Food and Drug Administration finds no evidence that pulses cause heart problems in dogs, but investigation continues
Canada’s pulse sector believes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is barking up the wrong tree.
The FDA launched an investigation of pulse-based dog food diets in 2018 after receiving reports of elevated levels of non-hereditary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
DCM is a thinning and stretching of the heart chambers in dogs.
Between Jan. 1, 2014, and July 31, 2020, the FDA received more than 1,100 reports of diagnosed DCM in dogs, and 280 of those animals died.
“They saw a lot of cases with grain-free diets in particular,” said Julianne Curran, vice-president of market innovation with Pulse Canada.
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“The ingredients in those diets were commonly peas, lentils, other legumes and there were also potatoes.”
The FDA decided to look at the available science on those diets, but not much research was available and the gaps remain.
That is why the pulse industry and pet food manufacturers decided to fund a $2 million study launched in February 2021 exploring the impact of dog food formulations with and without pulses on heart health.
The FDA initially released a list of 16 brands of dog food associated with heightened risk of heart failure, but it has since discontinued publishing that list as many manufacturers made changes to their diet formulations.
The FDA said there is no evidence to indicate that pulses are inherently dangerous for dogs, and as a result it has not requested any pet food recalls.
“But we are continuing to work with stakeholders in assessing how the diets may interact with other factors that may be impacting non-hereditary DCM,” it said in a 2021 press release.
Pulse Canada, Protein Industries Canada (PIC) and AGT Food and Ingredients have contributed $250,000 to the study, which is being led by BSM Partners, a pet care research and consulting firm.
PIC said the investigation has limited the use of pulse ingredients in dog food despite the lack of proof linking the consumption of pulses with DCM.
Euromonitor estimated that 127,000 tonnes of pulses were being used in dog and cat diets annually in the United States before the FDA investigation. That represented about 1.4 percent of the total volume of pet food being produced at that time.
Pulse Canada has established a target of having 25 percent of Canadian pulses being consumed in diversified, non-traditional markets by 2025.
The modelling for that scenario initially included a target of 500,000 tonnes of pulse demand from the animal food sector, including pet food, aquaculture feed and livestock feed.
However, it has since backed off of specific targets and is focusing instead on the broader goal.
“We have to adjust when things like this happen,” said Curran.
While the pet food market for peas has shrunk as a result of the FDA investigation, the feed market is taking off due to the crop’s sustainability and carbon offset advantages.
The hope is that this study will help sway pet food manufacturers to start incorporating pulses back into their formulations.
“There’s an opportunity to expand our pet food options to include Canadian pulse ingredients, while also ensuring we’re not putting our pets’ health at risk,” PIC chief executive officer Bill Greuel said in a news release.
Curran said the study is likely one of many being conducted as a result of the investigation.
She noted that the pulse ingredient market for human food is a high value market, but the volumes are quite low. That is not the case for the pet food market, where the potential volumes can be quite high.
Curran noted that the DCM study is an example of the kind of research that can be funded through Pulse Canada’s newly launched Science and Technical Industry Program, which helps fund projects too large in scope or costs for individual companies to tackle on their own.
