Does Purina use ingredients from China
Where Does Purina Cat Food Come From? Is Purina Cat Food Healthy?
Purina is one of the most popular brands of cat food. The question that many people have is, where does Purina cat food come from? Many people are under the impression that it comes from vegetables and other natural ingredients.
However, Purina doesnt produce any of its ingredients. They buy them in bulk to make their products cheaper for consumers like you!
One of the reasons that people are under the impression that Purina uses natural ingredients is their popular slogan, Good Food, Good Life. Many consumers believe that good food means healthy food.
Where Does Purina Cat Food Come From?
The bulk of Purinas ingredients come from other countries like China and Germany. The Chinese company Shandong Tianyu has an agreement with Purina to supply them with their main ingredient fish meal.
They get it by grinding up whole fish, including the bones, scales, guts, and all. This is known as fourth-fifth on the industrial scale. These are all parts of the fish that many people would not eat if they had a choice.
Purina also has an agreement with another Chinese company, Xinfu, to supply them with chicken by-product meals. Chicken by-products are things like feet, beaks, and feathers. Many companies use chicken by-product meals in their dry food because its cheaper than chicken or turkey.
When you buy any pet food, including cat food, it is important to check the label on the package for where it comes from. Purina is one of the most popular cat food brands, but they dont produce any ingredients!
Where Is Purina Cat Food Made?
Purina cat food ingredients come from other countries like China and Germany!
When you buy any type of pet food, including cat food, it is important to check the label on the package for where it comes from.
The ingredients are listed according to weight, so the fish meal will be listed before the chicken by-product meal even though there may be more chicken by-product meal.
Is Purina Beyond A Good Cat Food?
Theres nothing wrong with ingredients from China as long as the company you buy it from has a good reputation for using quality sources.
For example, Shandong Tianyu is approved by AQIS as well as HACCP and ISO standards. Their factories are also FDA-approved and USDA-inspected for global food safety and security.
Purina believes its more important to be transparent with consumers instead of hiding where their ingredients come from. All of the ingredient suppliers they use are required to list all of the species in their supply chain on their website to check them out yourself!
Shandong Tianyu meets these standards, so you can be confident that their ingredients are good for your cat.
Does Purina Source From China?
Purina does buy their ingredients from China, but they use FDA-approved suppliers and USDA-inspected for global food safety and security.
Is Purina Cat Food Healthy?
While it may seem like calling your product good food is a good thing, its important to remember that theres no requirement for pet food companies to list nutrition information on their packaging.
If you want healthy food for your cat, its best to buy products where you know the ingredients, and they have a good reputation for using quality sources. It is also important to check out nutritional information online or at your local pet store so you can make sure that it is meeting all of your cats dietary needs.
Purina ONE Natural, Low Fat, Weight Control, Indoor Dry Cat Food
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What Are Purina Treats Made In China?
Purina treats made in China include Purina Veterinary Diets, Beneful Prepared Meals, and Dog Chow.
Does Purina Make Dry Cat Food?
Yes, Purina does produce a dry cat food formula called Cat Chow.
However, you should know that theres no requirement for pet food companies to list their nutritional information on their packaging.
Nutritional information can be found online or at your local pet store so you can make sure that it is meeting all of your cats dietary needs.
Is Purina ONE Cat Food Made In The USA?
Purina ONE cat food offers one whole meal thats made in the USA.
Even so, theres no requirement for pet food companies to list their nutritional information on their packaging.
Nutritional information can be found online or at your local pet store so you can make sure that it is meeting all of your cats dietary needs.
Does Purina One Cat Food Contain By-Products?
Even so, theres no requirement for pet food companies to list their nutritional information on their packaging. Nutritional information can be found online or at your local pet store so you can make sure that it is meeting all of your cats dietary needs.
Who Makes Purina Cat Food?
Purina does not make any of their cat food themselves; they buy it from suppliers instead.
Is Purina Cat Food Made In Australia?
No, Purina cat food is not made in Australia. It is a very healthy choice for cats, though!
Is Purina Pro Plan Better Than Royal Canin?
Purina Pro Plan is good for cats who are over the age of 1. However, Royal Canins senior cat food is also very healthy.
Does Purina Cat Food Come From China?
Purina cat food ingredients come from other countries like China and Germany.
When you buy any type of pet food, including cat food, it is important to check the label on the package for where it comes from.
