Human-grade dogfood

Today is WORLD FOOD DAY and we are celebrating healthy and nourishing food for us and the fur-family. At Cooka's we only work with human-grade ingredients, but does it really matter? We let you decide.

Human-grade food for dogs - does it really matter? First let me ask you two questions: 1.Do you think of your dog as a…well…a dog? 2. Or do you consider your dog a family member, you know, kind of like your child? If your are a #2 kind of pawrent (yes, that crazy IN LOVE♥ WITH MY DOG BABY kind of pawrent), than you probably care a lot about the health and nutrition of your fur-kid. And that means knowing all about the food you choose to feed. The markets are full of colourful and beautifully packaged foods picturing happy dogs and it can be rather difficult to choose the BEST for our pets. Natural, grain-free, simple-protein, hypoallergenic and yes - human-grade… Is human-grade food healthier? The answer is simple: The most beneficial diet for your dog is always prepared from fresh and whole foods. Real meat and fish, nourishing vegetables and vibrant fruit, seeds and healthy fats. And if these ingredients are fit for human-consumption, YES, even the better.

So what are WHOLE FOODS? Whole foods are foods that are minimally processed and as close to their natural state as possible. For a dog, a whole food diet may include gently steamed vegetables and grains, with the majority of protein coming from minimally processed meat or fish. Meat or fish should always be the key protein source for dogs, because dogs (like cats) need taurine, which is only found in meat protein. Most commercial foods are not the best examples for whole foods, as they are highly processed. So higher the processing, so lower the nutrition and the quality of ingredients. Yes, and even when the food has plenty of meat as the main ingredient, the ultra- processing, often under extreme heat, strips away the nutrients and natural goodness. Human-grade, just a new trend? Or a return to the roots? In the past, most dog foods were just made from ‘feed-grade’ ingredients. Feed-grade dog food is usually produced from foods that are considered ‘unfit for human consumption’. Unfit for human consumption? What does that even mean? This is what google says: ‘Feed grade materials are not certified as safe for human consumption, as they are considered ‘inedible’. Additionally, facilities that produce feed grade products are not held to the same standards as those that produce products intended for human consumption. Feed-grade foods cannot be legally sold as human food as it may contain ingredients proven harmful to humans. Now wait a second - would I feed my family food that is proven to be harmful to my health? Human-grade dog food means just what it sounds like it does. It’s dog food made with ingredients that are safe for YOU to eat. Of course, these recipes are carefully created to meet the nutritional requirements of dogs, and since there is no seasoning, most humans might find the taste a little blend. But the point is, that if you would want to share your doggy’s bowl - you absolutely could. Human-grade dog foods must be suitable and safe for human consumption and must be manufactured in a DGVA and HACCP approved facility that works with a process deemed safe for human-grade food.

ARE DOGS THAT EAT HUMAN-GRADE DOG FOOD HEALTHIER? The differences between human-grade dog foods and feed-grade dog foods are staggering if the health and safety of your pet are important to you. Human-grade dog food is safer than feed-grade dog food because feed-grade foods are legally allowed to include ‘contaminants’. Not only can feed-grade dog foods contain ingredients that humans wouldn’t want to eat, they are legally allowed to include ingredients that are unsafe. A few examples:

Vegetables or fruit that have been overexposed to high doses of pesticides and chemicals
Sick animals, or animals who had been treated with too many drugs
Contaminated or ‘expired’ meats from ‘unidentified’ animal sources

If ingredients like these are unsafe for humans to eat, they are not likely safe for our furry companions either. So we ask again - Are dogs that eat human-grade healthier? The answer is just too obvious…

So how is feed-grade meat produced? Animal parts, unfit or inedible for humans, are placed in a huge grinder that purees everything at high sped into a sort of gravy. Then, rendering reduces the meat tissues and by-products into a grey, fatty mass which is heated at extreme temperatures for hours until the grease and fat ‘float’ on top. Then this mass is dried into a powder, while synthetic vitamins, minerals and food enhancers (to keep that stuff smelling like food again) are added to the now ready ‘meat meal’ — which is then the basic ingredient to make the common feed-grade pet food, like most kibble or treats. WHY ISN'T ALL DOG FOOD HUMAN GRADE? Well, just imagine the cost. Could you create a kilo of meaty food for your doggy at home, for the same price you buy a bag of kibble? Even with the lowest cost ingredients, it would be pretty much impossible to beat the price of the glossy bag at the supermarket. So there is your answer. We always get what we pay for. And there are just no short cuts on real food. It has a price. DO DOGS REALLY NEED HUMAN GRADE FOOD? Dogs are evolved from wolves and believed to have a very advanced digestive flexibility. Because of this, our dogs can survive on feed-grade food. But surviving should not be our aim as a loving pet-pawrent.