This article investigates the story behind the book “Big Kibble: The Hidden Dangers of the Pet Food Industry and How to Do Better by Our Dogs” by Shawn Buckley and Dr Oscar Chavez published in December 2020.
We will discuss the premise of the inflammatory title of the book; which claims that commercially prepared diets for dogs or “kibbles” are substandard, nutritionally inept, and “dangerous” containing “shocking” ingredients without regulation.
Table of contents
Firstly, I am disappointed to see that the authors are invested in the subject due to their potential financial gain owing to the fact that they founded “JustFoodForDogs”; a pet food company claiming to be better than any other dog food. The book comes across with this bias as no other pet food company is championed in their efforts to create the best nutritionally balanced diet to support our dog’s health. I prefer to see new initiatives prioritising quality and ethical sourcing of ingredients, do so off their own merits, with data and scientific evidence to back up their claims, rather than using tactics to discredit their competition. This in itself makes for a weak argument, but what are the facts?
Pet Food Regulations and Laws
Argument
The book states “The pet food industry has lax regulations and guidelines allowing producers to include ever-cheaper ingredients and create ever-larger earnings”.
Truth
The pet food industry is highly regulated. In the UK, the Food Standards Agency (FSA), overseen by DEFRA (Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs) regulates and enforces strict government guidelines regarding ingredients, handling, and production of pet foods. The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) are also involved in performing surveillance and informing on European laws and policies protecting consumers from risks in the food chain. There are over 50 pieces of regulations in place to ensure that our pet food is safe and contains no dangerous veterinary medicine residues, bacteria, or harmful substances.
Pet food production goes through rigorous testing for:
- Bacteriology: Ensuring there are no infectious organisms contaminating diets. The regulations include details on sample size and numbers to be submitted from varying points in production to ensure a complete overview of the bacteria profile and safety of that diet in production.
- Disease surveillance before and after butchery in meats that are intended for processing into pet foods. Meats and meat products are inspected carefully for signs of disease at varying points in production and regulations ensure they are NOT allowed to be included if diseased.
- Residue levels of veterinary substances and “feed additives” in meat and pesticides in cereal. Regulations detail safe levels of chemicals and medicines in foodstuffs, ensuring they are minimalised. A recent study in 2022 by the EFSA found that “veterinary drug residue compliance rates were at their highest for decades”. This is due to a huge movement in the veterinary sector to crack down on antibiotic resistance, considering safe medicine usage and following regulations on medicine withdrawal periods (the time it takes an animal’s body to use up the medicine and no longer be present in the body prior to it entering the food chain).
- Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) are implemented in every pet food production chain to ensure that contamination risks are considered and minimalised to maximise feed safety.
- Ingredients are controlled by laws, detailing precisely what is considered safe, for animal consumption in pet foods.
By Products and Laws on Ingredients
Argument
Commercial pet foods contain “poultry faeces, sawdust, expired food, and diseased meat, among other horrors”.
Truth
There are strict regulations on ingredients permitted to be in pet foods including those considered “by-products”. By-products are valuable components of pet food diets offering unique vitamins and minerals that animal muscle can’t. They are a highly digestible source of energy. Examples of typical by-products used in production include liver, kidneys, spleen, and tripe.
The UK legislation details ABP (Animal byproduct) products in categories for ease of understanding.
Category 1 or 2 by-products including catering waste, and fat from animals that passed inspection for disease before death, but failed inspection after death, are NOT permitted ingredients (although the book states they are).
Category 3 by-products permitted in pet diets include those passed fit for human consumption and slaughterhouse by-products like hides, skin, horns and feet (which would all be part of the diet of a wild dog consuming prey).
A good quality diet contains a balance of meat (including by-products), carbohydrates, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals. Utilising by-products is a great way to reduce waste; reducing the number of animals needed in the production of these diets whilst harnessing all possible nutritional benefits from the source.
Home Cooked Diets
Argument
The book suggests home-cooked diets, where “JustFoodForDogs” began, are superior to commercial diets. It even includes some recipes for such diets.
Truth
I challenge the idea that home-cooked is superior to commercially prepared food; as it is recognised as a very difficult challenge to achieve the correct balance of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to keep your dog healthy at home without professional guidance. Anyone looking to provide home-cooked diets should seek the help of a boarded nutritionist or specialist veterinarian to ensure the diet is appropriate for their pet. Without guidance, our pet’s health could suffer serious consequences. Published research, reviewed here, shows that very few home-cooked diets are actually nutritionally adequate!
Commercially prepared dog foods were designed to offer complete and balanced nutrition with ease, something that they have successfully achieved.
Do your research!
Argument
The book claims that “Many vets still don’t know that kibble is not the best food for dogs because Big Kibble funds the nutrition research”.
Truth
Yes, there are a handful of pet food companies controlling the market. Just like in any industry, the pet food industry is structured no differently. Does the structure of the pet food industry dictate the quality? Pet food companies are under no obligation to research diets or do trials to look into the best nutritional components for pet food diets, and so those that invest in that great expense, truly are doing so because they care about delivering the best products with proven nutritional benefits. Investing in these trials, to me, doesn’t suggest a company only interested in the bottom line!
Food companies that go out of their way to rubbish these trials though… well, that’s a different story – Ed.
How do you know if the dog food you’ve chosen is the best for your dog?
No one dog food is great for all dogs. The right formulation for your dog keeps them strong; with a shiny coat, with a firm, regular stool that can easily be picked up, and without excessive bloating, gas, or gastrointestinal discomfort. You are most likely to get higher quality, balanced nutrition from commercial pet food companies that employ a veterinary professional or boarded nutritionist. Look for the qualifications of the production team involved in formulating the diets to decide if the claims on the pack are substantiated.
Big Kibble – Myth or Reality?
Yes, the pet food company, like many other industries, have a few big players at the top. Do your research and check out the team formulating the diet. Ensure that the team has the appropriate qualifications to substantiate their nutritional claims. Rest assured that the UK have strict regulations to keep your pet’s food safe and free from disease, bacteria, and harmful substances; so if you choose commercial kibble for your dog, just like I will continue to do without fear, you are not doing your dog a disservice as the sensationalised book in question suggests, you are making an informed educated decision.
Discussion