The ingredients are listed according to weight, so the fish meal will be listed before the chicken by-product meal even though there may be more chicken by-product meal.
The Bottom Line
Purina is a company that was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The company produces pet food for both cats and dogs across the world.
They also have their own branded products such as cat litter, dog food, treats, and more! In 2016 they acquired Blue Buffalo Pet Products, which means there are now even more options for pets to choose from for quality pet foods.
If you want your furry friend to be happy and healthy, we recommend giving them Purina or blue buffalo brand pet food!
Hi there! My name is Koushik; I am a cat lover. I specialize in writing about pet care & food. I have a wealth of knowledge on cat food niches and related subjects. I have worked in the pet industry for over 5 years and am passionate about helping cat owners provide the best care for their furry friends. With knowledge of cat food and nutrition, I aim to share their insights and help cat owners navigate the world of cat food niches. I enjoy playing with my two cats, reading, and exploring new cat food brands in my free time.
Fancy Feast Cat Food Ingredients
Fancy Feast Cat Food Ingredients
According to our research, Fancy Feast manufactures 177 cat food recipes using 163 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Fancy Feast, we've studied all 163 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Fancy Feast ingredients.
| Cat Food Recipes | 177 |
| Unique Ingredients | 163 |
| Artificial Colors | 7 |
| Animal By-Products | 4 |
| Anonymous Meats | 11 |
| Controversial | 20 |
| Harmful | 12 |
First 5 Ingredients
Cat food ingredients in the United States are listed in descending order of pre-cooked weight. The first 5 ingredients typically constitute a significant portion of the recipe.
For Fancy Feast, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 cat food ingredients.
- fish broth
- chicken
- wheat gluten
- liver
- meat by-products
As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Fancy Feast is fish broth. The most common 2nd ingredient is chicken, followed by wheat gluten, liver, and meat by-products.
Artificial Food Coloring Dyes
Our records indicate that Fancy Feast does use artificial food coloring dyes. More specifically, we've identified 7 artificial food dyes used by Fancy Feast.
Although these food dyes are classified as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the FDA, we recommend avoiding them when possible.
According to the Center For Research In The Public Interest (CSPI), there are many potential health risks associated with the consumption of artificial food coloring dyes.
Given that most pets consume the same products for prolonged periods of time, these concerns should be taken seriously. In general, we recommend pet owners avoid feeding products which contain artificial food coloring dyes.
For more information regarding the CSPI's findings, read our artificial food coloring article.
Red 40 is the most widely used artificial dye in consumer goods. Studies have shown that red 40 may accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice, cause allergy-like reactions and trigger hyperactivity in children.
The following recipes contain red 40:
Yellow 6 is an artificial food dye which may be contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals. According to the Center For Science In The Public Interest, yellow 6 can cause adrenal tumors in animals.
The following recipes contain yellow 6:
Blue 2 is an artificial dye which can increase the likelihood of tumors according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Like other dyes, blue 2 does not provide any nutritional value.
The following recipes contain blue 2:
Yellow 5 is an artificial dye which may be contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals. Like other dyes, yellow 5 does not provide any nutritional value.
The following recipes contain yellow 5:
Red 3 is an artificial dye which the FDA has confirmed can cause cancer in laboratory animals.
The following recipes contain red 3:
The ingredient "added color" is ambiguous and may include various artificial dyes. Most artificial dyes have been linked to various chronic diseases.
The following recipes contain added color:
Blue 1 is an artificial dye with serious but unconfirmed health concerns. Like other dyes, blue 1 does not provide any nutritional value.
The following recipes contain blue 1:
Animal By-Products
Fancy Feast does indeed use animal by-products. More specifically, 4 animal by-product ingredients were found during our analysis of Fancy Feast cat food ingredients.
According to AAFCO, by-products are defined as the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. In other words, animal by-products are the leftover ingredients that humans typically do not consume (lung, heart, tongue, stomach, intestine, blood, etc).
Many consumers have equated animal by-products with slaughterhouse waste. Animal by-products are still very controversial. Most premium brands have abandoned them in favor of specific named organ ingredients (duck liver, chicken heart, etc).
If you must feed a product with animal by-products, ensure that the specific animal source is specified. In other words, avoid ingredients such as meat by-products or poultry by-products.
