Not long ago, a popular soft drink was re-introduced with the
label “all-natural”. We found this odd in that
there is nothing natural about soda pop. The second ingredient
of this beverage is high-fructose corn syrup. Have you ever
seen a high-fructose corn syrup farm or orchard? Of course
there is no such thing, contrary to what this label may lead
you to believe. The commercials for this product say otherwise:
images of soda cans picked from trees like fruit tell consumers
that this soda is different; this soda is what nature intended
for you to drink. Ironically, this particular soda has no fruit
juice, nor does it contain anything that is not manmade or
processed in some way.
So what does the term “natural” truly
mean when it comes to labeling products for you and your companion
animals?
To answer this question, we visited the website of the Natural
Ingredient Resource Center (NIRC), an organization whose purpose
is to inform consumers and manufacturers about natural ingredients.
Here we found that the official USDA definition of “natural” only
applies to meat and poultry: "those products carrying
the “natural” claim must not contain any artificial
flavoring, color ingredients, chemical preservatives, or artificial
or synthetic ingredients, and are only “minimally processed.” Not
a bad start, but this definition leaves a lot more wiggle room
than terms such as “certified organic” which is
strictly regulated. In other industries, such as cosmetics,
textiles, pharmaceuticals, and of course pet products, there
is no official regulatory body to uphold a definition as it
applies to labels. This leaves it to the discretion of the
manufacturer, who is – let’s face it – most
likely looking out for themselves.
As it pertains to pet food,
the use of the term natural has become the latest and greatest
marketing tool, but it is not
yet fully backed by consistent federal guidelines. AAFCO (Association
of American Feed Control Officials) is a governing body that
publishes definitions for terms such as ‘natural’ in
pet food, pet
treats, and other pet products. However, each
individual state is not required to follow the AAFCO definition
and is
in charge
of
writing
and enforcing their own definitions and laws. So, for example,
what’s considered ‘natural’ in Kansas may
be different than what Vermont considers ‘natural’.
In addition, the AAFCO recommended definition of the term “natural” loose
enough to do little to defend consumers against synthetic ingredients.
The official AAFCO definition of the term “natural” reads
as follows: “A feed or ingredient derived solely from
plant, animal or mined sources, either in its unprocessed state
or having been subject to physical processing, heat processing,
rendering, purification, extraction, hydrolysis, enzymolysis
or fermentation, but not having been produced by or subjected
to a chemically synthetic process and not containing any additives
or processing aids that are chemically synthetic except in
amounts as might occur unavoidably in good manufacturing practices.” Whew!
That’s a mouthful. There are loopholes the size of Texas
in this definition. For example, the “good manufacturing
practices” are not defined. Also, there are provisions
in the AAFCO definition that allow for use of the term “natural” as
long as the packaging also includes a disclaimer – such
as with cases where synthetic vitamins are added to a given
product.
So what is one to do if they want to stick
to truly natural dog food and other natural pet products?
In the case of choosing the most “natural” and
the healthiest pet food and treats for your companion animals,
you are your pets’ biggest advocate. Read the ingredient
list and look for the right kinds of ingredients; healthy simple
things that you can pronounce. Keep an eye out for those disclaimers
that open the door to synthetic additives like butylated hydroxyanisole
(BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, propylene
glycol (also used as a less-toxic version of automotive antifreeze),
and ethoxyquin. Compare labels. And ask questions. Those phone
numbers on packaging are there for a reason! If an ingredient
on the back of a “natural” product makes your eyebrows
crinkle, or if you are concerned about any particular ingredient,
try asking the manufacturer what it is, or try visiting the
Natural Ingredient Resource Center website (www.naturalingredient.org ).
We’ve found them to be a very helpful resource and
they will answer email queries promptly.
As long as the definition
of “natural” is up to
the company trying to sell you a product, it’s up to
you to decide if that product measures up to your own standards.
.
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Copyright ® 2006
Sojourner Farms. All rights reserved.
