiotics, pesticides, hormones, preservatives, artificial ingredients or genetically modified ingredients. When you see a pet food labeled organic it means that each ingredient in the food meets these standards.
The term "natural" is not defined and regulated. The purity of food labeled "natural" is really up to the company producing it. Natural foods do tend to be free of other undesirable ingredients such as hair, blood, waste and "meal" that are rendered from carcasses of livestock animals. All of these ingredients have been deemed acceptable by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials), which regulates the pet food industry. The problem with AAFCO is that they don't closely monitor pet food producers. In fact, what's the incentive? The AAFCO list of acceptable of ingredients includes dehydrated garbage, polyethylene roughage replacement (a fancy term for plastic), hydrolyzed chicken feathers. (Yikes!)
What does a pet parent look for then when choosing food for their dog or cat? Look for the purest ingredients possible, often labeld "human grade", meaning that it would be perfectly fine for you or I to consume. Secondly, look carefully at the label for red flag terms such as "byproducts" or "byproduct meal". The first ingredient in your pet's food should be meat-chicken, beef, turkey or lamb. Also, check that the nutritional content has been validated by feeding trials to assure that nutrition levels are adequate for your pet. But the best thing to do when feeding your pet is to supplement her food with fresh cooked vegetables, grains and/or meats that you've purchased in your weekly grocery trip. Doing this ensures better nutrition for your pet as well as the variety that he desires.
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