The following information is taken from a Pet Food Investigative Report produced by The Animal Protection Institute of America in Sacramento, California. It provides a tremendous amount of information companion animal owners should know about pet food and pet food label terminology. This is one area where public awareness needs to be raised. This report was published in May 1996.

TERMINOLOGY
   
BHT: Butylated hydroxytoluene; associated with esophageal cancer
   
BHA: Butylated hydroxyanisole; associated with stomach and urinary cancer
   
"By-Products": those parts of the animal left over after the meat has been stripped away from the bone. By-products contain little, if any, meat. "Chicken-By Products" or "Meat-By-Products" include heads, feet, entrails, brains, lungs, livers, bones, kidneys,
stomachs, blood, intestines free of contents, and anything not fit for human consumption.
Pet food manufacturers fail to mention that other substances are also included–spoiled slaughterhouse meat, road kill, downer animals, ear tags and cancerous material cut away from the carcass and styrofoam packaging containing spoiled meat from supermarkets.
   
   
Ethoxyquin (EQ): A synthetic antioxidant developed by Monsanto during the 1950's. Ethoxyquin has been used as an insecticide, pesticide and rubber stabilizer. Documented cases of humans who worked in the rubber industry showed an increase in skin cancer, blindness, leukemia, fetal abnormalities, and liver and kidney damage. Ethoxyquin found its way into pet food because it is the most potent and cheapest preservative available. The FDA was more concerned with its use in food animals that are part of the human food chain, with no regard for what our pets consume. Ethoxyquin has been associated with immune deficiency syndrome, leukemia, blindness, skin, stomach, spleen and liver cancer in companion animals. A 1984 study showed that ethoxyquin increased mutagenic activity, increased the toxicity of other chemicals and induced DNA mutations and chromosomal aberrations. Is this something we want to give our pets? Ethoxyquin is listed as a pesticide by the Department of Agriculture. Ethoxyquin is listed as a hazardous chemical by OSHA (Occupational, Safety and Health Administration). It is rated 3 out of a scale of 6. A compound rated 6 is so potently toxic that 7 drops can cause death.
   
   
Propylene Glycol: Used in semi-moist food as an anti-microbial preservative because semi-moist food contains 25-50 % water. Documented research showed that it causes hematologic abnormalities, central nervous system depression and kidney damage.

PRESERVATIVES AND ADDITIVES FOUND IN SOME PET FOODS
   
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
Ethoxyquin (EQ)
Sodium Nitrate
Propyl Gallate
Sodium Nitrate
Sodium Glutamate
Sodium Alginate
Propylene Glycol
Potassium Sorbate

PARTIAL LIST OF PET FOODS CONTAINING BHA, BHT or ETHOXYQUIN
   
Hill's Science Diet (BHA, Ethoxyquin)
Alpo - Beef (BHA)
Pedigree (BHA, BHT)
Pro Plan (BHA)
American Nutrition (BHA)
Royal Canine (BHA)
Iam's (BHA, Ethoxyquin)
Heinz (BHA)
Ralston - Purina (BHA)
Ralston One (Ethoxyquin)
9 Lives Friskies (BHA, Ethoxyquin)
Big Bet (by-products)
Pro-Pet (by products)
Eagle Pet (by products
Fancy Feast (by products)
Hi-Tor Felo Diet (by products)
ProPlan (by products)

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS
   
Four of the top five major pet food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of multinational food production companies: Colgate-Palmolive, Heinz, Nestle and Mars.
   
P.F. Mc Gargle, DVM states, "Feeding slaughterhouse wastes to animals increases their chance of getting cancer and other degenerative diseases. Those wastes can include moldy, rancid or spoiled meats as well as tissues severely riddled with cancer."