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Dogs aren’t just man’s best friend. These days they’re more like family members, enjoying all the perks that come with that including human grade dog food. By Janina Waldmann
During the COVID-19 pandemic, dog ownership shot up. This, in turn, gave a big boost to the Australian pet food industry which is predicted to grow by 2.7 per cent annually to 2026. At the same time, there’s been an ever-growing emphasis in pet food marketing on the importance of pet health and wellness. From CBD for pets to probiotics and supplements, there’s no shortage of wellness-focused treats and supplements owners are willing to buy for their pooches.
In amidst all this marketing noise, one claim that gets repeated again and again is that human-grade dog food is better for dogs.
According to human-grade dog food manufacturers, such dog food promotes, among other things, firmer stools, shinier coats, and better overall health.
Dr Shiva Greenhalgh, a Sydney-based registered animal nutritionist, is sceptical that human-grade pet food is inherently better for dogs. She explains that, as a label, human-grade is “merely about having the same process that you would for human food to ensure safety of that overall product. But that doesn’t have anything to do with the nutritional component of it and that’s a big misunderstanding.”
Dr Richard Malik is a consultant for the Centre for Veterinary Education at the University of Sydney. He is far more inclined to advocate for human-grade dog food, noting that a diet of exclusively ultra-processed food such as kibble or canned food has similar effects on dogs to those an exclusively ultra-processed diet has on humans.
The Australian pet food industry currently operates under voluntary standards, developed by the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia. This lack of legally binding regulation is one reason why Dr Malik believes human-grade dog food is the better choice for dogs. “The whole benefit of human grade is that it has undergone meat inspection, and it is of a decent quality,” he explains.
Dr Greenhalgh is less concerned. She says that, as far as safety is concerned, the processing that extruded and canned dog foods go through eliminates any harmful pathogens. Her focus is more on the types of meat being used. “[Pet food manufacturers] say, ‘Oh, in our products we use human grade beef,’ but it’s mince now. Mince is a very poor-quality protein, and so human grade doesn’t mean anything in that regard.”
So, what does the research say?
“Doing nutrition experiments with dogs and cats is extremely expensive”, says Dr Malik. This may explain the dearth of available research and the fact that pet food manufacturers almost exclusively fund the research.
It’s almost an evidence-free zone, he adds.
Studies that do exist tend to have small numbers of participants. Meta-analyses of studies of biomarkers for gastrointestinal functionality in dogs don’t evaluate the effects of different dietary interventions, and don’t distinguish between kibble and human-grade, canned or raw diets.
Despite this lack of scientific evidence, Dr Greenhalgh sees the effects of human-grade pet food marketing in her clinic.
Among her clients are dog owners sceptical of the nutrition advice they’ve received from their vet. She says that, in some instances, pets have been put on a therapeutic diet by their vet, yet owners remain unconvinced that the diet is in their pet’s best interest. “Because of this marketing, owners doubt that these foods will benefit their pet,” she says. The upshot is owners may unintentionally compromise their dog’s health due to concerns that therapeutic diet foods are not made using human-grade ingredients.
Kim Nguyen is dog mum to three-year-old golden cavoodle, Albus. At six months old, Albus began snubbing his kibble. Desperate, Nguyen began researching kibble alternatives, which is when she first came across the term ‘human-grade.’ Rather than paying for the subscription models available online, she began batch-cooking human-grade food for Albus and supplementing it with chicken pet food from a reputable supplier.
Since making the change, Nguyen has noticed a significant positive difference in her dog’s stools. When she briefly tried to put Albus back onto a kibble diet, his stools became very smelly, and the colour and consistency changed significantly.
Nguyen’s experience is in line with the findings of some studies. Dogs may digest human-grade dog food better but there’s not yet enough research available to turn this correlation into a causal certainty.
In the meantime, Drs Malik and Greenhalgh agree that owners do not need to spend big on human-grade dog food subscription models. These options, Dr Malik says, are “basically for lazy people that love their dog a lot”. Owners can achieve the same health outcomes for their dog by preparing their food from scratch at home, likely for a fraction of the price.
As experts in the field, they recommend that pet owners focus on ensuring their dogs’ diets are well-rounded and that dogs receive the macro and micronutrients they need in the right ratios.
There’s no doubt that Aussies love their canine companions, but it’s clear that many pet owners need better support to understand their dogs’ nutritional requirements. With vets and vet nurses the first port of call for many owners, it’s imperative they’re able to offer informed guidance to anxious dog owners.
