Be careful! It's poisonous!The Environmental Working Group (EWG), an American environmental organization, recently published a study. The organization analyzed 11 types of pet food on the market and found that these food packaging contained toxic chemicals PFAS, and the food may have been contaminated by this toxic substance. EWG analysts said the chemical may cause chronic poisoning in cats and dogs, affecting the kidneys and liver.The Environmental Working Group recently published a study that tested 11 types of pet food sold in the United States and found that they all contained PFAS, with several bags containing very high levels. EWG scientific analyst Sydney Evans warned: "This kind of chemical contamination will accumulate in cats and dogs through food, and may also contaminate human food through various channels and enter the human body.
PFAS, the full name is perfluoro (polyfluoro) alkyl substances, which are persistent and harmful chemicals. There are 12,000 compounds that belong to PFAS , this type of chemical can make products resistant to water, oil, and heat. Because PFAS has extremely high chemical stability, it is often used in packaging, kitchenware, flame retardants, and antifouling agents. Past research has found that PFAS is harmful to animals, and in humans, the substance may cause cancer, birth defects, kidney and liver disease, thyroid disease and endocrine disorders. To make matters worse, PFAS is also called "Forever Chemicals" because it is difficult to decompose, can always exist in the natural environment, and affects the entire food chain through bioaccumulation.
Sydney pointed out that in order to make the packaging oil-proof, pet food manufacturers add PFAS to the packaging. The brands in question includeMeow Mix, Purina, Blue Blue Buffalo, Iams and Rachael Ray Nutrish, Kibbles 'n Bits and Pedigree. Among them, major pet food manufacturers such as Iams, Blue Food, Purina, and Paolo sell their products in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.
Affected include cat food and dog food. The cat food includes: Meow Mix's Tender Centers series salmon and chicken flavor cat food detected up to 600ppm of PFAS; Purina's Cat Chow Complete chicken flavor has a PFAS content of over 350ppm; while Blue Chow, Imooth, and Rachael Ray Nutrish contain PFAS, the content is less than 100ppm.
The pollution of dog food should not be underestimated. Kibbles ‘n Bits’ bacon and steak-flavored dog food contains just under 600 ppm PFAS, while Blue’s “Life Protection Formula” chicken and brown rice recipe dog food contains 150 ppm. The PFAS content of dog food produced by Purina, Imus and Baolu is all less than 80ppm.The Consumer Council of Hong Kong has also successively investigated 39 models of cat and dog dry food on the market, and found that 7 samples were found to contain carcinogenic aflatoxin, which may cause cirrhosis of cats and dogs after long-term consumption; another 4 samples were Contains melamine and cyanuric acid. Although less toxic, mixing the two may cause acute renal failure in pets. The Consumer Council pointed out that the content of the three harmful substances did not exceed international standards, but it is not recommended for pets to consume it for a long time. If the owner finds any physical abnormalities in his pet, he should seek medical treatment as soon as possible.The Consumer Council tested a total of 20 dog foods and 19 cat foods. Among them, 4 dog foods and 3 cat foods were found to contain aflatoxin B1, with the content ranging from 1 to 2 micrograms per kilogram of food. Among them, the highest content was found in Baolu dogs. Chicken-flavored dry food and beef-flavored dry dog food were both found to contain 2 micrograms of aflatoxin B1 per kilogram. In addition, two types of cat food were found to contain cyanuric acid, with a maximum content of 1.3 mg per kilogram; one dog food and one cat food were each found to contain melamine, with a maximum content of 0.16 mg per kilogram.
It is recommended that owners seek medical advice as soon as possible if they notice that their pets have loss of appetite, vomiting, etc.
Consumer Council Vice Chairman Liang Guanghan pointed out that two types of cat and dog food were found to contain melamine and cyanuric acid, and the content did not exceed the EU regulation of 2.5 mg per kilogram. It is not a problem to eat independently, but if it contains melamine When mixed with food containing cyanuric acid, "because one acid and one alkali will form crystals when mixed, causing kidney failure in animals.
Toxins and harmful ingredients in well-known pet staple foodsThere are many well-known brands that are common and circulating in the market.
Although the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has included PFAS in the list of substances of very high concern (SVHC) in July 2017; the U.S. Environmental Administration has also included PFAS in the PFAS family. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are listed as carcinogens, but currently the EU and the United States only restrict the use of these substances in human food.
It is recommended that parents of furry children carefully check the ingredient list of each cat food and dog food to determine whether it contains harmful toxins to avoid getting them in the mouth
(Part of the content is quoted from https://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20140415/bkn-20140415100523421-0415_00822_001.html)
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