Bha In Dog Food

Bha butylated hydroxyanisole and it s cousin bht butylated hydroxytoluene are preservatives used in both human and pet foods to preserve food odor color and flavor.

Bha in dog food. The chemical is used in certain dog foods to prevent fats and oils from prematurely spoiling. 1 the national toxicology program of the department of health and human services warns that bha is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen cancer causing agent 2. Ethoxyquin is a preservative used with fish meals that is also. However the fda allows bha to be added to human food and dog treats at certain levels and classifies the preservative as generally regarded as safe the idea is that although bha might cause cancer in lab rats its metabolized differently by other animals humans and dogs in particular and it s used in foods at amounts well below levels that would cause problems.

Those additives can be found in pet food but also in human foods such us frozen foods ready made soups and potato chips for example. Both are also linked to cancer. This is not allowed for use in europe as the findings have shown it to be dangerous. The fda claims bha can be used safely as an additive in dog foods to preserve the shelf life of fats found in manufactured dog foods.

The feed additive is intended to be mixed in premixtures or added directly in complete feedingstuffs. According to the applicant bha is a white or slightly yellow waxy solid with a minimum purity of 98 5 bha containing at least 85 of 3 tert butyl 4 hydroxyanisole 3 bha and 2 tert butyl 4 hydroxyanisole 2 bha and a maximum of 0 2 of hydroquinone. Specifically authorisation is sought for the use of the feed additive for all animal species and categories. Why would bha be in pet food.

Bha butylated hydroxyanisole has been associated with liver diseases and cancer. Bha butylated hydroxyanisole and bht butylated hydroxytulene are two additives that prevent the oxidation of fatty substances and the alteration of colour and other qualities of the products to which they are added. Bha bht ethoxyquin tbhq. Bha is primarily used in preserving human and dog cat foods and is one of the most widely known dog food ingredients to avoid among dog owners and nutritional specialists.

Why is bha in dog food. Bht is the popular abbreviation for a common dog food additive known as butylated hydroxytoluene. If you re a dog owner then you probably recognize these names as artificial preservatives that you have been warned to avoid in your dog s food. Bht butylated hydroxytoluene has been linked to cancer in lab rats.

Bht can be found in embalming fluids cosmetics petroleum products pharmaceuticals pesticides and much more. Bha is on a short list of additives allowed in pet foods meant only for preserving the life of the food. Though some dog food companies prefer a safer and natural preservative because the fda still claims bha is safe to ingest and use in dog foods it is often found as one of the last ingredients as an additive and preservative for dog. Bha and bht are chemicals added to oils fats as preservatives that can be found in pet foods and treats.

In other words bht can extend the shelf life of a fat in a food product. Bha butylated hydroxysanisole bht butylated hydroxytoluene and ethoxyquin. Large amounts and should definitely not be an ingredient in a food an animal will eat daily for weeks months or even years of its life.