Your Pet's Food

Isn't Food

And it’s why we’re supporting legislation in New York State that’s aiming to improve the pet food industry from the inside-out — starting by clarifying which products actually meet the legal standards of “food.”

It’s a Little Tough to Swallow...

but for nearly a century, most of the stuff we’ve been feeding our pets hasn't actually been food. We know dogs have different nutritional requirements than humans. But the ingredients that can be used in making pet food, and the way in which they’re processed, do not meet the legal definition of being “edible.” In other words, they don’t meet a fundamental safety standard for real food.

Just How Bad Is It?

While the picture on the bag suggests that what’s inside was made with a gorgeous roast chicken breast, the reality can instead be diseased chicken scraps, mixed with starchy fillers, and processed at temperatures known to produce carcinogens. And legally, this product can still be labeled “premium,” “natural,” and even “organic.”

Since our founding, we’ve held ourselves to a higher standard. But with the current industry regulations on pet food marketing, we know how difficult it can be for consumers to differentiate between products that are truly high-quality, and those just claiming to be. And we know that real, structural, industry-wide change can only happen at the regulatory level.

So Here’s What We’re Doing

We’re supporting New York State’s Pet Food Accountability Act, introduced by Assembly member Richard Gottfried to take a meaningful step toward helping consumers make a more informed choice about their pets’ food — just as they can for their own.

If passed, here’s what the bill will do:

Create a “Human Food Grade” standard

This will be a new category of products created for pets, but made with ingredients and manufacturing processes that meet the safety standards of human food.

Why?

Despite the name, most “pet food” products currently don’t meet the safety and quality standards required of “food.”

Create a “Human Food Grade” seal

Those products which meet the newly established standard will be eligible for a seal to display on their packaging, clearly verifying the product’s safety and quality to shoppers.

Why?

With so many meaningless labels and marketing buzzwords flying around, this will clearly show at a glance whether a product fully meets the criteria of being food.

Restrict the misrepresentation of products

The New York State Department of Agriculture will be given more power to hold companies that dishonestly represent their products accountable.

Why?

The glossy photos of beautiful ingredients that cover pet food packaging do not resemble those actually used. Packaging should honestly reflect what’s inside it.

We may have already been choosing to make dog food this way, but this isn’t about punishing those who’ve chosen to do differently, patting our own heads, or “fancifying” dog food. We just want to make it simpler for pet owners to know what it is that they’re really feeding — and for it to meet a basic standard of safety and quality.