Not all dog food is terrible, some companies make dog food out a crap 4 D meats (dead, down, diseased,or dying ) and waste products from human food processing, so those foods will always be risky
Other food companies only use human grade ingredients to make dog food
Pick foods from this page in the 5 and 6 star categories
in the 4 star category some are okay but not all
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/index.php/cat/1
I prefer to stay with grain free foods(6 star category simply because they do not contain grains because grains are highly susceptable to molds, improper testing during manufacturing has resulted in previous recalls that caused deaths due to moldly grains(mycotoxins) but can also occur if manufactured and checked properly but stored incorrectly in your home.
Below some articles on grain molds
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Would you keep a loaf of bread open in your kitchen for 39 days?
We hope not. That's how long an open bag of dog food typically lasts. This lengthy storage time and poor storage conditions often lead to nutrient degradation, oxidation of fats and infestation by molds, mites and other food spoilers.
Another set of numbers, as a dog owner, you want to be concerned about: One in three dogs dies of cancer. We believe improper storage at home is a major contributing factor to that mortality rate.
Dry dog foods usually have a one-year shelf life. That means the food is good for up to one year after the manufacturing date. Many dry foods stamp a best if used by date on the package. This applies only to unopened bags, however. High-quality dog food companies use bags that provide protection from oxygen and moisture. If the bag is intact, not enough oxygen and moisture can migrate into the food in one year to cause significant oxidation or microbial growth problems.
Though there are problems that can occur between the food manufacturer and the customer opening the bag, it's what happens after the bag is opened that we are most concerned with in this article.
Here's a short list of goodies, among others, that enter the bag after it's opened:
Oxygen
Moisture
Light
Mold spores
Storage mites
Oxidation of fats: , oxidized fats may cause cancer and contribute to many chronic health problems in humans. The same is true for dogs.
Dog food companies use antioxidants -- sometimes vitamin E and other natural sources -- to slow down oxidation. Every time the bag is opened, however, oxygen enters. Eventually, the antioxidants are all oxidized (used up) and some of the fats are damaged, starting with the more fragile omega-3 fatty acids that better pet food companies now add to their foods.
Degradation of all micronutrients: Vitamins particularly susceptible to oxidation and damage due to long-term room temperature storage include vitamin A, thiamin, most forms of folate, some forms of vitamin B6 (pyridoxal), vitamin C and pantothenic acid. The nutritional value of the food at the bottom of a bag left open 39 days will be considerably less than the food you remove when you first open the bag. Simply put, the fresher the better.
Molds and mycotoxins: Storing open bags of dry dog food for 39 days in warm, humid areas (most kitchens) promotes the growth of mold. Some of the waste products of this mold (mycotoxins) are increasingly being linked to long-term causes of cancer and other health problems in humans, poultry, pigs and other animals. Dogs are particularly susceptible to these toxins.(1)
When dry dog foods absorb moisture from the surrounding air, the antimicrobials used by most manufacturers to delay mold growth can be overwhelmed,(2) and mold can grow. The molds that consume dry pet foods include the Aspergillus flavus mold, which produces Aflatoxin B1, the most potent naturally occurring carcinogenic substance known.(3)
People don't see low levels of mold, and most dogs can't taste it.(4) In fact, many dogs have died shortly after eating mycotoxin-contaminated foods.(5) Mycotoxins kill most dogs slowly by suppressing the immune system and creating long-term health problems in all organs of the body.(6)
Infestation: Bugs, storage mites, mice, and other unpleasant invaders thrive on dry dog food. Recent research has shown that allergic dogs are frequently allergic to the carcasses of storage mites, which may infest grains, especially those grains used in low cost dry dog foods.
Our Recommendations
Keep food in its original bag, even if you use a container. Plastics can leach vitamin C out of the food and the components of the plastics themselves may leach into the food. Rancid fat lodges in the pores of plastics that are not food-grade and will contaminate new batches of food.
Buy small, fresh bags of food, enough to last seven days. Look for manufacturing or best if used by dates on the bag. If you don't see one, or can't understand the code, write the manufacturer and ask where it is or how to interpret their codes.
Keep food dry. If the food looks moist, throw it away.
Keep larger bags in the freezer. This is the only way we believe large quantities of food may be kept safely.
If the food is off-color, throw it away.
