What is Human Grade Dog Food?
July 11th, 2021
You see it everywhere these days, on bags of kibble to frozen and freeze dried pet foods – “made with human grade ingredients.” But what does it really mean when a dog food states that it’s made with “human grade ingredients?” Is it really? Or is it just marketing hype?
AAFCO Definition of Human Grade
According to The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) definition on their website, a product can claim to be human grade only when:
“The ingredients being referred to are “edible” for people in legally defined terms. The terms “human grade” or “human quality” have no legal definition. When one or more human edible ingredients are mixed with one or more non-human edible ingredients, the edible ingredients become non-human edible.”
Both human and pet foods are regulated by the FDA and USDA. If a product claims to be human grade, it must be produced in a USDA inspected facility, and pass USDA inspection. If the food is made with human grade ingredients but not manufactured in a USDA inspected facility, then it can’t be labeled as “human grade.”
Are Human Grade Foods Better?
That depends upon who you ask. Many veterinarians and large pet food manufacturers disagree. Their sole focus is on whether the food meets the minimum requirements that AAFCO sets for a “complete and balanced” diet. It doesn’t matter that these manufacturers use “feed grade” ingredients, or 4D (diseased, dying, dead, or disabled) meats, or spray the finished product with synthetic chemicals so it can meet the minimum AAFCO requirements. Their only concern is that it meets requirements.
On the other hand, many people (including us) can’t bring ourselves to giving our beloved pets foods that humans shouldn’t eat. As part of our families, we want to feed them the best food we possibly can.
That being said, some of what the FDA and USDA consider as by-products (for example, some organ meats such as spleen, or other products such as tripe) are a great source of nutrients for pets even though they’re not considered human grade. As long as they come from healthy animals, we feel confident in feeding these “non-human grade” foods to our dogs.
The FDA recently announced that it will no longer verify what human grade ingredients are in pet foods. They plan to leave this up to the states to determine. This will likely cause more confusion for pet owners who are trying to find the best food they can to feed to their dogs.
Are All Human Grade Foods Created Equal?
No they’re not. There’s no comparison between a pasture raised, grass fed animal who has spent their life with room to roam to one that spent their entire life confined inside in small quarters on a factory farm. Large vegetable and fruit growers who use GMO seeds and lots of chemicals can’t be compared to the local farmer who uses organic methods as much as possible.
One final thought
We feel it’s important to buy your dog’s food from a company you trust. In our opinion, a manufacturer who provides transparency with respect to where they source all of their ingredients is a better choice than one that doesn’t. As always, it’s important to do your research and buy the best food you can afford to feed your beloved fur baby.