Pet Food Ingredients - P - Phosphoric Acid

P

Phosphoric Acid

MSDS

Gotta love starting off with a Material Safety Data Sheet - that states it is harmful if you come into physical contact with it, inhale it, or get it in your eyes... 

CDC

I am just adding this link because I find it strange that someone can look at a product and say - hey, I know this is bad for us if we touch it - but what about if we put it in food?

• Phosphoric acid is produced from phosphates by reacting with sulphuric acid.

 I will save you the 'fun' of reading the animal testing studies.
 Here are the parts that you would probably be looking for.

International Programme on Chemical Safety  

"Excretion takes place mainly in the faeces as 

calcium phosphate so that the continuous 

use of excessive amounts of sodium phosphate 

and phosphoric acid may cause a loss of calcium."

"On high-dose levels, hypertrophy of the
parathyroid glands has been observed. 

A more important and more sensitive 

criterion for the deleterious action of 

phosphate overdosage is the appearance 

of calcification in soft tissues,

especially in the kidney, stomach and aorta. 

Kidney calcification may be observed in a
few weeks or months, 

depending on the dose level."

"Numerous animal studies have 

shown that excessive dietary phosphorus 

causes an increase of plasma phosphorus 

and a decrease in serum calcium. 

The resulting hypocalcaemia stimulates 

secretion of PTH which in turn increases 

the rate of bone resorption and decreases
calcium excretion. 

These homeostatic adjustments to high 

dietary phosphorus may result in 

bone loss and calcification of soft tissues 

in animals."

I am reading on many sites 

that Phosphoric Acid is 

not needed in Pet Food.

It is used in lower quality 

pet food as an additive, 

a flavor enhancer.

Making it more palatable.  

Some say it is used to help 

meet the PH levels needed 

for cats in their food. 

Other say it's actually addictive 

and can actually be linked to weight 

gain in humans due to it's rather 

prevalent role in Colas and Diet Colas.  

The general theory I am reading is 

that there is no need for this 

ingredient in pet food - and 

the use of it is for the benefit of the 

manufacturer.

At the same time - the levels used 

may not be hurting the animals.

It's not seemly being thought 

of as a highly negative item.

I think that eliminating all 

non essential ingredients in 

pet food is the best idea.  

So who uses Phosphoric Acid in their pet foods?

Just the Cheapos?

Or maybe the Middle men?

What about the High rollers ?

Lets check it out...

Beniful

Friskies

Purina

Purina One

Purina Pro Plan

Science Diet 

Fancy Feast

Meow Mix

Natural Balance

Performatrin

Whiskas

Eukanuba

Iams

Merrick

Nutram

This is not a complete list 

- just a list to give you an idea.

Also this does not include every 

version of each brand 

- just that at least 1 of their 

products contain Phosphoric Acid. 

Dammit Merrick - why ? This saddens me. 

These days, in regards to pet food - 

we are stuck with the need to decide

which of the bad ingredients are least harmful.

Which are we willing to feed Fluffy or Fido?

Who is the judge on the level of 

good vs bad for which we allow in their foods?

We are.

Instead of frantically searching 

for a food down the road 

- the does not have a certain ingredient listed - 

because your pet has restrictions due to illness.

Find out now - Avoid it now. 

The idea is to do the best you can 

- with what you can.

Not everyone can afford the

high priced foods.

That is okay!

Some of those suck anyways...

Just don't buy Fluffy a bag of Meow Chow, 

then go out and buy yourself Starbucks 

 -though they probably cost the same.