Cat Food Analysed
Poor nutritional content can be problematic for cats, especially those that are sick or elderly. CHOICE says snappy cat food claims and premium prices don’t always equal nutritional goodness. CHOICE has tested 35 “complete” wet cat foods for key nutrients and found popular offerings from Advance, Aldi Silvester’s, Snappy Tom, Gourmet Delight and Coles were among the worst performers.
Choice Compares 35 Cat Food Brands:
“There was more than a whisker between the best and worst performers in our test with a number of products only just meeting the industry’s guidelines for fat and calcium,” says CHOICE Head of Media Tom Godfrey.
“Safcol’s Gourmet Delight Whitemeat Tuna with Chicken Breast fails to deliver on nutritional levels for fat and calcium, despite most other samples comfortably meeting guidelines established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). “Cat owners reading nutrient claims on pack need to have confidence that manufacturers are delivering a nutritionally complete diet to maintain their pets’ overall health.”
CHOICE’s test found Gourmet Delight Whitemeat Tuna with Chicken Breast had 0.1% calcium content – dry matter, yet the AAFCO guidelines which the company claims compliance with on pack requires 0.6%. It was also light on crude fat content – dry matter, with only 7.3%, when the standard calls for 9% (1)
“According to AAFCO, fat helps make cat food palatable, aids absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and is a source of essential fatty acids,” says Mr Godfrey. “Adequate calcium helps maintain overall bone health but levels were below the guidelines. If similar results are found across multiple batches of this food, then over time a cat eating this food consistently may not be getting the optimum balance of nutrients it needs.
“We have referred the test results to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and asked them to investigate the issue.”
In Australia, the wet cat food market is valued at $399.6 million and is dominated by Mars Petcare (51%), Nestle Purina (32.3%) and Private Label (11.3%) with Safcol (3.2%) a distant fourth (2).
Compare Cat Food Brands...
“Cat food marketing is all about evoking an emotional response from pet owners to get them to pay a price premium for very similar products,” Mr Godfrey says. “Whether it’s depicting cute cats and fish fillets on pack or making nutritional claims to convince you that you are buying a premium product, pet food manufacturers want you to believe purchasing their product is the best option for your pet’s health and wellbeing.
“But the fact is a premium price doesn’t always translate into a nutritionally superior meal with one of the most expensive products, Advance 1+ years – With Delicate Tuna ($2.21 per 100 grams), outperformed by Whiskas 1+ Years with Sardines and Tuna Loaf ($0.25/100 grams), which is $1.96 cheaper.”
When it comes to older cats that may have health problems, CHOICE found VIP Fussy Cat Beef and Kangaroo with Sweet Potato contained 10 times the minimum recommended amount of sodium. “While increased sodium is not an issue for healthy cats, if the cat is elderly and has chronic renal disease it may suffer from water retention if it consumes too much salt,” says Mr Godfrey.
CHOICE is also calling for changes to the Australian Standard for the marketing of pet food, which is currently under review. The changes include:
- Listing minimum percentages of characterising ingredients on pack. Currently, claims such as ‘with tuna’ can refer to a range of 5% to 25% of meat component.
- A consistent, industry-wide approach when listing nutritional content, such as an information panel..
- Clarifying terms such as “dinner”, “casserole”, “beefiest in the range” and “loaf” which currently are just generic terms for “meal” although they can imply more.
Stating the minimum % meat content for varieties described on the front of the label.
Based on the test results, CHOICE is recommending 26 of the 35 products. The test results and the recommended products can be viewed at choice.com.au/catfood
Media contact: Tom Godfrey, CHOICE, Head of Media and Spokesperson: 0430 172 669
AAFCO guidelines The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a globally recognised reference body publishing nutritional requirements for cats, reflecting published science. AS 5812-2011 - the Australian Standard for the manufacture and marketing of pet food - adopts AAFCO as the nutritional standard.
(1) AAFCO recommendations based on the US National Research Council’s 2006 guide, Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats 2 Retail World, Annual Report, December 2015, p86
(2) Retail World, Annual Report, December 2015, p86
CHOICE: 57 Carrington Road Marrickville NSW 2204 - choice.com.au
