Our cats They need wet food to complete their diet, but be careful with what we give them, because it may contain products harmful to your health.
Author Ingrid King, a former veterinary hospital director and veterinary journalist, has expressed concern about the presence of carrageenana substance that has been found to cause colon cancer when tested on animals in laboratories.
As stated in the Daily Mailthe Cornucopia Institute, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, recognizes degraded carrageenan, which is used as a gelling agent in many popular brands of cat food, as a “possible human carcinogen”.
This is based on research showing that it leads to higher rates of colon cancer in laboratory animals.
There are two types of carrageenan: degraded and undegraded, and processors claim that food-grade carrageenan falls entirely into the non-degraded category.
However, one study showed that in the products they tested, not a single sample of food-grade carrageenan could confidently claim to be completely free of the material. potentially carcinogenic.
In an article for the feline website CatsterIngrid King warned pet owners that food-grade or “undegraded” carrageenan is on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) list of items “generally recognized as secure (GRAS)”.
Despite concerns about how the agent may affect the health of cats, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) defines it as an acceptable emulsifier, stabilizer and thickener.
However, Ingrid King warns that degraded carrageenan, which is produced by high temperatures and acidity, has been associated with ulcerations in the gastrointestinal tract and gastrointestinal cancer in animals.
The veterinarian states that she feels “increasingly worried” by feeding cats or other animals foods containing carrageenan.
Dr. King continues to advise that, although foods without this ingredient may be a little harder to find, it is important read animal food labels and look for alternatives if your cat’s current food contains it.
King adds that pet owners should take due care and attention to Check your cat’s food for this ingredient.
Finally, he stated that unless your cat absolutely refuses to eat brands that do not contain carrageenan, pet owners should consider switching to any applicable food that contains this ingredient.