Poultry by-product meal is a controversial ingredient because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous ingredients such as poultry by-product meal are typically low-quality ingredients in comparison to named protein by-product meals (e.g. chicken by-product meal, turkey by-product meal, duck by-product meal).
The following recipes contain poultry by-product meal:
By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, meat by-products contain nearly all parts of the animal which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
This ingredient is marked controversial because the meat source is not identified. Anonymous ingredients such as meat by-products are typically very low quality additions. The most unpleasing property of this ingredient is that the animal source can contain any mammal, even dogs & cats.
The following recipes contain meat by-products:
By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, poultry by-products contain nearly all parts of poultry which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
Like other meat by-products, poultry by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that by-products, such as poultry by-products, supply many important nutrients required by cats. Finally, we must also note that this ingredient is considered an anonymous meat ingredient because the specific type of poultry is not specified. By-products which are "named", such as chicken by-products are typically higher in quality when compared to the more general poultry by-products.
The following recipes contain poultry by-products:
Chicken by-product meal is produced by cooking chicken by-products using a process called rendering. By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, chicken by-products contain nearly all parts of chickens which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
Like other meat by-products, chicken by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as chicken by-products, supply many important nutrients required by cats.
The following recipes contain chicken by-product meal:
Anonymous Meat Ingredients
Anonymous meats are animal-based ingredients which do not provide the source animal's name. These ingredients are controversial because they can come from almost any animal.
In addition, anonymous animal-based ingredients are very inexpensive and often the lowest quality meats that are still allowed to be used in pet food.
In general, we do not recommend feeding any products which contain anonymous meats. When in doubt, always contact the brand's customer service desk for further clarification.
Unfortunately, we've identified 11 anonymous meat ingredients used by Fancy Feast.
Fish is typically an excellent protein and fat source. However, the specific type of fish is not mentioned and therefore we cannot discuss any specific qualities of this ingredient. In general, anonymous ingredients are low quality inclusions when compared to ingredients such as mackerel, cod, salmon, etc.
The following recipes contain fish:
The following recipes contain animal liver flavor:
Animal fat is a by-product of tissue rendering. The source animal is not specific and therefore we cannot be certain that the source does not include diseased animals or even euthanized dogs and cats.
The following recipes contain animal fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols):
Poultry broth provides both flavor and moisture; however, as with other broths, poultry broth does not provide any notable nutritional contribution. In addition, we typically prefer the specific type of poultry specified (chicken broth, turkey broth, quail broth, etc), which is not done here.
The following recipes contain poultry broth:
Poultry is a controversial ingredient because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous ingredients such as poultry are typically low-quality ingredients in comparison to named protein sources (e.g. chicken, turkey, duck).
The following recipes contain poultry:
Poultry by-product meal is a controversial ingredient because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous ingredients such as poultry by-product meal are typically low-quality ingredients in comparison to named protein by-product meals (e.g. chicken by-product meal, turkey by-product meal, duck by-product meal).
The following recipes contain poultry by-product meal:
By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, meat by-products contain nearly all parts of the animal which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
This ingredient is marked controversial because the meat source is not identified. Anonymous ingredients such as meat by-products are typically very low quality additions. The most unpleasing property of this ingredient is that the animal source can contain any mammal, even dogs & cats.
The following recipes contain meat by-products:
Animal digest is the result of undecomposed animal tissue after hydrolysis, a chemical reaction. It is typically used as flavoring to improve taste. Animal digest is considered by many as an undesirable low-quality ingredient. What's more, the source animal is not specified and therefore animal digest can contain almost any animal, including dogs and cats!
The following recipes contain animal digest:
By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, poultry by-products contain nearly all parts of poultry which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
Like other meat by-products, poultry by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that by-products, such as poultry by-products, supply many important nutrients required by cats. Finally, we must also note that this ingredient is considered an anonymous meat ingredient because the specific type of poultry is not specified. By-products which are "named", such as chicken by-products are typically higher in quality when compared to the more general poultry by-products.
The following recipes contain poultry by-products:
Poultry giblets includes the heart, liver, gizzards, and other internal organs of poultry. Organs are nutritiously dense ingredients which provide high quality protein and fat. However, this particular ingredient is considered an anonymous meat ingredient because the type of poultry is not specified. In order words, "named" giblets such as chicken giblets or turkey giblets are preferred over poultry giblets.
