ETHOXYQUIN: IS THERE SOMETHING FISHY ABOUT YOUR PET FOOD?
Source: https://cleanlabelproject.org/pet-food/
Ethoxyquin is a synthetic antioxidant that is included in some pet foods as a preservative to protect fats and fat-soluble vitamins from turning rancid. Ethoxyquin acts as an antioxidant, and without it, foods could turn offensive in odor, flavor, and worse with some chemical compounds having the potential to turn toxic. Sounds important, doesn’t it? However, as with many issues in the pet food space, there is a darker side to Ethoxyquin’s story.
According to an archived Environmental Protection Agency Pesticide Registration document, Ethoxyquin was developed by Monsanto in the 1950s. Monsanto is the same organization behind Glyphosate, the number one selling pesticide in North America classified by the World Health Organization as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
According to Fortune, Monsanto, now owned by Bayer Corporation, has reached a verbal agreement to resolve a substantial portion of an estimated 125,000 US Cancer lawsuits over the use of its Roundup® weed killer, according to people familiar with the negotiations. The settlements are designed to resolve claims that Roundup® caused Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in some users.
Ethoxyquin was initially registered as a pesticide by MONSANTO in 1965 as a deterrent of scald in pears through post-harvest indoor application. The Environmental Protection Agency’s own toxicity documentation states that “The primary target organs affected by ethoxyquin in experimental animals are the liver and the kidneys.”
It’s important to note that Ethoxyquin cannot be used in any food for human consumption (except spices, e.g., chili). Still, it can pass from feed to farmed fish, poultry, and eggs so that human beings can be exposed. As early as the 1980s, harmful effects were observed in animals and people occupationally exposed to Ethoxyquin. In vivo and in vitro studies were subsequently undertaken and found toxicity and mutagenicity effects of Ethoxyquin.
Ethoxyquin in Pet Food Today
A recent study showed that feeding high levels of Ethoxyquin might result in pigment accumulation in the liver, and an increase in serum levels of certain liver enzymes in laboratory animals. A series of in vitro studies also reported that Ethoxyquin had toxic effects on both living cells and genetic material. But, Ethoxyquin doesn’t just have the potential to cause harm in animals. It has also been shown to cause harm in humans. A search for new types of antioxidants or improved forms of Ethoxyquin has been undertaken in recent years because of the potential to cause harm to workers in pet food manufacturing facilities.
What Should A Concerned Consumer Do?
1. Hold brands accountable to ethoxyquin labeling regulations.
While Ethoxyquin is still permitted in pet food, there are prescriptive labeling rules. According to the FDA, Ethoxyquin is an approved food additive permitted for use in animal feed. However, it has specific labeling and safe use requirements.
2. Recognize that not ALL pet foods are high-risk for Ethoxyquin.
According to Dr. Karen Becker, “Most fish meal in commercial pet foods contains the potentially deadly preservative ethoxyquin, but chances are you won't find it on the label."
3. Be a conscious consumer. The unfortunate reality is that pet food
marketing departments can do an effective job of selling comfort
and security. Let’s be honest; we’re all trying to do the best we
possibly can for our families. This includes our pets. In fact, over 90%
of pet owners consider their pets part of the family. However, some
brands that leverage fanciful and flowery marketing terms around
“natural,”“sustainable,” etc., are sometimes the same ones using this
highly questionable at best, toxic, at worst, ingredient in pet food.
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