Cat food has 122 contaminants: New test warns

A new investigation by Clean Label Project, a nonprofit based in Colorado, has raised concerns over the presence of various contaminants in cat food. Nearly all of the 100 cat food products tested, spanning 62 brands, contained multiple contaminants. These included heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic, as well as pesticides and chemicals like glyphosate. The report, released on Friday, revealed that lead was present in 99% of the samples, cadmium in 96%, and arsenic in 94% of the products.

The study analyzed 122 different contaminants, including heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals. It found that these toxins were present in all types of cat food - wet, dry, and air-dried - regardless of whether the products were labeled as natural or nutritionally superior. Dry food was found to have three times the amount of lead compared to wet or air-dried products. Fish-based cat food also had much higher levels of mercury, with fish-based wet foods containing approximately 28 times more mercury than other wet foods.

While the findings do not suggest that the tested cat foods are unsafe or that cats will become sick from eating them, researchers did emphasize the potential for repeated exposure. Cats often eat the same foods daily, which could lead to the accumulation of contaminants in their bodies over time. Chronic kidney disease, a common cause of death in older cats, is linked to the kidneys' role in filtering heavy metals.

The investigation also highlighted that fish-based cat food often contained more mercury and cadmium than other types of food. Glyphosate, a commonly used herbicide, was found in 37% of the cat-food products. Another concerning finding was the presence of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a chemical used in PVC plastics and some food-contact materials, which has been linked to various health issues. DEHP was detected in about half of the products tested, with the highest levels in canned and pouch products.