Human Quality Ingredients in Dog Food

The concern over the 2007 melamine-tainted pet food recall has led many people to pay more attention to the ingredients in their dog's food. Although there is no legal definition for the term "human quality" ingredients in dog food, many manufacturers use this terminology as a marketing strategy. This typically means that you won't see vague ingredients like "animal digest" or "meat by-products" on the label, and the ingredients are fit for human consumption.

  1. Human Grade Meats

    • While many low-quality dog foods might have pictures of succulent steak and plump chicken on the bag, you may not even see "beef" or "chicken" in the ingredient list--and the maker certainly isn't putting porterhouse steaks or chicken breasts in the food. Be aware that listing an ingredient as "human quality" has no legal definition, according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials. And it doesn't necessarily mean the food is superior. You need to read and understand the ingredients. Ironically, some meats not considered fit for human consumption are highly nutritious for dogs. Much of the organ meat, connective tissues and green tripe contain nutrients and minerals essential for canine health.

    Quality Grains

    • Many dog food manufacturers use grain by-products as inexpensive fillers and protein or carbohydrate sources. These include wheat and corn gluten (a by-product of making livestock feed or flour), brewers rice (a by product of making beer) and rice or soy protein concentrate. Human quality grains are whole, cooked grains, such as oatmeal, corn, brown or white rice and wheat.

    Vegetables

    • Some commercial dog foods don't include grains, instead using white or sweet potatoes as an inexpensive carbohydrate base. Other foods contain human quality vegetables and fruits for their antioxidant qualities. As with other ingredients, look for vegetables listed in their whole form such as carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries or spinach.

    Preservatives

    • Certain preservatives, like BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin are banned or limited in human foods, but permissible in dog food. Some dog food manufacturers use more "natural" preservatives such as rosemary or citrus extract and mixed tocopherols, which also are used in human food products.

    Homemade Diets

    • Many people feed their dogs raw or home-cooked meals using human quality meat, fresh vegetables and whole grains--all purchased from butchers or grocery stores. Feeding a fresh diet means there are few, if any, additives and preservatives in the dog food. Unless you include green tripe and offal as part of the diet, you're giving your pet 100 percent human-quality food.