The following recipes contain poultry giblets:
Animal fat is a by-product of tissue rendering. The source animal is not specific and therefore we cannot be certain that the source does not include diseased animals or even euthanized dogs and cats.
The following recipes contain animal fat:
Cereal Grains
Certain Fancy Feast cat food recipes contain one or more grains. The specific ingredients are listed below.
For cats, we typically recommend choosing a grain-free recipe. Cats are obligate carnivores and therefore grains are not species appropriate.
The kibble production requires a binding agent. Grains are commonly used for this purpose in cat food. When purchasing grain-free cat food, grains are often replaced with another starchy source. This is also not ideal.
To avoid grains and other starchy additions, consider feeding wet or frozen recipes.
Ground rice is a gluten-free carbohydrate source. As long as the bran and germ of the grain are intact, rice can provide a notable amount of fiber and nutrition. However, because the type of rice ("brown" or "white") is not specified, we cannot make this determination.
The following recipes contain ground rice:
Long grain rice is a gluten-free carbohydrate source. As long as the bran and germ of the grain are intact, rice can provide a notable amount of fiber and nutrition. However, because the type of rice ("brown" or "white") is not specified, we cannot make this determination.
The following recipes contain long grain rice:
Modified corn starch is derived from the endosperm of the corn kernel. The modified term indicates that the corn starch has been treated or processed in order to expose or improve some property. Typically, corn starch is used as a binder in kibble.
The following recipes contain modified corn starch:
Pasta is usually produced with durum wheat flour. Outside the caloric contribution, pasta does not provide a notable nutritional contribution. Pasta in marked controversial because of the latter statement and because pasta is commonly produced from wheat (which is very controversial in cat food).
The following recipes contain pasta:
Corn gluten meal is a by-product from the production of various corn products (corn starch, corn syrup, etc). It's very high in protein (nearly 60% protein) and therefore can significant boost the protein content of the product. Because plant based proteins such as corn gluten meal are inferior to meat based proteins (lack many essential amino acids), they are not suitable substitutes.
The following recipes contain corn gluten meal:
Wheat gluten is the main protein of wheat. Although wheat gluten is mostly protein, wheat gluten is considered controversial because it significantly boosts the protein content of the product. This is undesirable because plant based protein does not provide the same amino acid profile as meat based protein.
The following recipes contain wheat gluten:
Wild rice is a gluten-free grain which supplies protein, dietary fiber, certain minerals, and B vitamins.
The following recipes contain wild rice:
Whole grain corn is the entire corn kernel (the germ, bran, and endosperm). Corn is a cereal grain which provides a modest amount of vitamins, minerals, and plant based protein. It also happens to be one of the most controversial ingredients in cat food.
Proponents of corn claim that corn is highly digestible and an excellent source of protein, energy, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
Opponents however believe that positive claims in regards to corn are either half-truths or completely false, we'll discuss a few of the opposing arguments.
In regards to digestibility, the claims of "highly digestible" are only true if corn is processed into a meal or flour and subsequently cooked. In regards to the protein contribution, we must note that corn is a plant based protein which does not contain all of the necessary amino acids required by cats to sustain life. Therefore substituting corn for meat is an unsuitable substitution and actually degrades the overall protein quality of the product.
Finally, we'll discuss the claims about vitamins and minerals in corn. Although corn does provide many vitamins and minerals, it not necessarily an exceptional ingredient in this regards. There are many other ingredients which are more complete and biologically appropriate. Therefore the usage of corn as the primary ingredient in cat food should certainly warrant further questioning.
The following recipes contain whole grain corn:
Corn oil is extracted from the germ of corn kernels. It contains an omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 49:1. Corn oil's unfavorable omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio makes it an undesirable ingredient. Consumption of such ingredients can lead to an array of health problems in both animals and humans.
The following recipes contain corn oil:
Rice is a gluten-free carbohydrate source. As long as the bran and germ of the grain are intact, rice can provide a notable amount of fiber and nutrition. However, because the type of rice ("brown" or "white") is not specified, we cannot make this determination.
The following recipes contain rice:
Controversial Ingredients
In most cases, ingredients which are given the controversial classification can be substituted with higher-quality alternatives. You should evaluate each controversial ingredient independently to see if there is truly a valid cause for concern.
Keep in mind, certain sacrifices often must be made to produce cat foods at a reasonable price. In general, the more expensive the product, the fewer controversial ingredients you'll find.
