The Truth Behind Human Grade Dog Food

In the store the other day I saw a bag of human grade dog food. Curious, and always on the lookout for good, nutritious food for my dogs, I went over and took a look. After researching dog foods for over a year now, I get very nervous and distrusting when I see something that is trying really hard to get my attention.

Human grade dog food. What does that really mean? Can I buy this and give it to my kids – the human kind, that is? The truth is, that’s what the dog food companies are banking on you thinking – not that you would actually do that, though. They know our relationship with our dogs are a very serious issue these days. By putting human grade on the bag, people automatically think, ‘I’m basically giving my dog human food. What could be better?’

So back to what does human grade dog food mean. Unfortunately, there is not a legal definition for human-grade, although there is an official definition. Human-grade means that the processing plant is certified for processing human food. It does not mean the food coming from the processing plant would necessarily be something that humans would eat, though. But rather, that the sanitary conditions in the plant are acceptable for human food processing. For example, most people do not eat animal lungs (that I know at least), but if they are processed in a certified human food processing plant, then it is considered a human grade ingredient (lungs are an acceptable part of what is called animal byproduct in pet foods).

So is human grade dog food good, or is it just another marketing strategy? It depends on the food…..

For me, it always goes back to reading and examining each ingredient in the dog food. This is the tell-all of the food. Is it full of by-products, animal or grain? Does it have preservatives or artificial coloring? The smartest thing I ever did was learn how to read those labels. I did it for my children’s health years ago. Now I’m doing it for my dogs’ health as well.