Russian expert Roman Kolesnikov stated in an investigation for RBC that price does not guarantee quality.
Expensive super premium pet food turned out to be counterfeit, and traces of antibiotics were found in the lab.
Consumer Reports magazine conducted a blind test: 30 dogs chose cheap food, ignoring the "luxury" one.
Why? Budget feeds are supplemented with flavor enhancers - sodium glutamate.
As breeders say, puppies stop eating natural food after economy food.
To choose an honest brand, you need to look for the “full-strength” mark and also check the expiration date.
Counterfeit products often have illegible characters printed on them.
There is also information about the investigation by Novaya Gazeta, which revealed a scheme in which large chains sell expired food under the guise of promotional items.
"The expiration date is marked with a laser," said a former warehouse employee. "Check the packaging for uneven paint."
There have been cases when moldy granules were found in luxury feeds when checking a batch of feed. The smell was masked with "fresh meat" flavors.
Another shocking fact is that foods labeled "grain free" often contain legumes, which cause bloating.
In 2022, the FDA linked 500 cases of heart disease in dogs to such foods.
Nutrition expert Igor Savelyev advises: “Replace them with food containing quinoa or buckwheat – they are safer.”
But even these options aren't ideal. A University of California study found that 40 percent of organic-labeled feeds contain pesticides due to contaminated soil.
As for cat food, the "Scandal of the Year" column could be headed by the story of cat food labeled "100% salmon."
During the inspection, a mixture of soy and dye E127 was found there.
Pet owners are advised to use mobile apps like PetFoodScan.
They analyze the product's composition by barcode, but it's better to study the composition. And if it says "meat and bone meal" without specifying the type of animal, it's slaughterhouse waste.
"Duck meat" is better than "poultry", and "salmon" is more reliable than "fish".