In our analysis, we've identified 20 controversial ingredients inside Fancy Feast products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.
Pork plasma is the colorless fluid part of a pig's blood. It may sound disgusting, but it's actually very nutritious for cats. Regardless of the nutritional aspects, consumers are shocked by this ingredient, which is why pork plasma is considered a controversial ingredient.
The following recipes contain pork plasma:
Soybean flour contains more than 50% protein. Therefore, soybean can significantly boost the protein content of the product. The inclusion of non-meat protein typically degrades the overall quality of protein in the recipe. This degradation is due to the inferior amino acid profile of plant based proteins.
The following recipes contain soybean flour:
Soybean protein concentrate is produced by removing the water soluble carbohydrates from soybeans. The inclusion of non-meat protein typically degrades the overall quality of protein in the recipe. This degradation is due to the inferior amino acid profile of plant based proteins.
The following recipes contain soybean protein concentrate:
Pasta is usually produced with durum wheat flour. Outside the caloric contribution, pasta does not provide a notable nutritional contribution. Pasta in marked controversial because of the latter statement and because pasta is commonly produced from wheat (which is very controversial in cat food).
The following recipes contain pasta:
Animal fat is a by-product of tissue rendering. The source animal is not specific and therefore we cannot be certain that the source does not include diseased animals or even euthanized dogs and cats.
The following recipes contain animal fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols):
Corn gluten meal is a by-product from the production of various corn products (corn starch, corn syrup, etc). It's very high in protein (nearly 60% protein) and therefore can significant boost the protein content of the product. Because plant based proteins such as corn gluten meal are inferior to meat based proteins (lack many essential amino acids), they are not suitable substitutes.
The following recipes contain corn gluten meal:
Brewer's rice is the small fragments of rice kernel that are separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. The fragments do not contain the same nutrition profile of the whole kernel and therefore brewer's rice is a lower quality grain. Brewer's rice is typically regarded as an inexpensive and low quality filler.
The following recipes contain brewers rice:
Wheat gluten is the main protein of wheat. Although wheat gluten is mostly protein, wheat gluten is considered controversial because it significantly boosts the protein content of the product. This is undesirable because plant based protein does not provide the same amino acid profile as meat based protein.
The following recipes contain wheat gluten:
Whole grain corn is the entire corn kernel (the germ, bran, and endosperm). Corn is a cereal grain which provides a modest amount of vitamins, minerals, and plant based protein. It also happens to be one of the most controversial ingredients in cat food.
Proponents of corn claim that corn is highly digestible and an excellent source of protein, energy, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
Opponents however believe that positive claims in regards to corn are either half-truths or completely false, we'll discuss a few of the opposing arguments.
In regards to digestibility, the claims of "highly digestible" are only true if corn is processed into a meal or flour and subsequently cooked. In regards to the protein contribution, we must note that corn is a plant based protein which does not contain all of the necessary amino acids required by cats to sustain life. Therefore substituting corn for meat is an unsuitable substitution and actually degrades the overall protein quality of the product.
Finally, we'll discuss the claims about vitamins and minerals in corn. Although corn does provide many vitamins and minerals, it not necessarily an exceptional ingredient in this regards. There are many other ingredients which are more complete and biologically appropriate. Therefore the usage of corn as the primary ingredient in cat food should certainly warrant further questioning.
The following recipes contain whole grain corn:
Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.
The following recipes contain canola oil:
Poultry is a controversial ingredient because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous ingredients such as poultry are typically low-quality ingredients in comparison to named protein sources (e.g. chicken, turkey, duck).
The following recipes contain poultry:
Poultry by-product meal is a controversial ingredient because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous ingredients such as poultry by-product meal are typically low-quality ingredients in comparison to named protein by-product meals (e.g. chicken by-product meal, turkey by-product meal, duck by-product meal).
The following recipes contain poultry by-product meal:
Liver is a controversial ingredient because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous animal ingredients are typically very low quality and may contain almost any animal, including dogs and cats!
The following recipes contain liver:
By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, meat by-products contain nearly all parts of the animal which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
This ingredient is marked controversial because the meat source is not identified. Anonymous ingredients such as meat by-products are typically very low quality additions. The most unpleasing property of this ingredient is that the animal source can contain any mammal, even dogs & cats.
