Why pet food brands can get away with lying about what you're feeding your cats and dogs
By Maddison Leach|
Pet owners of Australia, beware: your favourite pet food brand could be lying to you about everything from its labelling, to ingredients, and manufacturing practices.
With no single national regulatory body for pet food in Australia, pet food manufacturers can make claims on their packaging and in marketing without having to back it up.
"We are seeing a significant issue around labelling and product safety for pet-food and food-based treats for pets," the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA) Executive Officer, Carolyn Macgill tells 9Honey.
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Australia currently has a voluntary standard managed by the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA), but it can only do so much to stop misleading marketing.
That means the bag of dog kibble marked 'Perfect for a balanced diet' in your cupboard could be lying to you.
To be clear, many pet food brands selling products in Australia can and do back up their claims with scientific evidence and thorough research. Many, but not all.
"You can't always necessarily believe the marketing hype that is on the packet," Debbie Delahunty, veterinarian from Fur Life Vet Horsham, warns 9Honey.?
"There's no regulation ensuring that what that marketing hype says matches up with what the food actually does."
Cats and dogs need very specific amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrate and essential vitamins and minerals to stay healthy, but many pet foods don't meet all those needs จC regardless of what the packet says.
In the early years of her career, Delahunty saw many animals suffering from malnutrition,? abnormal bone development and weak bones because they weren't being fed the right diet.
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These days, it's the opposite and the biggest health concern for pets being fed the wrong diet is obesity, and the many medical issues it can cause.
"They become more prone to other diseases and health issues; osteoarthritis, diabetes and things like thatกญ so overnutrition can be just as bad as undernutrition," she says.
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But without a national regulatory body for pet food in Australia, it can feel impossible for pet owners to know which brands will actually meet their animals needs and which are peddling false claims.
Some owners have started prioritising pet foods which claim to be 'human grade', thinking it is the best option for their animals จC but Delahunty has her doubts.
"The implication is there that it must be better than foods that don't make that claim," she explains.
"I'm assuming what they mean by human grade is that a human could eat it without risking getting sick or unwell, but that doesn't necessarily mean that that food has the right balance and nutrients."
Some pet owners take things a step further, feeding their animals homemade meals instead of prepared pet food, but that can cause problems too.
"It's more complex than people might expect. Dogs and cats aren't humans, so what is a balanced diet for us isn't necessarily true for them," she warns.
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One of the most common homemade meals people feed their pets is rice and chicken, but Delahunty insists that alone isn't a "balanced diet".
After all, dogs and cats have very different nutritional needs compared to their human owners, so feeding them a diet based on human nutrition isn't always healthy.
So what can Aussie pet owners do to ensure their animals are actually getting the right food to keep them happy and healthy??
Until there's more regulation of pet food, owners should look to their vets and PFIAA for advice on what to feed their pets.
The best diet for your pet depends on the animal, their breed, size, age and specific health needs, so it's best to get the advice of an expert when it comes to what to feed them.
Though most Aussies turn to Google first when they need answers, Delahunty warns there's plenty of misinformation online ready to trip you up.
With the rise of social media and 'pet influencers' online, it can be hard to filter legitimate advice from myths and scare tactics.
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"If you're going to take the advice of someone, do a bit of research into what qualifications they claim to have if they're self-professed experts," she says, especially on platforms like TikTok where misinformation is rife.
That's especially true of 'experts' who push advice that goes against mainstream research, especially if they're selling a product of their own at the same time.
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"Australians should be able to buy food for their pets knowing that there are robust mandatory systems in place," says MacGill.
"By having a standardised approach it will allow for more transparency and accountability for the industry around pet food labelling, ingredients, and manufacturing practices," she adds.
Delahunty agrees that introducing more regulations around pet food marketing and labelling will make it easier for owners to ensure their pets are getting the nutrition they need.
"Particularly in the marketing and labelling, it would be really good to have some clarity on what claims are allowed to be made and how they're going to be enforced and regulated," she says.
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