Ethoxyquin… Dangerous Dog Food Preservative

by Mike Sagman
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There’s one dog food ingredient you certainly want to be suspicious of… a fat preservative known as ethoxyquin.
Watch Out for Ethoxyquin

Ethoxyquin is not only used as a preservative in dog foods but… are you ready for this… it’s also used as a pesticide… and as a hardening agent in the manufacture of rubber.

Monsanto, the company that makes the chemical insists the additive is completely safe.

Yet ethoxyquin has been “implicated in birth defects, stillborn puppies, liver failure, infertility and cancer”.1

Plus… it’s no longer legal for general use in human food (except in some spices).  Yet to this very day, ethoxyquin is still commonly found in many popular dog food brands.

The very idea any manufacturer would stubbornly choose to ignore the condemning evidence and use ethoxyquin when there might be a safer alternative out there defies logic.

Anyway, I don’t know about you, but if ethoxyquin isn’t safe for my kids, then it’s not safe for my dog either.

How We Rate Dog Foods Containing Ethoxyquin

Although ethoxyquin can be directly added to a dog food at the time of manufacture, this is rarely the case.

Unfortunately, it can also be added indirectly… as an unavoidable consequence of using fish meal as an ingredient in any dog food.

That’s because many fish meals do contain ethoxyquin.

In one study reported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the effects of ethoxyquin appear to be “dose-dependent”.2

In other words, lower amounts of the chemical may be associated with fewer health risks.

For this reason, we have elected to award no more than two stars to any dog food that contains ethoxyquin directly added by its manufacturer.

However, on a percentage basis, fish meals tend to contribute dramatically less ethoxyquin to the overall content of a dog food than when the preservative has been directly added to the mix.

Since fish meals positioned lower on an ingredients list tend to contribute less ethoxyquin to the finished dog food, we plan to adjust those ratings accordingly.

Please be aware that the Advisor checks for ethoxyquin only in its selected example… and not every product within a product line.

Our Advice

For healthy pets, a trace amount of ethoxyquin probably poses no serious threat. But animals with compromised immune systems or with genetic predispositions to cancer should probably avoid foods containing even a trace of the chemical.

Manufacturers frequently change their recipes. So, be sure to look for any evidence the product contains fish meal. That is, unless the company clearly states their fish meals are ethoxyquin-free.

  1. Brigola, Sandra, “Pet Food – Our Pets Are Dying for It”, VonHapsburg Danes ↩
  2. USFDA Pet Food Labels, 3/2/2010 ↩
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


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  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

    Hi Guest500001,

    I’m personally unaware of any official assurances regarding the ethoxyquin content of named versus anonymous fish meals.

    It’s my understanding that all fish meals can potentially contain ethoxyquin (a requirement of the US Coast Guard to prevent explosions during transport).

    If you find an official government document that excludes named fish meals from this rule, please post it here.

    Thanks for your comment.

  • Guest50001

    I don’t know if this was mentioned, but don’t forget there is a difference between fish meals and named fish meals (salmon meal, herring meal,etc…). Named fish meals are safe for dogs, just not unnamed.

  • Toxed2loss

    From a toxicity stand point, every thing Dr. Becker stated in her article is true. Having researched many ingr. myself, I know that many manufacturer’s are often unaware of what’s in an ingredient supplied to them. So, if you are getting something different from the manufacturer, I suggest you ask them for their suppliers name and the ask them your questions. A manufacturer, in actuality, has limited control over their product. They have the most control while it is in the plant,and being processed. What happens to the ingredients before they reach the plant and what happens to the product after it leaves the pant, are not under their direct control.

    They can tell you that they don’t add any toxic preservatives. But, the question remains, do they have a guarantee that their suppliers don’t? Many manufacturer’s have those kind of guarantees. If you have a product that you and your pet love. Do a little digging…

    Does that make sense?

  • Rainwater430

    I don’t understand this article from Mercola.  It goes against what the manufacturers of the high quality foods claim.  Thoughts anyone?

