A company in Belgium is proud to announce they’ve “established a devoted facility to show by-products from the French fry business into dried potato meal for pet meals functions.”
“The dried potato meal is produced by grinding and drying uncooked potato shreds from the French fry business. It comprises round 65% starch, 6% crude protein, and 10% moisture, with a delicate texture and lightweight beige-grey coloration. The product is accessible in bulk or massive luggage, with a shelf lifetime of as much as one yr.”
“By using potato by-products that may in any other case be discarded, Re:Supply contributes to waste discount and useful resource effectivity within the meals chain.”
Are these potato by-products merely potato peelings? or rotting potatoes? or handled with pesticides or chemical substances? We don’t know. Pet house owners received’t learn.
Customers need to know that elements like this are up-cycled waste elements. The ingredient title ‘potato protein’ doesn’t declare necessary-to-know info for pet house owners. The identical is true for different up-cycled waste elements generally utilized in pet meals, corresponding to:
Meat meals – corresponding to hen meal, by-product meals – are leftovers from the processing of human meals. These elements can embrace lifeless (non-slaughtered) or diseased animals rejected to be used in human meals that in any other case can be thought of waste and a disposal concern/expense for the meat business.
Animal fats – one other ingredient that may be sourced from lifeless (non-slaughtered) or diseased animals.
Beet pulp – leftovers from the manufacturing of sugar (sourced from sugar beets).
Brewers rice – leftovers from the brewing of beer/alcohol.
In lots of instances, feed grade elements of all kinds can be thought of up-cycled waste elements. As instance – any feed grade meat ingredient might be sourced from condemned animal materials that may in any other case must be disposed of (with out the permission of FDA to dispose of those supplies in pet meals – regardless that they’re unlawful in any meals).
In simply 3 months time (April – June 2025), the USDA reported that 41,436 livestock carcasses had been condemned, and 1,266,372 poultry carcasses had been condemned. That is an estimated 27 million kilos of condemned animal carcasses that’s bought to pet meals – after which bought to pet house owners as beef, hen, pork. BUT NOT disclosed as up-cycled waste.
Whereas bits and items of unpolluted potatoes leftover from french fry processing may (emphasis may) be appropriate as a pet meals ingredient, the unknown about these up-cycled waste elements is way better than any potential profit. AND not certainly one of these generally used pet meals elements authorized title correctly discloses its high quality to pet meals shoppers.
The FDA Middle for Veterinary Drugs and AAFCO must take motion to require clear disclosure to pet meals shoppers which elements are up-cycled waste. The ingredient names have to correctly inform what they really are to pet house owners.
Be at liberty to e mail FDA at: AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov and AAFCO at: aafco@aafco.org along with your considerations.
When you have inquiries to high quality concerning any ingredient in your pet’s meals ask the producer. You need assurances elements are human edible; not feed grade, not up-cycled waste.
Susan Thixton
Pet Meals Security Advocate
Creator Purchaser Beware, Co-Creator Dinner PAWsible
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