I've seen a few articles over the past couple of days about the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) in tinned soup and how increased levels are linked to heart disease and diabetes. I've read the chemical is banned from baby bottles by the EU.
I feed my Collie-cross tinned food and wonder what the implications are for tinned pet food? From what I understand, BPA is used to prevent rusting in soup tins. Is BPA used in tinned pet food? And is it as harmful to pets as it seems to be to humans?
I'd be interested to know your thoughts.
Thank you
Andrea Vine, Derby
Sarah Hormozi, Veterinary and Nutrition Affairs, Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) says...
Dear Andrea
Thank you for raising this issue in your letter.
At PFMA[1] we are aware of the recent press coverage of Bisphenol A (BPA) in canned goods and we understand that pet owners want to ensure the food they are feeding their pets is safe.
Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA, is an organic compound that is mainly used in combination with other chemicals to manufacture plastics and resins. BPA is also used in small amounts in the lining of cans, including pet food. Despite a great deal of research in this area, there is no evidence of BPA having any harmful effect on cats and dogs.
According to the European Food Safety Authority, BPA is an approved food contact material, which has been carefully tested and used in the food and pet food industries for years. BPA is also permitted for food contact use in other countries such as the USA and Japan.
PFMA would like to reassure consumers that the feeding of canned pet food should not give any reason for concern. At PFMA we pay particular attention to pet health issues and are closely monitoring any findings on environmental chemicals including BPA to ensure that manufactured pet food remains a safe way to deliver complete nutrition to your pets.
For further information on BPA please refer to our website www.pfma.org.uk.
[1] PFMA or Pet Food Manufacturers Association represents the UK pet food industry with over 60 pet food companies as its members.
Given what I have found out that can be, and often is, present in some dog food, after doing a small amount of personal research; it wouldn't surprise me if BPA was used in at least some tinned dog food.
ReplyDeleteYou could contact the manufacturer of your dog food, but then they may not be 100% honest, or they may not even know. You could contact the manufacturer of the tins your dog food is put in, but again, they may not be 100% honest.
I would suggest you do your own research, both in a general sense of dog food, and also into BPA in tins for dog food; and either come up with concrete proof, or at least a good idea - and then go from there.
From what I know, I could list the brands I could see as potentially having BPA in their tins, as well as those that are less likely.