By Gabby Slome, Pop Sugar
As health-conscious humans, we're constantly sifting through the
research about whether organic food is better. And as pet parents, we
always want to put the best in our pups' bowls. But does organic matter
as much for dogs, or is it just another marketing ploy? After doing a
lot of digging, I discovered that it's often not all it's cracked up to
be for pups. Here's what you need to know before buying:
"Organic" dog food is not well regulated
One of the biggest issues with buying your pup organic is that, unlike
for human food, there aren't great standards in place: the USDA has yet
to define "organic" as it applies to pet foods, so the Association of
American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets the standards for the
National Organic Program (NOP), and the individual states are supposed
to regulate them.
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An "organic dog food" label can be misleading
Technically, the NOP mandates that if companies want the coveted organic
seal on the food, at least 95 percent of the food must be organic by
weight. Labels can say they're "made with organic ingredients" if at
least 70 percent of the ingredients are organic. Here's where it gets
tricky: pet food companies can say they're organic even when their food
doesn't contain organic ingredients because no agency requires proof of
the pet food health claims.
It may be "organic," but still not healthy
[post_ads]Unfortunately, being "organic" does not guarantee that food is good for
your pup: Even if what you buy does contain organic ingredients, they
may have been heavily processed in order to make the food shelf stable
(thus stripping them of their nutritional value.) Plus, according to
Greg Aldrich, PhD, research associate professor and pet food program
coordinator at Kansas State University, it's difficult to secure the raw
ingredients to produce a truly organic pet food within the framework of
the AAFCO guidelines. So the food may be organic, but not nutritionally
complete.
You may be paying more unnecessarily
The word "organic" is often used to increase the seeming value of the
food (and to charge you more!). But because the commercial dog food
category is still lacking in strict regulations, there are some organic
brands that are using chemicals and preservatives in their food. Others
will slap on an organic label without being completely honest about
their ingredients. So you might be paying more for food that isn't worth
it.
Organic ingredients aren't necessarily better for dogs
"There is no documented positive, nutritional, health, or safety
benefits to organic," Aldrich says. There have been studies about the
pros and cons of grains, raw food, and specific ingredients, but
research on organic ingredients in a dog's diet is surprisingly lacking.
So we really don't know — they could be healthier for pups or they
could be the same. What we do know? The most important thing is that
your dog eat a healthy diet made with real, high-quality ingredients
that are nutritionally balanced. Think about it: Would you rather eat
organic gummi bears or a fresh salad with ingredients that aren't all
organic? Exactly.
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