Back

ADDITIVES IN PET FOODS

First broadcast on www.provet.co.uk .


This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only.

You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Many consumers are concerned about the amount of additives that are included in foodstuffs. Pet foods are no exception ....but is there a reason to be concerned ?

Additives are added to pet foods during their manufacture for 4 main reasons :

  • To prevent deterioration after processing -eg  antioxidants, antimicrobial agents
  • To enhance the appearance of the food - eg emulsifiers (surface-active agents) , colours
  • To improve acceptance of the food (palatability) - eg flavours, acidifiers
  • To create a marketing position for the product - eg flavours

Some additives also have a nutritional value - eg salt, sucrose - others do not.

Most additives used in the production of pet foods are also used in human nutrition and have been approved by regulatory authorities as being safe. So, there is little reason to be concerned about their use. 

Whether all the additives in pet foods are essential, or even desirable is debatable ...for example should artificial "chicken flavouring"  be added so that a product can be sold as "chicken flavour" ? Consumers buy "flavoured" foods, so one can only assume that this practice does satisfy a market-driven need.

Some additives are essential. Without antioxidants the fat in pet food (which is an essential nutrient) would go rancid quite quickly, especially during periods of hot weather. This would not only reduce the shelf-life of the product, but it would also pose a serious health risk to pets. Without antimicrobials in some foods, bacterial or mold spoilage might occur - again presenting a health risk to pets.

One final point - additives cost the manufacturers money, and some are actually quite expensive compared to the overall cost of producing the food, so companies are not going to include an additive in a formulation unless they believe it is necessary and /or justifiable for the consumer.

 

Updated October 2013