UK food blogger Colin McQuistan this week released a fascinating blog about his experiences eating dog food. Be warned: Reading his blog entry is not advised for those feeling nauseous!
Or for those with a curious nature planning to pick up a can of tinned tomatoes from the supermarket anytime soon. As McQuistan himself comments about the taste, dog biscuits have “a background flavour of meat that is strong, overpowering, sinister, evil… they taste like a poltergeist or a meaty tree”.
Is it a good idea to eat dog food?
Lucy Postins thinks so. Ms. Postins is originally from the UK (which makes us wonder if the phenomenon of eating dog food is a UK thing?) and now works for the US company, The Honest Kitchen. Ms. Postins is the official taste tester for every individual ingredient that goes into the company’s pet food products as well as the final products and thinks it’s important to ensure that our pets enjoy tasty meals.
In an interview, Ms. Postins said, “Some of my friends think it's an odd thing to do but most of them have pets they love as much as - or in some cases maybe even more than - their own children so they can see where I'm coming from.”
Before trying it for yourself, it is worth noting that The Honest Kitchen is the first pet food company in the US to get a ‘human grade’ rating from the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) for their products.
But is it safe to eat dog food?
No, in most cases it's not safe. Dog food does not have the same strict food safety regulations that human food does, and many of the animals used in pet food products have unknown backgrounds (such as kangaroos or horses) as opposed to animals farmed for human consumption, which are tracked from birth. Also, the animal parts that go into dog food are often those not deemed fit for human consumption. Examples include hide, bones, udders, and the animal's digestive system and its contents.
Having said that, Australia does have stricter pet food controls that other countries with Standard AS 5812-2011 (Manufacturing and marketing of pet food) setting strict guidelines for companies involved in the production and import of pet food and its ingredients.
So…should I eat dog food for dinner tonight?
No, please don’t. It’s really not safe for human consumption. And it tastes horrible. Read Colin McQuistan’s blog post to find out just how bad it really is.