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/01/03/fish-as-a-protein-source.aspx

  • Marie

    Vicki, that is so sad! :( I’m sorry to hear of your loss.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

    Vicki
    I’m sorry you lost your Maltese, to cancer. I’ve lost a number of dogs to cancer over the years and never put it together until I became toxically injured. I understand your sorrow and grief. :-(

  • vicky mathews

    I had the best, sweetest, smartest little Maltese for 6 years, 7 months, and 3 days. He passed away last week because of intestinal cancer. All he has ever eaten is Science Diet Dog Food. I am so sorry I bought this food for him. I thought I was buying a good quality dog food for him. I have read horrible reports lately about Science Diet Dog Food. About their ingredients, moths in the bags, etc. I have other dogs and I will never feed them Science Diet Dog Food ever again. I hate that I fed Science Diet Dog Food to my special little Maltese. He should have had a much longer life. Our household is very sad.
    Vicky

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Denny… The further down the ingredient list you find the fish meal, the less ethoxyquin would be present. However, once again, I believe this food is still ethoxyquin free. It’s worth a call to the company to find out. Wellness has been very responsive to my questions in the past. Hope this helps.

  • Denny Lawrence

    THANX for the response. Frankly, that’s what I feared; no other answer appears to hold up to serious scrutiny.

    If this is in fact the case, to how much ethoxyquin might I be exposing my pups ? Is it worth the risk ?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Denny… The company has previously advised me this product is ethoxyquin free. However, the fact a product is naturally preserved could simply mean the manufacturer has not added any synthetic preservatives (like ethoxyquin). Unfortunately, the real concern about ethoxyquin is what’s added to the fish before the fish meal is actually purchased by the manufacturer.

    It’s likely this food is still ethoxyquin free. However, you’ll need to check with Wellpet Customer Service to confirm. Wish I could be more help.

  • Gordon

    No Michelle, my opinion’s worth has gone down in value by 0.214445 cents. It fluctuates.

  • Michelle

    Gordon, isn’t you opinion worth 2 cents? lol

  • Gordon

    I meant, just my 1.785555 CENTS worth opinion or speculation.

  • Gordon

    Denny Lawrence – Could be because they know that the fish they source may have been treated with ethoxyquin before they acquire it. And so they can’t or won’t unequivocally claim that the product is ethoxyquin free. So because they will use a natural alternative preservative and given the aforementioned possibility, is why they probably have decided to state, “This is a naturally preserved product.”.

    Just my 1.785555% worth opinion or speculation.

  • Denny Lawrence

    I rotate feed my tribe; one of the dry foods I routinely use is the Core Ocean Formula. Until recently, their bag stated
    “ethoxyquin free.” This statement has been replaced with “This is a naturally preserved product.” I find this new statement weaker, somewhat ambiguous, and less than reassuring. Approximately a month ago, I e-mailed them and asked why they changed this statement. They have chosen to not respond. Can you shed some light on this?
    I would like to feel as comfortable with this product as I once did.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi James… Fromm and some of the Costco products are both good brands. Unfortunately, due to the biological uniqueness of each pet, I cannot provide customized product comparisons for each reader. For more help, please check out my reviews and visit our FAQ page. Look for the topic, “Help Me Choose a Dog Food”. Or check back for a possible response from one of our other readers. Wish I could be more help.

  • Gordon

    James Dabney – What was your pup on before Science Diet? Because going from a good dog food to a crap one like Science Diet will usually cause more stools as well as poor loose ones. Also, did you transition over a period of at least 7 days? Slow transitions are necessary to accustom the dog’s digestive system.

  • James Dabney

    I have a 12 week old Aussiedoodle that switched to Science Diet (recommendation of the Vet) and has been experiencing extremely loose stools since and cannot go the entire night without potty visits which he did not need prior to switching to Science Diet.
    I am considering a food manufactured by Fromm and also considering dog food from Costco which obviously is a lot cheaper. Is the Costco brand a good quality food or should I go to the more expensive Fromm brand?
    Jim Dabney

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Max… The Dog Food Advisor is an independent website that reviews and rates dog food. I do not make or sell pet foods. Please contact the manufacturer for this information. Wish I could be more help.

  • Max Moller

    Dear Sirs, I bought a 5 lb. pack of TOTW Pacific Stream (Salmon,etc.). The expiry date is February 2012.
    Considering all the valuable explanations you give about ETHOXYQUIN, and the fact that since May/June 2010 they guarantee their products to be free of the aforementioned preservative, I still have one question: Considering the expiry date, ¿When was the product manufactured?
    Thanks for your kind answer.
    Max Moller

  • http://www.ashawaycollies.com Linda Melbourne- Van Dyke

    Great site. I am a small hobby breeder of rough collies in R.I. McTavish,Fergie and Katy live in our home with us. I raised them on totw Bison, but this year Fergie had morniing sickness and I had to switch to the Pacific Salmon. They love it, but am concerned about mercury. The breeder in Minn. that I got my male from is trying to get me to switch to “Life’s Abundance”-that it is better. Opinions please. Thanks,Linda

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi David… We understand the difference in these 2 methods. So, we make it a point to ask the retailers if they purchase ethoxyquin laced fish. You should see my fidning on most any review on this website,

  • David

    David

    Hi Mike-

    Well, I just called Canidae 800-398-1600, and they pointed me to their list “All natural Ingredients” tab where it says “All CANIDAE and FELIDAE dry goods, cans and biscuits are naturally preserved”.

