Organic Pet Food

The organic pet food segment is small potatoes compared to the whole of the pet food industry, representing slightly less than 10% of a $15 billion market in the US. However, this is likely to change in the next few years due largely to consumer demand for healthier pet food with natural, organic ingredients.

Fluffy and Fido aren’t the only pets or animals benefiting from this trend either. Since the late 1990s, more than a dozen new companies have emerged and even some of the familiar brands have joined the bandwagon to produce organic pet food, for pets and animals ranging from cats and dogs to rabbits, gerbils and even parakeets.

What is Organic Pet Food?

Many people merge organic pet food into the category of pet food made from all-natural ingredients and leave it at that. However, loopholes in regulations allow manufacturers to use the term ‘natural’ when in fact the product may contain some very unnatural ingredients, including dyes and preservatives. On the other hand, in order for a pet food to be labeled as organic it must adhere to very specific standards established by the National Organic Program of the US Department of Agriculture in 2002. In short, any manufacturer that wishes to obtain USDA Organic Certification must demonstrate that its product is formulated from ingredients derived from farms or facilities that employ organic methods that have also been accredited by the USDA.

How is Organic Pet Food Different from Ordinary Pet Food?

There are several things that distinguish organic pet food from the typical commercial variety of pet food, including:

• Commercial pet food commonly contains preservatives, such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), or ethoxyquin, all of which can have a negative impact on a pet’s health. Organic pet food is formulated with safer, natural preservatives, namely mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (a form of vitamin C).
• Common pet food usually contains inferior sources of protein composed of meat byproducts, which is actually the material leftover after the valuable meat has been stripped away for human consumption. Organic pet food is formulated from whole sources, such as deboned poultry, beef or fish. In addition, organic pet food utilizes meat obtained from grain-fed and range-free animals.
• Ordinary pet food often contains far too many grain fillers, which is not only inappropriate for adequate nutrition for cats and dogs, but is also very difficult to digest. A quality organic pet food, however, offers far less but better quality grain and more vegetables and herbs.

Understand Organic Labeling Standards

Organic pet food is available in varying degrees of being organic and you should be aware of the difference in labeling for each, which are as follows:

• A label reading ‘100% Organic’ means that only organically derived ingredients (excluding water and salt) are contained in the product and it was not produced using the excluded methods of sewage sludge or ionizing radiation.
• A pet food labeled simply as ‘Organic’ must contain at least 95% organic ingredients (excluding water or salt) and cannot be produced using the excluded methods of sewage sludge or ionizing radiation.
• Products labeled either ‘100% Organic’ or ‘Organic’ are eligible to carry the USDA organic certification seal.
• Pet food containing at least 70% but less than 95% organic ingredients are permitted to be a labeled as ‘made with organic ingredients.’ It cannot, however, bear the USDA organic certification seal.
• Pet food containing less than 70% organic ingredients may not use the term ‘organic’ anywhere in its brand or product name or elsewhere in prominent display on the label. The manufacturer is allowed, however, to name any organic ingredient used in the ingredient list of the formula.