The phrase
"feed grade" refers to the quality of food given to animals. It is specifically made for animals and may not be suitable or safe for humans to consume.
Full definition
Many dog food products have been known to use
feed grade corn which is used for livestock.
Feed grade meats are specifically meats that would not pass inspection if they were intended for human consumption.
It contains no
animal feed grade ingredients and is made in an FDA Inspected Factory, but is intended for you pet to eat, not you!
While
other feed grade rice protein manufacturers resorted to adding Melamine in 2005 to achieve a false positive protein measurement and falsely convince the animal feed arena to meet the Axiom specification, Axiom Foods remained dedicated to proprietary, chemical - free processes and certified organic product development while maintaining protein levels consistently higher than any other competitor.
An ingredient might start off being fit for people to eat it, but once it is shipped to a pet food plant and processed according to regulations for
feed grade products, the term «human grade» can no longer apply.
Feed grade refers to the quality of a finished product which is not suitable for consumption by humans according to FDA standards.
Although corn is a good source of carbohydrates, there is no way of knowing if the corn grains that have been used are of the first class grade and not one which has been designated as
livestock feed grade.
So, if you want to choose a food that uses human grade ingredients like USDA - approved meat (instead
of feed grade meat that can include meat that's expired, diseased or contaminated with drugs)... you won't be able to identify the human grade ingredients by reading the ingredient label, because that distinction isn't allowed on the ingredient statement.
It contains no
animal feed grade ingredients and is made in an FDA inspected Facility, but is intended for you pet to eat, not you!
David became a recognized expert in rice protein manufacturing when he created
the feed grade specification for rice protein in animal food in 2002.
Is there a difference in food grade and
feed grade?
What makes a difference is whether the manufacturer uses «
feed grade» corn and / or corn fragments or quality USDA graded or organic corn.
In contrast to human grade pet food,
feed grade is finished product unsuitable for human consumption («inedible»).
Grains that are used in pet foods are considered to be
feed grade (instead of human grade), and have higher allowable levels of toxins (mold - based toxins like aflatoxin and vomitoxin).
We do not use «pet grade», «
feed grade» or «off grade» ingredients.
If words like «hormone free», «organic» etc. are used, it is not likely that such ingredients are
feed grade or low quality.
If the ingredients come in contact with any other ingredients that are animal
feed grade, the food is no longer human grade.
Feed grade and human grade meats are regulated very differently.