The US Division of Agriculture (USDA) has jurisdiction over the manufacturing of meat, poultry and egg merchandise – this consists of slaughter amenities. A USDA consultant is onsite throughout hours of operation in all slaughter amenities, and meals manufacturing amenities (meals that include greater than 2% cooked meat and meals that include greater than 3% uncooked meat). The Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) has jurisdiction over all meals merchandise that include lower than 2% cooked meat and fewer than 3% uncooked meat. The FDA is just not onsite throughout hours of operation in any meals manufacturing facility.

One would suppose that as a result of pet meals include greater than 2% cooked meat, they’d be regulated by USDA…however, that’s not the case. For undisclosed causes, the FDA has jurisdiction over pet meals – each manufacturing and distribution.

The one pet meals exception is human grade pet meals that are manufactured per human meals requirements (in a USDA licensed manufacturing facility). These pet meals are underneath USDA jurisdiction throughout manufacturing, however return to FDA jurisdiction when they’re sitting on retailer cabinets. All different pet meals are underneath FDA jurisdiction throughout manufacturing and distribution.

Each three months the USDA releases statistics to the general public concerning the variety of animals slaughtered for meat consumption, and important to pet meals shoppers the company releases statistics of condemned animals (animals the USDA deemed unsafe for consumption).

The USDA statistics for the primary three months of 2024 are:

The “Livestock Carcasses Condemned” whole is 51,142 animals (primarily cattle and hogs). The “Poultry Carcasses Condemned” is 1,961,040 animals (primarily rooster and turkey).

If we estimate a mean weight of livestock animals at 300 lbs every, and estimate the typical weight of poultry animals to be 8 lbs every – the full kilos of USDA condemned animals within the first three months of 2024 is 31,030,920 lbs.

As soon as this materials is condemned, it’s now not inside USDA jurisdiction. The USDA has no authority to resolve the place these condemned animals go – so long as it’s not inside their jurisdiction (meals – besides feed grade pet meals – that include greater than 2% meat).

Enter FDA jurisdiction.

Utterly reverse of USDA, the FDA welcomes these 31 million kilos of condemned animals into pet meals. The FDA place on condemned animals in pet meals is (quote from Dr. Steven Solomon director of FDA Heart for Veterinary Medication in April of 2019): “we don’t imagine that the usage of diseased animals or animals that died in any other case than by slaughter to make animal meals poses a security concern and we intend to proceed to train enforcement discretion.”

The regulatory authority on meat/poultry security (USDA) believes these 31 million kilos of animals weren’t secure for consumption. However in one other jurisdiction (FDA) – which has no expertise at meat/poultry security – has determined these 31 million kilos of condemned animals don’t ‘pose a security concern’ to the animals consuming them.

By the way in which, the USDA used to supply a “licensed pet meals” program. In contrast to the FDA, the USDA required all pet meals meats to be sourced from USDA inspected and handed animals. Meats sourced from condemned animals was not allowed.

And by the way in which, the FDA not solely permits diseased animals and non-slaughtered decomposing animals to be processed into pet meals…in addition they refuse to require pet meals producers to reveal these substances on pet meals labels.

Pet homeowners are usually not knowledgeable if their pet’s meals accommodates meats sourced from diseased or condemned animals. Pet meals producers (that make the most of this high quality of substances) are allowed to revenue from promoting undisclosed condemned animal materials. We submitted an official request to FDA (Citizen Petition) in July 2022 evidencing the authorized requirement for disclosing this data to pet meals shoppers. FDA was required by regulation to offer us a response inside 120 days. Nevertheless FDA has ignored this deadline, nearly two years later we proceed to attend for FDA’s resolution.

Wishing you and your pet(s) the most effective,

Susan Thixton
Pet Meals Security Advocate
Creator Purchaser Beware, Co-Creator Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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