The following recipes contain meat by-products:
Animal digest is the result of undecomposed animal tissue after hydrolysis, a chemical reaction. It is typically used as flavoring to improve taste. Animal digest is considered by many as an undesirable low-quality ingredient. What's more, the source animal is not specified and therefore animal digest can contain almost any animal, including dogs and cats!
The following recipes contain animal digest:
By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, poultry by-products contain nearly all parts of poultry which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
Like other meat by-products, poultry by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that by-products, such as poultry by-products, supply many important nutrients required by cats. Finally, we must also note that this ingredient is considered an anonymous meat ingredient because the specific type of poultry is not specified. By-products which are "named", such as chicken by-products are typically higher in quality when compared to the more general poultry by-products.
The following recipes contain poultry by-products:
Poultry giblets includes the heart, liver, gizzards, and other internal organs of poultry. Organs are nutritiously dense ingredients which provide high quality protein and fat. However, this particular ingredient is considered an anonymous meat ingredient because the type of poultry is not specified. In order words, "named" giblets such as chicken giblets or turkey giblets are preferred over poultry giblets.
The following recipes contain poultry giblets:
Chicken by-product meal is produced by cooking chicken by-products using a process called rendering. By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, chicken by-products contain nearly all parts of chickens which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
Like other meat by-products, chicken by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as chicken by-products, supply many important nutrients required by cats.
The following recipes contain chicken by-product meal:
Specific vegetable oils are typically positive ingredients; however, this ingredient does not specify which vegetable(s) were used to produce the oil.
Without this information, it is impossible for us to make any specific statements. With any fat source, it is important to know the omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio, a property which cannot be determined with this ingredient. Thus, we have marked vegetable oil as a controversial ingredient.
The following recipes contain vegetable oil:
Animal fat is a by-product of tissue rendering. The source animal is not specific and therefore we cannot be certain that the source does not include diseased animals or even euthanized dogs and cats.
The following recipes contain animal fat:
Potentially Harmful Ingredients
Harmful ingredients are those which have been linked to adverse health effects. In general, we do not recommend feeding any product which contains any harmful ingredients.
There are certain situations where these ingredients may be necessary. We always recommend contacting Fancy Feast for further clarification regarding any harmful or controversial ingredient.
We have identified 12 harmful ingredients used in certain Fancy Feast recipes. To learn more, click on the ingredient's name.
The following recipes contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil:
Red 40 is the most widely used artificial dye in consumer goods. Studies have shown that red 40 may accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice, cause allergy-like reactions and trigger hyperactivity in children.
The following recipes contain red 40:
Yellow 6 is an artificial food dye which may be contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals. According to the Center For Science In The Public Interest, yellow 6 can cause adrenal tumors in animals.
The following recipes contain yellow 6:
Blue 2 is an artificial dye which can increase the likelihood of tumors according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Like other dyes, blue 2 does not provide any nutritional value.
The following recipes contain blue 2:
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is an artificial preservative and possible cancer-causing agent. BHT is banned in several countries, but the FDA has classified BHT as "generally recognized as safe."
The following recipes contain BHT:
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is an artificial preservative and possible cancer-causing agent. Studies have show that BHA can be linked to various tumors in laboratory animals.
The following recipes contain BHA:
Yellow 5 is an artificial dye which may be contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals. Like other dyes, yellow 5 does not provide any nutritional value.
The following recipes contain yellow 5:
Red 3 is an artificial dye which the FDA has confirmed can cause cancer in laboratory animals.
The following recipes contain red 3:
The ingredient "added color" is ambiguous and may include various artificial dyes. Most artificial dyes have been linked to various chronic diseases.
The following recipes contain added color:
Menadione sodium bisulfite complex is a synthetic version of vitamin K that has been linked to many health concerns. Research has suggested possible toxic reactions in liver cells and red blood cells among other serious problems. In fact, one large chemical supplier warns, "The substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage."
The following recipes contain menadione sodium bisulfite complex:
Corn oil is extracted from the germ of corn kernels. It contains an omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 49:1. Corn oil's unfavorable omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio makes it an undesirable ingredient. Consumption of such ingredients can lead to an array of health problems in both animals and humans.
The following recipes contain corn oil:
Blue 1 is an artificial dye with serious but unconfirmed health concerns. Like other dyes, blue 1 does not provide any nutritional value.
The following recipes contain blue 1:
