‘Human-Grade’ Pet Food Comes With a Down Side
Zeus looks out of the car window as his owner picks up pet food at a Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department Drive-Thru Pet Food Bank, June 4, 2020, at Lake Stevens Park in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
The idea that pets are family members isn’t just sentimental—it’s shaping the way many Americans feed their dogs and cats. Refrigerated, “fresh,” or even “human-grade” pet foods are on the rise, but they can come with a hidden cost beyond the grocery bill, according to the Associated Press.
Owning a pet is surprisingly climate-intensive, largely because pets, like humans, eat every day—most of them meat. The environmental footprint of pet meat includes the land the animal lived on, the food it ate, the waste it generated, and more. “What else do pets do? We have to feed them. That’s why it’s number one,” said Allison Reser, director of sustainability and innovation at the Pet Sustainability Coalition.
However, just like humans, the impact a pet has on the planet depends heavily on its diet.
Human-grade doesn’t necessarily mean healthier
Despite marketing claims, there’s little evidence that fresh, refrigerated, or human-grade pet foods improve health outcomes. “A lot of it is playing on marketing and treating pets as members of the family,” said Alison Manchester, assistant clinical sciences professor at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Traditional kibble and wet food can provide perfectly balanced nutrition and often make use of animal parts that would otherwise go to waste.
Reducing your pet’s climate “pawprint”
In the U.S., feeding dogs and cats accounts for more than a quarter of the environmental impact of meat consumption. A UCLA study found that the greenhouse gases from pet meat consumption are equivalent to the pollution from 13.6 million cars in a year.
Vegan diets for pets?
Protein should make up about 18% of an adult dog’s diet and roughly 26% of an adult cat’s diet, according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Dogs can stay healthy on a vegan diet if properly formulated. “Dogs can get plenty of protein and the right balance of nutrients without ingesting meat,” said Manchester. Cats, however, rely heavily on animal products, and there are no commercially available vegan cat foods that meet nutritional standards.
DIY and store-bought balance
Manchester recommends sticking with commercial pet food instead of homemade meals or table scraps. Incorrectly balanced homemade diets can lead to serious health issues.
For those who want to avoid “human-grade” foods for environmental reasons, Reser suggests checking labels carefully. Ingredients that sound appealing to humans, like premium chicken breast, often come with a bigger environmental footprint. Ingredients such as organ meats or crickets typically indicate protein from byproducts or more sustainable sources.
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