OK I just found a source on the internet (don't know how reliable it is) that states that the ethoxyquin standard for uncooked human food ranges from 0.5 to 5ppm, depending on the type of food. The ethoxyquin is used in animal feed and will be in uncooked fats of beef, poultry, etc.).
The limits (standards) are: 150 ppm in paprika and chili powder
, and because it is used as a preservative in livestock feed, the following residue allowances in human consumed animal products as follows: 5 ppm in or on the uncooked fat of meat from animals except poultry; 3 ppm in or on the uncooked liver and fat of poultry, 0.5 ppm in or on the uncooked muscle meat of animals, 0.5 ppm in poultry eggs, and undectable in milk.
This tells me four things:
1) It is found in trace amounts in human food, too.
2) If the same protein sources are used in the dog food, there will also be ethoxyquin in the dog food.
3) Acana / Origen standards (5ppm) for ethoxyquin are similar to the standards required for human food. If 5ppm is low enough to be safe for humans (not saying it is), is it also OK for our pets?
4) If poultry eggs have a standard of 0.5 ppm, then there is a more sensitive test method available than what Acana/Origen is using to see if the food meets their standard.
What to do? If organic proteins are used in the manufacture of the dog food, I would take it that means that the animal feed wouldn't contain ethoxyquin, and therefore it couldn't be introduced into the dog food via the protein source. Also, a food that uses fresh-caught fish would be an option? I'm just thinking of possibilities here.
How do they know that under 5 ppm is safe for humans or dogs? What testing was used to determine this? If it is used to preserve fats, then it would have to be fat-soluble, which means (like the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K), if you get too much it builds up in the fat of the creature that is consuming it. It would build up in anything fatty, like the brain, liver, etc, not just your butt.
