Sharks in Pet Food: What We Know
By Josh Soll
Humans love their pets, and oftentimes we are as conscious about what we feed Fido as what we feed ourselves. People are quickly learning that shark products are not safe to consume, as they can contain heavy metals or chemicals. So, why would you feed them to your pets? This blog will discuss what we know so far about the use of shark products in pet food.
It is not always labeled as such, but shark or shark-derived products may be in your pet’s food.
Only one study could be found that used genetic identification, a process called PCR, to locate shark species in pet food. Cardeñosa 2019 tested 87 pet food products for the presence of shark. The results of only 29 of them were high enough quality to provide an answer, but it was found that 21 pet food products contained shark species. Unfortunately, this research didn’t name the products or brands, but it demonstrates the amount of work that it takes to determine what is actually in some pet food.
Some products are explicitly made from shark. This includes shark cartilage bully sticks, shark skin chews, and even whole chunks of dried shark meat. Many of these products (listed below) come from Australia, but they exist all over the globe. Some of the vendors of these products may surprise you, such as Chewy.com, eBay.com, entirelypets.com, or even bulkbullys.com, a Canada based company that manufactures these products in FDA approved facilities.
There are also some ingredients in dry pet food to look out for. The source of these ingredients may or may not be from sharks, as their descriptions are unclear.
Chondroitin or chondroitin sulfate: This is a compound that can be taken from shark cartilage, cows, or made in the lab, but the source of chondroitin in pet food is rarely described.
Ocean fish meal: This term could be describing any fish, including sharks, so it is difficult to know the origin of this ingredient.
We have to hold not only these companies accountable, but also the manufacturers that supply these products or ingredients. It is a change in consumer demand, however, that may be the quickest and most effective route in slowing or halting the use of sharks for pet food. Additionally, better regulation by government agencies could help.
The FDA does regulate dog and cat food in a variety of ways, and states that “the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Acts (FD&C ACT) requires that all animal foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled.” This seems to work fairly well, but we still see ingredients such as “ocean fish meal,” which doesn’t specify the type(s) of fish used in the meal. Regulation of pet food is also not the same everywhere. In Australia, for example, pet food is “essentially self-regulated with the voluntary industry standards applied through the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA).”
The following links are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to shark treats for dogs, but a great launching point to look out for what to avoid. To take action with us, please use our letter templates, tips on contacting merchants and fact sheets.
Shark Cartilage: Sancho & Lola's Closet, Bulk Bullys, Dog Bark Naturals on Chewy, Dog Bark Naturals on Entirely Pets, Dog Bark Naturals on Paws on Chicon, Australian Pet Treat Company, T&S Pet Products, Jordan Dog Training, Huds and Toke, Southern Raw Pet Meats, Dog Treat Chews, The Woofery Dog Bakery, Dogga Dogga Fish Stick Cartilage, Blackdog Shark Cartilage Dog Treats, Oliver Barkley Pet Supply.
Mixture (sells meat, cartilage, skin, etc.): 3 Dogs and a Bone, Snax.Pet, Blackdog Pet Foods, Pampered Petz.
Skin: Clear Dog Treats, Healthy Dog Treats, Sassy Treats, Wag.
Meat: Paw Balance, Rogue Royalty, Lucky Pet, Evolution Naturals, Shopee, Naturally Healthy Pet, Taiwan Trade.
Liver Oil (squalene/squalane): Healthy Pets
Cardeñosa, D. (2019). Genetic identification of threatened shark species in pet food and beauty care products. Conservation Genetics, 20(6), 1383–1387. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-019-01221-0