    What she then said really surprised me. She said that there are currently companies that list that they use all natural preservatives, even though the fish that the company purchased for their products was preserved with Ethoxyquin! The government allows them to still say their products are naturally preserved (because the company did not *add* the Ethoxyquin as a preservative)!

    Wow. I now wonder if Wellness does buy fish with Ethoxyquin in it?

    Anyway, the rep at Canidae assured me that all Canidae foods do NOT have any Ethoxyquin in their fish or any of their other ingredients.

  • David

    Hi Mike-
    I can NOT say enough thanks for the service this site provides!!! THANKS!!!

    I just called Wellness 1-800-225-0904 and they told me that their wellness brand (not their other products) list in all dog foods (click on ingredients on any product) that “This is a naturally preserved product” They said since Ethoxyquin is NOT a natural preservative, it is NOT used for any of their wellness line of dog food. I currently have a call into Solid Gold, and hope they respond with good news. I’m not endorsing any product, I’m just trying to find a healthy ones at reasonable prices! Hope this helps!

    Best wishes!

  • michelle

    @Sean-RE: Orijen: Reading Orijen’s website that you link to…you missed the majority of what’s actually written. Ethoxyquin-free.
    “Champion’s ingredients and foods are never preserved with Ethoxyquin or any other chemical preservative.”
    “Champion uses two kinds of fish ingredients in – fresh fish, and fish meals.”
    “Our fresh fish never contain Ethoxyquin.”
    “Our fish meals are never preserved with Ethoxyquin.”

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Ava… Because of our respect for a dog’s natural carnivorous bias, we’re not known to be fans of vegetarian dog foods. However, a search of our tags will provide a list of all the brands on our website that include at least one vegetarian dog food in their product line. Hope this helps.

  • Ava

    Hi! I just wanted to comment on the site, and this is as good a place as any.

    I think this resource is great. Absolutely great.

    I’ve had my first dog, a female dachshund/chihuahua mix, for nearly three years. I love her like one of my children, and was researching potential new food when I found this site. When we first got Noelle, she had some skin problems. Our family is vegetarian, so one night I gave the dog a piece of uncooked tofu. She loved it. I decided to try a vegetarian food for her. Her skin cleared up, her mood improved and everything, but the company (Avoderm, I believe) stopped making it. Now the only other dry vegetarian food I can find doesn’t seem to do it for her. She just sort of…picks at it, like a spoiled kid. I know there are differing opinions on the subject, but is there a good vegetarian solution recommended?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Jerry… I agree. That statement is a bit ambiguous. However, according to Blue’s customer service rep, all fish meals used in the company’s products are sourced from ethoxyquin-free fish. Hope this helps.

  • Jerry

    Mike- From the Blue Buffalo Website:

    What’s Not In BLUE and Why
    Artificial Colors, Flavors, or Preservatives
    Preservatives like BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, propylene glycol provide no nutritional value and have been associated with possible toxic side effects. Some pet food brands resort to artificial colors and flavors in an attempt to make food look and taste better. We don’t.”

    Is this statement too ambigous to assume that this company and their supplier of fish meal doesn’t use ethoxyquin? I wanted to start diet rotation and had their small breed Fish and Brown Rice recipe in line to try next…the first listed ingredients are “Whitefish, Whole Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Whole Ground Brown Rice, Canola Oil (naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)”. Their fish meal is listed 5th, if ethoxyquin is present will the ingredient positioning have a high enough ppm reading to be a cause of concern? Thanks in advance!

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  • Sean

    Just an FYI-

    Champion Pet foods, makers of Orijen and Acana, no longer guarantee’s their food is ethoxyquin-free… so they are kind of going backward.

    From their FAQ page
    (http://www.championpetfoods.com/faq/):

    “Champion’s Ethoxyquin standard is set at true trace level, not to exceed 5 ppm (parts per million) of Ethoxyquin, which is 0.0005%, or one half of one thousandth of 1% – the lower limit of what most certified laboratories are able to detect or measure”

    Definitely not worth the cost anymore… guess I’ll switch to TOTW and save some money in the process.

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