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Quick Take

• Compliance with 2026 mandates requires addressing the heavy metal load currently restricted across 7 states.

• Adding BHA or BHT to preserve fats creates a direct path to chronic kidney damage.

• Counterintuitively, food-grade carrageenan triggers severe leaky gut despite being a natural derivative of seaweed.

• Identifying meat meal during the auditing process was necessary to exclude protein from diseased animals.

The 21st century has seen the realm of foodstuffs transformed into a competitive landscape of processed versus natural, and farmed versus free-range. As our pets become more like children than mere companions, our concern over the food they eat grows. That’s why it’s important to understand just how many harmful chemicals are found in modern pet food, masquerading as safe or eco-friendly.
Indeed, when conservation becomes currency, counterfeits are to be expected.

2026 brings a new energy to the increasingly discerning pet parent—one that demands more transparency. It is more important than ever to understand the tricks and tactics behind “greenwashing.” This term describes an organization’s deception in convincing consumers that its products are safe, sustainable, and ecologically friendly. Meanwhile, countless forever chemicals and other heavy metals find their way into pet foods. As such, let’s discuss the concept of greenwashing. We will discuss how it bamboozles even the shrewdest pet owners, and which five ingredients should be banned from the pantry immediately to reduce your pet’s daily toxic load.

Greenwashing Garbage

In the late 20th century, people became increasingly aware of just how many unseemly chemicals and compounds were finding their way into food. Usually, they appeared at the behest of greedy executives trying to make a dollar out of ten cents. These chemicals were just subtle enough to be ignored, but just dangerous enough to potentially cause damage several years or decades down the road. In response, consumers began demanding more accountability regarding food manufacturing, sourcing, and business practices. Enter the Green movement, defined by a preference for natural over processed, and ecology over economy.

“If you build it, they will come.” However, once that conservation structure is established, bad actors enter the mix. They adopt ‘green’ marketing tactics to sell ostensibly safe products that actually contain all those chemicals people were trying to avoid. The modern pet food landscape is now plagued with “Greenwashing.” Sure, your dog’s kibble packaging may contain words like ‘eco-friendly,’ ‘sustainably sourced,’ or ‘all-natural,’ but these mean little unless backed by specific third-party certifications.

There are even more subtle deceptions printed on pet food packaging, too. Phrases like “human-grade,” for example, are found on some food items and denote higher-quality processing. Yet, “human-grade” often refers to just processing and not fundamental nutrition. If the entire supply chain fails to meet human-grade standards, the use of this phrase constitutes greenwashing. On a simpler but equally effective level, companies print images of fresh vegetables on food items that actually contain processed byproducts like powdered cellulose.

Chemical Checklist

Even as 2025 progresses into 2026, the unwelcome chemical load hidden in pet food is not decreasing.
The use of heavy metals, forever chemicals, and other compounds has become such a big problem, in fact, that seven states are initiating new restrictions regarding the use of PFAS. As such, here is a checklist of different chemicals you are most likely to find hiding in your pet’s food.

Artificial Colors

Artificial colors may seem like a non-issue when it comes to pet food. However, they can actually be harmful to health. Dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 2 are often used to spice up the vibrancy of different food items. The problem is that these chemicals are petroleum-derived. Furthermore, research increasingly points to connections between artificial colors and allergic reactions.

Carrageenan

You may know carrageenan from the food it’s derived from: seaweed. Carrageenan is commonly used as a thickening agent. While food companies usually distinguish this compound as either “food-grade” or “degraded,” it might not even matter. Some studies show that even food-grade carrageenan becomes acidic in a pet’s stomach. This can lead to digestive issues such as leaky gut and more serious inflammatory problems. Health issues from carrageenan are often mistaken for food allergies.

BHA and BHT

If you find Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) or Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) in your pet’s food, it is most likely hiding in dry kibble. Food manufacturers use them to extend the shelf life of the fats in kibble products. However, such preservation comes at a cost. Some studies suggest that BHA is a carcinogen and link it to liver and kidney damage in pets. Since they are so cheap, many companies can’t pass up using these chemicals to extend the viability of food products.

“Meat Meal”

As alluded to previously in the article, greenwashing can take the form of vagueness. Some pet food companies like to use terms like “meat meal” or “animal fat” on their ingredient lists. This allows them to use any kind of protein they want—including from diseased animals—to meet the protein requirements of food. Even more than forever chemicals, mystery meats can contain extremely harmful heavy metals and environmental toxins.

PFAS Packaging

You may think you have identified all the harmful ingredients in your pet’s food. That is, until you realize that the packaging itself can cause problems. More than one pet food item features packaging made with forever chemicals. While these chemicals are used to keep fats from soaking through paper, they can also migrate into the food. In the long run, these PFAS can accumulate in organs and blood, causing endocrine system disruption and even developmental issues.

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