The words “complete and balanced” are often treated as the final word on whether a pet food is suitable - but do they really tell us everything we need to know?
In this episode, I examine five recent papers exploring fresh food, kibble, processing, nutrient adequacy and contaminants in pet food.
We look at what this research genuinely tells us, what it cannot prove and why short-term biological differences should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of better lifelong health.
In this episode:
- Why nutritionally complete foods are not necessarily biologically equivalent
- Why fresh and homemade diets must still be properly formulated
- Whether the human concept of ultra-processed food can be applied to pet food
- Toxic metals, BPA, PFAS, antibiotic residues and microplastics detected in commercial pet foods
- Research from the University of Helsinki’s DogRisk group
- The longer-term studies we still urgently need
Ultimately, meeting a nutrient profile matters enormously, but it should be the beginning of our assessment, rather than the end.
Animals do not eat nutrient profiles. They eat food.
Additional Resources:
Fresh-diet support — For personalised support transitioning your dog or cat to a properly formulated, fresh, species-appropriate diet, you can find information about working with me here.
Prefer to do it yourself? My Real Food Diet for Pets ebooks provide practical guidance to help you create a properly formulated fresh diet at home.
Try Lyka - If you would like to try Lyka, click here or use the code RUTHHATTEN to receive 50% off your first box, 30% off your second box plus FREE treats.
Watch this episode on YouTube.
Research discussed - in order of discussion
Campbell L, Thompson M, Muir M, Raubenheimer D, Holmes A. Diet-induced metabolic and faecal microbiome responses in pet dogs fed a minimally processed versus extruded kibble diet. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Published 10 April 2026.
Lim S, Sohn SJ, Hong YJ. Case Report: Diet-associated iodine-deficiency goitrous hypothyroidism in a dog: a longitudinal clinical, endocrine, and ultrasonographic evaluation. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Published 13 August 2026.
Tanprasertsuk J, Tate DE, Tarr DS, Shmalberg J. Does the definition of human ultra-processed foods apply to dog and cat foods? A review of pet food processing techniques, their impact on health, and a call for pet food processing classification. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Published 4 March 2026.
Öztürk Y, et al. Multiple contaminant detection in commercially available chicken-based cat kibbles in Italy. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Published 10 June 2026.
Nomiyama K, Sato A, Tanoue R, Saeki K, Ikenaka Y, Mizukawa H, et al. Widespread PFAS contamination in pet food: dietary sources and health risks to companion animals. Environmental Pollution. 2026;395:127779.
Nomiyama K, Sato A, Sato F, et al. Species-specific PFAS profiles in companion dogs and cats: paired serum–food evidence for dietary long-chain PFCA exposure in Japanese cats. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances. 2026;23:101468.
Bardhi A, Serrantoni E, Inauen D, Del Baldo F, Galac S, Gehring R, Fracassi F, Barbarossa A. An investigation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl concentrations in dogs and cats with endocrine disorders. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Published 24 August 2026.
Clean Label Project. Extremely High Levels of Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, and Cadmium Found in Dry Dog Food. Published 12 February 2026.
Holm S, Baarman E, Anturaniemi J, Hemida M, Salin S, Vuori KA, Moore R, Hielm-Björkman A. The effect of a kibble diet versus a raw meat-based diet on energy metabolism biomarkers in dogs. The Veterinary Journal. 2025;314:106462.
Vuori KA, Hemida M, Moore R, et al. The effect of puppyhood and adolescent diet on the incidence of chronic enteropathy in dogs later in life. Scientific Reports. 2023;13:1830.
More research from DogRisk.
