Recently, the FDA added “economically motivated adulteration” of foods to import alerts, a move to notify officials to be looking out for products which may not be as they seem. The agency has multiple pages on their website about this sort of adulteration, not just for imported foods but for products manufactured within the US.
The FDA defines it as: “Economically motivated adulteration (EMA) includes the substitution, addition, or omission of a substance in a product for the purpose of increasing the apparent value of the product or reducing the cost of its production for economic gain.”
The FDA provides multiple examples of economically motivated adulteration comparable to: “Olive Oil: Similar to honey and maple syrup, some companies have previously diluted more expensive extra-virgin olive oil with less expensive vegetable oil but sold the mix as pure olive oil at a higher price.”
And the agency provides examples of enforcement motion taken against firms which have sold economically motivated adulterated foods, in addition to the legal consequences suffered by the businesses: “a father and son who ran Casey’s Seafood were sentenced to prison for repackaging foreign crab meat as blue crab caught in the U.S.”
But…
There is one other example of economically motivated adulteration that’s 100% FDA’s fault, with no legal consequences experienced by any company benefiting from the fraud. Many feed grade pet foods.
The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine states: “we do not believe that the use of diseased animals or animals that died otherwise than by slaughter to make animal food poses a safety concern and we intend to continue to exercise enforcement discretion.”
The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine is the only real decision maker that permits reduced cost substituted (and illegal) ingredients in pet foods that appears to be of greater value on pet food labels providing significant economic gain of pet food manufacturers.
Which ends in ingredients sourced from this:
or this:
or this:
To be sold to consumers packaged like this:
and like this:
Evidence of economic motivation:
How much would a consumer pay for a pet food labeled truthfully like this (or would they even purchase it)?
Opinion: No pet food consumer would buy it, which is why it’s hidden from consumers.
There is little doubt. Because the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine allows pet food manufacturers to source inexpensive (and illegal) substitute ingredients while marketing their foods with no disclosure to the truthful quality of ingredients – they’re allowing these manufacturers to cash in on selling adulterated pet foods. It is apparent and straightforward FDA enabled economically motivated adulteration.
It is a federal crime recognized in all foods…except pet food.
Feed free to precise your opinion about non-disclosed illegal ingredients leading to economic gain of pet food manufacturers to FDA at: AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov.
Wishing you and your pet(s) one of the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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