Dog food labels show you the company and product name, net weight, list of ingredients, feeding guidelines etc. but not all ingredients are usually listed and also the country of origin of those ingredients is missing.

Foods are shipped all over the world because of huge differences in market price and decreasing shipping costs. But as the world gets smaller by globalization, the food safety issue gets bigger. Morals, ethics and standards for food safety differ.

According to Consumer Reports, 92 percent of Americans want ‘country of origin’ labels.

Dog food typically has more ingredients and these can come from different countries. Also, ingredients can be grown in one country and processed in another. So the label would have to list all countries as they all contributed one way or another.

Suppose food labels would show the country of origin and it said ‘China’ (*1). Would you buy that food or would you pay more for food from your own country? You could make an informed decision. Go for cheaper foods or for the more expensive home-grown products.

What are the consequences?

You can make an informed decision and ‘vote’ for home-grown food products. It’s like some exclusive restaurants that are starting to market their menus by saying they only use regional ingredients and/or buy ingredients from local producers. They choose for quality and appeal to a feeling of chauvinism instead of going for the lowest prices. Also it supports local farmers and it gives a feeling of control. One can trust his neighbor to not adulterate the food, right?Less environmental pollution due to decrease in food shipments. Being environmentally aware is ‘in’, especially since the documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ appeared.

But also:

Expensive record-keeping drives up dog food prices.What are the consequences for trade barriers and agricultural subsidies?

But what about dog food safety? Will this increase? We cannot make a guaranteed safe decision based on country of origin. Not all imported feed and food is toxic and not all home-grown food is safe.

We can only be sure when the food is tested and found safe. But still… before the melamine scandal, no one knew melamine was something to test for. Despite having analytical testing methods with increasingly lower detection limits, the scope of compounds for concern seems to grow faster than developments in testing methods.

In the middle ages, rich people employed food tasters. This was an important and responsible job in those days to make sure the food served was safe to eat and free of toxins and poisons.

So perhaps this is an idea for the pet food companies…. Eat your own dog food before selling it

Continue reading about dog food regulations, dog food labels and dog food authorities on Best Dog Food Guide.

(*1) By the way, I have specifically named ‘China’ as an example because of the recent issues with exports coming from this country. It is not to single out one specific country; it is a fact based example.