12th Dec, 2009

Ethoxyquin in pet and human foods

Ethoxyquin has been banned for use in human foods. It’s used as a preservative and PESTICIDE.

—–Quote:
Ethoxyquin is a chemical preservative – and possible carcinogenic – regulated by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) as a pesticide. While ethoxyquin cannot be used in human foods, it continues to be used in many pet food brands. Ethoxyquin has been found to promote kidney carcinogenesis and significantly increase the incidence of stomach tumors and enhanced bladder carcinogesis, according to several studies.—– (Quotes credited to DanaRVT who does Canine Nutrition Consultations)

By law, unless a pet food manufacturer directly adds it to their foods, they are not required to list it on their ingredients, even if they KNOW that a supplier is using it in the raw materials they get. TOTW doesn’t add ethoxyquin to their foods, but the fish meal they get in to mix up their batches has it added. Since everytime they were asked in the past their answer was NO… I am really stunned and disappointed.

Natural Balance uses E. on any fish meal.

Also of interest, suppliers are NOT required to use ethoxyquin – regulations state that the fish meal must be preserved with an antioxidant, but doesn’t specify which, although they recommend E.
—–Quote:
he websites mentions the Code of Federal Regulations, and if you read the actual code carefully, it simply implies that fishmeal/fish scrap on a shipping vessel entering US waters/ports needs to be heavily preserved with an antioxidant, the recommendation being ethoxyquin.—–

List of Ethoxyquin free foods:

ANY Natura product (Innova, Evo, California Naturals)
Blue Buffalo
By Nature
Flint River Ranch
Fromm
Merrick
Petcurean
Timberwolf
Wellness
Orijen
Acana
Nature’s Variety
Life’s Abundance
Halo
Horizon
Pinnacle
Canine Caviar
Eagle Pack

For more details see the original post

Posted by: Sharajj

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Responses

Good Morning Everyone,
I am new to this forum. I am confident that I can learn from the group and offer to the group.

To respond to the Ethox post, I believe that all fishmeals must contain Ethox.
I have been telling folks for years that if a manufacturer doesn’t add it at his/her establishment, then he/she does not have to declare it.
That is very scary.

By: norm on December 13th, 2009
at 6:39 am

Thank you, Norm, for joining and contributing. I am sure we will all have a great deal to learn from you!- Nikki

By: msnikkilove on December 13th, 2009
at 12:51 pm

There is some info below about pet food companies getting cautioned by one of their consultants to start testing ingredients for ethoxyquin. He said that consumer groups are doing their own testing and could catch any discrepancies. Also, the regulations do go by maximum allowable amounts for claims, not just who adds things where.

http://wp.me/pIiys-19

By: Fred on December 14th, 2009
at 7:26 am

Here is the actual federal code. Seems to be under Coast Guard regs so perhaps farmed or inland processed fish would not have to comply. But since it does mention ethoxyquin specifically and the ppm levels mandated, I think we can assume that anti-oxidant is the only one recognized as effective currently by the federal government for this purpose.

http://frwebgate6.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/TEXTgate.cgi?WAISdocID=834647237606+10+1+0&WAISaction=retrieve

There is more here.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/yb5epdd

And it least it looks like independent consumer testing may spur more testing of ingredients by pet food companies. From the quote by the consultant there, many ingredients should be tested, not just the fish meals.

I’d like to avoid the long-term use of synthetic preservatives as a personal preference, so the labels and advertising need to accurate. Thanks for reporting on the issue here!

By: TerrierLover on December 14th, 2009
at 4:13 pm

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