Petco Announces Groundbreaking Changes to Improve Nutrition of Cats An

Angela Vuckovic
by Angela Vuckovic
In an industry-first announcement, Petco revealed the plan to no longer sell pet food and treats containing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.


As pet parents, we all want out four-legged best friends to live long and happy lives. One of the most important parts of pet care is nutrition, as providing a well-balanced, high-quality diet promotes good health. However, it’s not always easy picking out the best food for your pet. Even when you opt for kibble or wet food produced by major brands, you’ll often get disappointed after reading what’s written in tiny letters on the back of the bag. From potentially harmful additives to insane amounts of artificial substances, commercial pet food can often leave a lot to be desired. Well, Petco is looking to change that- for good.


In an industry-first announcement, the major pet retailer declared that the company’s goal became to completely eliminate pet food and treats containing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives from the store shelves. Starting in January 2019, Petco will begin “purging” their selection, both in stores and online, in an effort to sell only products that meet their high standards by May 2019. In accordance with their new ingredient standards, the company is banning all foods and treats that contain any of the substances from their list. Some of the ingredients include the controversial FD&C Red No. 3, Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), Glycerol tributyrate, and benzaldehyde, among about 40 others.


This major step that Petco is making is the first step of the journey towards better pet nutrition. They’ve consulted with veterinarians, nutritionists, and wellness experts to make sure that their decision will lead to a change for the better when it comes to the diet of our furry companions. Hopefully, this will not be a journey they go through alone and other companies will revisit their policies when it comes to pet food quality. For now, though, it’s reassuring knowing that the nation’s largest pet retailer is paving the way for improved wellbeing of our pets.

Angela Vuckovic
Angela Vuckovic

A proud mama to seven dogs and ten cats, Angela spends her days writing for her fellow pet parents and pampering her furballs, all of whom are rescues. When she's not gushing over her adorable cats or playing with her dogs, she can be found curled up with a good fantasy book.

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