MOSCOW, March 1. / TASS /. Roskachestvo tested wet cat food and found that most of them do not contain vitamins and amino acids in the required amount. This is stated in the message of Roskachestvo.
Roskachestvo investigated wet food of economy and premium segments for adult cats. The tests included products from 20 brands, including such well-known brands as Gourmet, Hill's, Purinone, Royal Сanin, Whiskas and others. Three types of food were studied: pate, chunks in jelly and chunks in sauce.
"The results of the study showed that many wet feeds are absent (not found at the level of the method definition), or contain too little vitamins, minerals and amino acids, without which the feed cannot be considered complete," the message says.
In addition, the check showed that in some feeds there was two to four times more fiber than enough for the animal (relative to GOST). As explained in Roskachestvo, this is not a violation, since the investigated feeds were made according to the manufacturer's specifications. If they were made in accordance with GOST, they would be incomplete, with the appropriate designation on the label.
The organization also noted that several brands had inconsistencies in labeling for iron, zinc and protein content. Most of the inconsistencies (for 17 brands) are associated with fiber: some manufacturers do not indicate it in the composition at all, although it is present there, or indicate a much lower value than it actually is.
Pesticides and antibiotics
No violations were revealed in terms of chemical and microbiological safety indicators. Roskachestvo noted that all feeds comply with veterinary and sanitary standards and requirements for the quality of feed for unproductive animals, however, non-standardized pesticides and antibiotics were identified. The experts recalled that in Russia no standards for the content of pesticides and antibiotics have been established for cat food. In turn, Roskachestvo introduced advanced requirements for these indicators and found cases of exceeding, although only a few.
Thus, in one feed, the pesticide pirimiphos-methyl was detected. Previously, it was found in almost the same quantities as in Borodino bread. The antibiotic chloramphenicol was detected in the feed of another brand. If we compare the detected amount of chloramphenicol in cat food with food for humans, then the permissible "human norms" are exceeded 16 times, explained in Roskachestvo.
The experts also tested wet cat food for protein content. Roskachestvo reported that, according to GOST, protein in the feed should be at least 26%, and in the studied products it turned out to be more than 30%.
To confirm the presence of poultry (chicken) in the meat, the experts tested the feed for various DNAs. As a result, chicken DNA was found in products of all brands.
However, one of them, in addition to chicken, had DNA from a cow and a pig, but neither beef nor pork was declared in the labeling. Roskachestvo noted that wet food for cats can be both basic and additional food. For example, wet food is better absorbed (due to heat treatment, high moisture content) and has a more gentle effect on the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract of cats than dry food. However, these benefits can lead to weight gain when freely available, so alternate between wet and dry foods and follow the feeding recommendations on the packaging.
As noted in the report, the results of the research of Roskachestvo showed that wet food is of lower quality than dry food. And they are not always a full-fledged source of necessary substances. Earlier, Roskachestvo sent to the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia proposals to include in the draft of the developed technical regulation "On the safety of feed and feed additives" requirements for the reliability of labeling for the content of individual components and their range, as well as to establish indicators of completeness, feed value and safety of feed for cats and dogs. The project is under development.
