>From:    Ela <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: BHT
>"Loyola University scientists reported on April 14, 1972 that pregnant mice
>fed a diet consisting of one half of one percent of BHT (or BHA, butylated
>hydroxyanisole) gave birth to offspring that frequently had chemical
>changes in the brain and subsequent abmornal behaviour problems.  BHT and
>BHA are chemically similar but BHT may be more toxic to the kidney than
>BHA, according to researchers at Michigan State University".
 
The permissible amounts of BHA at the FDA site
        http://www.fda.gov/ora/inspect_ref/iom/appafd.html
are more on the order of 200 PPM or 0.02% of oils.  The tested dosage was
seemingly from 25 times the amount allowed by the FDA if the diet was just
margarine or other oil.  But thats not the only diet component so the
levels of the rat test were much more out of proportion than that.  In
ferrets the oils are only some 20 percent of the diet (1/5) so that rat was
fed 125 times the allowed.  12500%!  Thats a lot.  The test like the one
you cited are reasons low limits are set.  The limits are set low enough
that it is expected that there won't be the problems mentioned.
 
>From:    Trudi Casler <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: just read this...please
>bha bht and ethyoxquin can/do cause cancer.... ethyoxquin is not allowed
>at all in human food but it is in pet food
 
Ethoxyquin may be used as a preservative for human food but limitted.
 
[these two lines are one URL]
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/get-cfr.cgi?TITLE=21&PART=172
SECTION=140&TYPE=TEXT
  (a) Ethoxyquin (1,2-dihydro-6-ethoxy-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline) may be
  safely used as an antioxidant for preservation of color in the
  production of chili powder, paprika, and ground chili at levels not in
  excess of 100 parts per million.
 
Your source of information was apparently flawed since the FDA does allow
Ethoxyquin in human food.  It is may be equally flawed in its information
on these preservatives as carcinogens.
 
Ironically, BHA and ethoxyquin have been shown to definitely inhibit
cancers.  Antioxidants are commonly taken by folks trying to prevent
various cancers.
 
>we can preserve our food with natural preservatives also..
 
Natural means neither better nor safe.  It doesn't really mean very much
in this case.  Salt is a 'natural' preservative but it isn't a safe way to
preserve ferret food - the salt is too dangerous in quantities high enough
to truly prevent the fat from going rancid.
 
Some people want to believe 'natural' is always better.  Its not.  You also
have to realize what is 'natural' for a ferret, is not natural for a human.
Ferrets/polecats just don't eat grains.  People should eat much more grain
than most do.  Rancid fat is far far more dangerous than any of the
preservatives.
 
>From:    Trudi Casler <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: just read this...please
 
I looked at some of these sites....
 
http://www.azmira.com/
 
Their cat food sounds dreadful!  I wouldn't feed that to my cat and
certainly not to my ferret.  Yellow corn is the number two ingredient.
Then soybeans, wheat and rice.  They try to claim its for ferrets as well!
 
They ought to stop playing games scaring people about safe ingredients and
start using better ingredients themselves.  They are pushing grains as
beneficial for ferrets and cats.  That is WRONG.
 
It sounds more the grade of Purina Cat Chow NOT the quality cat or ferret
foods.  I strongly doubt I'd buy any of their products.
 
http://www.naturapet.com/
 
Innova IS a good food.
 
But they say some funny advertising things themselves...
 
So they take out anti-oxidants to use other anti-oxidants but the new
anti-oxidants are potentially nothing more than a fad...
 
Matrix doesn't sound as good.  Too much grain.
 
Anmar sounds not so good.  Even more grain.
 
Leaving out the 'additives' wouldn't be so bad if what they left them out
of was better in the first place.
 
-bill
--
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2618]