A pet owner recently provided concerning images of a large bone fragment in Farmina canned dog food.
The pet owner reported the issue to the pet store she purchased the food from, who in turn put the pet owner in touch with Farmina. Farmina provided the following statement regarding the piece of bone:
“While we have many procedures to ensure the highest quality product possible, natural materials such as bone or bone fragments attached to the high-quality muscle meat we receive from regional suppliers can be accidentally missed.”
Not an acceptable response.
This was a large piece of bone that could have caused a serious – potentially fatal – injury if the pet owner had not seen and removed it. ‘Accidents’ like this should not occur.
Further, pet food regulations confirm “accidentally missed” bones in a lamb pet food would mean the pet food is mislabeled.
Per the pet food legal definition of the ingredient lamb – which is “meat” – bone is not allowed. “Meat is the clean flesh derived from slaughtered mammals and is limited to that part of the striate muscle which is skeletal or that which is found in the tongue, in the diaphragm, in the heart, or or in the esophagus; with or without the accompanying and overlying fat and the portions of the skin, sinew, nerve, and blood vessels which normally accompany the flesh. It shall be suitable for use in animal food.”
If bone is included, the listed ingredients on the label should include “bone” or the lamb ingredient would need to be stated as Lamb By-Products (instead of Lamb). Lamb By-Products includes bone, Lamb does not.
On the other hand, if this was a poultry pet food (chicken or turkey), bone is allowed in the legal definition. “Poultry is the clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone….”
Knowing the regulations can help.
This pet owner resides in Canada, which unfortunately does not allow her any options to report this issue to regulatory authorities. But, if a pet owner in the US finds a piece of bone in a beef, lamb, or pork pet food – you can report the issue to FDA reminding them that bone fragments are not allowed in a meat pet food. Accident or not, bone in a meat (excluding poultry) pet food would mean the product is mislabeled.
Let us hope that Farmina takes a different attitude about these bone fragments. They are dangerous and they are not allowed per legal definitions of pet food ingredients.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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