Desculpem-me a quem não saiba ler inglês, mas achei este artigo bastante interessante e é demasiado extenso e confeço que não tive coragem de o traduzir:
"For protein, many cat foods use meat byproducts, animal digest, meat meal or bone meal. The nutritional values of these types of ingredients can vary greatly from batch to batch. In poultry, these are ground, rendered and cleaned parts of necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines. These parts of the animal are generally less nutritious for pets and are of a lesser quality.
It is better, say experts, to look for specific origins when it comes to ingredients. "Chicken meal," for example, consists of chicken flesh and skin, without bone, feathers, organs, feathers, etc. A label that says "meat meal," however, doesn't indicate a source and can come from just about any animal. Experts say beef meal is a lesser-quality protein source for cats than chicken meal.
In dry foods, seeing meat at the top of an ingredient list can be a little misleading, as meat has a high water content that's removed when it is processed into dry cat food. Meal, on the other hand, is meat with the water removed, and finding it high up in the ingredient list is a good indication of a high-protein dry food. Again, however, better cat foods will identify the source of the meal.
There are two schools of thought regarding the use of byproducts in pet food. One point of view says that in the wild, a cat will eat every part of its prey -- bones, fur, internal organs and all -- therefore byproducts are a part of a cat's natural diet, so a small amount of byproduct might not be too bad. Among those is Veterinarian Lisa A. Pierson, whose CatInfo.org website says, "The whole issue of byproducts or no byproducts is a personal one." Pierson goes on to say that byproducts at least are of animal origin and don't add carbohydrates to the food. She adds that it "makes more sense to include small amounts of animal-derived byproducts in a carnivore's diet than it does to add hypoallergenic grains like corn, wheat or soy."
Others, such as Franny Syufy, the About.com guide to cats, recommend avoiding cat food that contains byproducts, because some manufacturers use questionable ingredients. Premium cat foods recommended by experts contain few, if any, byproducts.
Note that in poultry-based cat foods, byproduct meals are labeled as such. However, in other types of cat food, byproduct meal can be misleadingly -- though legally -- labeled as meat and bone meal (MBM) or beef and bone meal.
You also might see an ingredient called "animal digest," which is the dry or liquid byproduct of the meat-rendering process. Experts say that while there is meat content in animal digest, it's of little nutritional value as it is not very digestible. Animal digest is almost never found in top-quality cat foot brands.
Artificial preservatives also give cat owners pause. There have been no studies done to determine the effects of long-term buildup of preservatives. Even so, the use of preservatives in human food has become a concern, one that has extended to pet food. Based on customer concerns, the best cat foods have switched to Vitamins C or E as preservatives rather than chemical preservatives. If you decide to avoid artificial preservatives, check the label. Some common names of these chemicals include BHA/BHT, ethoxyquin and propyl gallate. Adding to the complexity of finding the best cat food, Susan Thixton explains in her blog, Truth About Pet Food, that cat food can include preservatives not listed on the label -- as long as they're added to an ingredient before it reaches the cat-food manufacturer.
Reviews say cats need meat much more than carbohydrates, and some say cats don't need carbohydrates at all. In general, foods that contain primarily high-quality protein -- meat, rather than meat byproducts or grain fillers -- rank much higher in reviews. Some premium foods do include some vegetables or berries. Most experts say cats don't need any grains at all, but that if a grain is included, rice is much less apt to cause an allergic reaction than cheaper grains, such as corn or wheat.
Many supermarket brands use comparatively more carbohydrate fillers. This means your cat needs to eat more food in order to get the protein he or she needs. That, in turn, can impact your food costs in the long run, as well as your cat's overall health.
Note that some terms on a cat food label have legal meaning, while terms like "natural" and "premium" do not. The most impressive legal term on a label is, "Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that (name of product) provides complete and balanced nutrition." This means that veterinarians have tested cats before and after 26-week feeding trials to be sure the food maintains health."
De :http://www.consumersearch.com/cat-food/ ... ngredients
Se quiserem mto eu arranjo um tempinho e traduzo o mais interessante!
Espero que achem tão interessante o artigo como eu.
