04 Oct 2024

UK Pet Food Response to Wild Pack Claims

UK Pet Food is aware of recent claims by Wild Pack. Unfortunately, this deliberate misinformation risks causing pet owners unnecessary alarm and concern. There is no basis for Wild Pack’s claims.

As with all trade bodies, no matter the industry, there are strict rules governing ways of working that prohibit any form of anti-competitive activity. We are rigorous in ensuring we abide by these rules.

Equally, UK Pet Food is not a regulatory body nor has regulatory powers - this is the role of DEFRA and the Food Standards Agency (FSA). More than 50 pieces of legislation govern the manufacturing and marketing of pet food, ensuring safety, quality, and compliance.

Being a member of UK Pet Food signifies a commitment to strict legislation and industry best practices, giving pet owners complete confidence that their pets are receiving a safe and nutritious diet. Our collaborative approach ensures that all voices within the industry are heard, helping to raise standards across the sector.

We take our responsibility for feeding and nourishing these much-loved family pets seriously.

Q&A

Who does UK Pet Food represent?

As a collaborative trade association, UK Pet Food represents over 110 member companies, including small, medium, and large businesses across the pet food industry. Our members collectively feed 90% of the nation’s pets, offering a wide range of products, from wet and dry food to raw pet food (which is also the Wild Pack offering).

We take our responsibility for feeding these much-loved family pets really seriously. Our diverse membership works together to share expertise and best practices. Our collaborative approach ensures that all voices within the industry are heard, helping to raise standards across the sector.

What are the requirements of membership?

We require all members to sign up to UK Pet Food Charter and Codes of Practice, which detail the legal requirements, and safety and quality standards, they must meet. This includes expectations around responsible marketing that is based on fact, and not misinformation, and supports UK Pet Food’s mission to educate and advance pet health and wellbeing.

You can read more about our membership process here:

https://www.ukpetfood.org/membership/become-a-member.html

Should I be worried about glycotoxins?

No, you do not need to worry about glycotoxins. Glycotoxins, also called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), are naturally produced in the bodies of all animals, including humans, as we break down food for energy. They’re also formed during all cooking processes, like toasting bread and roasting chicken. Both our bodies and all cooked foods will naturally have some glycotoxins. For something to cause harm, it needs to reach tissues in the body and remain there. In the limited research we have, the amounts of AGEs consumed is actually equal to the amount excreted, which means there aren’t AGEs sitting in the body causing harm.

Is Dry Pet Food Safe?

Dry pet food is a long-standing format fed safely to our much-loved pets for decades. We have not seen any health conditions related to AGEs (glycotoxins) and there is no scientific evidence suggesting that their natural presence is in any way harmful. All processed pet foods are subject to stringent safety and quality regulations. We want to reassure owners that dry food diets remain safe, nutritious, and delicious to feed their pets.

For more information:

UK Pet Food represents over 110 member companies, including small, medium, and large businesses across the pet food industry. Our members collectively feed 90% of the nation’s pets—cats, dogs, fish, rabbits, and other small mammals—offering a wide range of products, from wet and dry food to raw pet food.

As a responsible industry body passionate about pets, our mission is to educate and advance pet health and well-being by promoting high standards of quality and safety in pet nutrition grounded in sound science.