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Organic Pet Foods: Dog Treats, Cat Food And Organic Products
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Published: April 23, 2007
The rise of the organic food industry was a response to the corporate, anything-goes reputation that large food manufacturers had acquired in recent decades. A large demographic of consumers believed that the intake of pesticide and hormone-enhanced food could be the cause of physical and mental health problems. Not to mention the ethical issue of eating animals that may have been genetically altered, simply as a means to improve efficiency and profits.
But very few people believe that the food they gave to their animals should be put to the same tests. That is, until the recent case of Menu Food Inc. broke and it was revealed that as many as 5,000 to 10,000 animals may have fallen ill due to their contaminated pet food products.
Organic pet foods are now due to break into the 15 billion dollar pet food industry as a result of the scandal. Many pet owners have come forth and stated that they think their animals deserve the same right to clean, healthy food as their owners—and organic pet foods are the best products to do so. Currently, organic pet foods account for less than 1% of the market, but that number is expected to rise dramatically over the next few months. Whether the recent scandal was a one-off event is irrelevant. Many consumers were awakened to the idea that the food their animals eat may be affecting their health.
The problem with organic pet foods is their cost. Organic pet foods, due to their stringent standards and regulations, simply cost more to produce. A bag of commercial dog food will generally cost about a half or a third the price of organic pet foods. Those who purchase organic pet foods say the higher quality food increases the health of their pets and reduces trips to the vet. But the scientific results concerning the benefits of organic pet foods aren't solid. Even though some owners—and businesses—say they have seen a drastic increase in the health of their pets after switching to organic pet foods, that doesn't mean it's a reality.
The experts say organic pet foods are healthier because they do not contain the by-products found in most commercial offerings. Commercial dog and cat food is often filled with ingredients like corn, corn meal, and ground corn, all of which are merely filler and make it difficult for the animals to digest. Organic pet foods offer animals sustenance without the inclusion of pesticides, fillers, and antibiotics. This cleaner food, say the experts, increases the well-being of household animals, much like organic foods are said to do for humans.
All these statistics and expert advice may pale in comparison to the news stories about owners seeing their beloved pets die as a result of contaminated food. If nothing else, organic pet food products offer consumers a way to react against the commercial manufacturers. Simply purchasing an organic brand of dog food or cat food can act as a way to send strong message to the industry leaders about their negligence and disregard for their products. New regulation and standards will surely be implemented after the media circus dies down—and rightfully so. Pet owners have just as much a right to be concerned over the food they give to their pets as they would to themselves or their children.
The range of organic pet treats and and organic pet foods will surely see a greater influence in the marketplace. But hopefully another lesson can be learned from this recent fiasco: pet food should be held to the same standard as the food humans eat. Organic pet foods and organic pet treats are hoping to provide consumers with a method of increasing the health of their animals. The real question is whether the public will buy into it.
Sources:
Horovitz, Bruce. "Organic Pet Food Gets Paws Up." USA TODAY. 13 April 2004. 23 April 2007.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industri es/food/2004-07-13-organic_x.htm.
Organic Pet Food May Benefit From Recall. Reuters.30 March 2007. MSNBC.com. 23 April 2007.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17741239/.
Pet Food Concerns Prompt Switch to Organic Food. NBC.com. 12 April 2007. 23 April 2007.
http://www.nbc4.com/goinggreen/11604789/detail.h tml.
Related Articles
Organic pet foods are now due to break into the 15 billion dollar pet food industry as a result of the scandal. Many pet owners have come forth and stated that they think their animals deserve the same right to clean, healthy food as their owners—and organic pet foods are the best products to do so. Currently, organic pet foods account for less than 1% of the market, but that number is expected to rise dramatically over the next few months. Whether the recent scandal was a one-off event is irrelevant. Many consumers were awakened to the idea that the food their animals eat may be affecting their health.
The problem with organic pet foods is their cost. Organic pet foods, due to their stringent standards and regulations, simply cost more to produce. A bag of commercial dog food will generally cost about a half or a third the price of organic pet foods. Those who purchase organic pet foods say the higher quality food increases the health of their pets and reduces trips to the vet. But the scientific results concerning the benefits of organic pet foods aren't solid. Even though some owners—and businesses—say they have seen a drastic increase in the health of their pets after switching to organic pet foods, that doesn't mean it's a reality.
The experts say organic pet foods are healthier because they do not contain the by-products found in most commercial offerings. Commercial dog and cat food is often filled with ingredients like corn, corn meal, and ground corn, all of which are merely filler and make it difficult for the animals to digest. Organic pet foods offer animals sustenance without the inclusion of pesticides, fillers, and antibiotics. This cleaner food, say the experts, increases the well-being of household animals, much like organic foods are said to do for humans.
All these statistics and expert advice may pale in comparison to the news stories about owners seeing their beloved pets die as a result of contaminated food. If nothing else, organic pet food products offer consumers a way to react against the commercial manufacturers. Simply purchasing an organic brand of dog food or cat food can act as a way to send strong message to the industry leaders about their negligence and disregard for their products. New regulation and standards will surely be implemented after the media circus dies down—and rightfully so. Pet owners have just as much a right to be concerned over the food they give to their pets as they would to themselves or their children.
The range of organic pet treats and and organic pet foods will surely see a greater influence in the marketplace. But hopefully another lesson can be learned from this recent fiasco: pet food should be held to the same standard as the food humans eat. Organic pet foods and organic pet treats are hoping to provide consumers with a method of increasing the health of their animals. The real question is whether the public will buy into it.
Sources:
Horovitz, Bruce. "Organic Pet Food Gets Paws Up." USA TODAY. 13 April 2004. 23 April 2007.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industri es/food/2004-07-13-organic_x.htm.
Organic Pet Food May Benefit From Recall. Reuters.30 March 2007. MSNBC.com. 23 April 2007.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17741239/.
Pet Food Concerns Prompt Switch to Organic Food. NBC.com. 12 April 2007. 23 April 2007.
http://www.nbc4.com/goinggreen/11604789/detail.h tml.
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