If the food smells rancid or like paint, throw the food away.
If your dog says no, do not force her to eat it.
Don't buy bags that are torn.
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Mycotoxins in Pet Foods
In recent years, concerns have been expressed by some pet owners regarding the potential for contamination of pet foods that contain grain products with naturally-occurring mycotoxins . Mycotoxins are metabolic by-products of fungi that are toxic to both animals and man. These concerns are based to some extent on current data which has shown that mycotoxins are toxic to farm and laboratory test animals. Food contamination may be more relevant in pets since they are maintained and fed for longer periods of time than farm animals and thereby are theoretically more vulnerable to chronic exposure to toxicants.
It is generally recognized by petfood manufacturers that mycotoxin contamination is a source of increased problems in their industry. Ingredients that are at risk of becoming contaminated are wheat and wheat products , corn and corn products, soybean meal and hulls, barley and oats.
Mycotoxins can develop prior to harvest where their concentration depends on weather and natural conditions, including moisture, temperature, pH and stresses such as drought and associated growth of other fungi and microbes. Grains and feeds can also be contaminated with mycotoxins between harvesting and drying, as well as during storage. Once produced, these toxins cannot be readily extracted from contaminated feed.
The major mycotoxins with potential for contamination of pet foods are aflatoxins,vomitoxin, zearalenone, fumonisins, and ochratoxin A. Three genera of fungi, Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium (Gibberella), are the most frequently implicated causes of mycotoxin contamination.
Aflatoxins are one of the most potent naturally-occurring carcinogens known to man and have been associated with a variety of health problems in both animals and man. All species appear to be susceptible to this toxin, although susceptibility varies from species to species. The primary target organ for aflatoxins is the liver with liver disease resulting from dogs ingesting aflatoxin-contaminated dog food.
Vomitoxin, known chemically as deoxynivalenol (DON), affects weight gain and appetite in pigs, with 10 ppm resulting in loss of appetite, vomiting and weight loss. It is also known to adversely affect the immune system, although at what levels this would start to occur remains unknown. Little is known about its toxicity in pets. It is known that dogs are susceptible to relatively low levels of vomitoxin and exhibit health problems similar to that seen in swine. Cats, as well as cattle, poultry, and humans, can also be affected.
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In 1995, Nature's Recipe pulled thousands of tons of dog food off the shelf after consumers complained that their dogs were vomiting and losing their appetite. Nature's Recipe's loss amounted to $20 million. The problem was a fungus that produced vomitoxin (an aflatoxin or "mycotoxin," a toxic substance produced by mold) contaminating the wheat
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In 1999, another fungal toxin triggered the recall of dry dog food made by Doane Pet Care at one of its plants, including Ol' Roy (Wal-Mart's brand) and 53 other brands. This time, the toxin killed 25 dogs.
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Mycotoxins contaminate cereal grains worldwide, and their presence in pet food has been a potential health threat to companion animals. Aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, and Fusarium mycotoxins have been found in both raw ingredients and final products of pet food around the globe. Aflatoxin, a hepatotoxin and carcinogen, has caused several food poisoning outbreaks in dogs, and aflatoxin content is regulated in pet food in many countries. Ochratoxin A and Fusarium mycotoxins including trichothecenes, zearalenone, and fumonisins may have chronic effects on the health of companion animals. Grain processing, sampling error, analytical methods, conjugated mycotoxins, storage conditions, and synergistic interactions are common challenges faced by the pet food industry. Food-processing techniques such as sieving, washing, pearling, ozonation, and acid-based mold inhibition reduce the mycotoxin content of cereal grains. Dietary supplementation with large neutral amino acids, antioxidants, and omega-3 polysaturated fatty acids as well as inclusion of mycotoxin-sequestering agents and detoxifying microbes may ameliorate the harmful effects of mycotoxins in contaminated pet food.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that at least 76 dogs nationwide are believed to have died as a result of eating contaminated Diamond Pet Foods.
The company has recalled 19 varieties of dog and cat food because tests showed high levels of aflatoxin, a naturally occurring toxic chemical that comes from a fungus found on corn and other grains that causes severe liver damage in animals.
The company recalled products manufactured at its Gaston, S.C., plant from around September to November 2005. Based on sample testing, Diamond has narrowed down the exposure to food produced on Oct. 11, Brinkmann said Thursday.