# Pork and Pet Food **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [February 11, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014 "2011-02-11T12:42:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/21 "2011-02-12T04:06:58Z")
I believe pigskin is actually used for leather now–I feel like I read something in the NYT about this 8-10 years ago, that a new process for tanning it had made the same or similar in quality to cow leather, leading to a drop in prices for leather everywhere. Lazy googling didn’t turn up anything. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/22 "2011-02-12T04:42:02Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > So the reason that there’s very little pork in pet food is that there isn’t an excess supply of pork byproducts like there is with other types of meats, because humans eat a larger percentage of the usable meat in pigs? That’s quite an interesting idea and makes at least a little sense. Well, there still must be a substantial amount of byproduct going somewhere. Most animal byproducts end up back in the food chain in some form. Everything but the squeal. And I must amend the last part of my post, it was mid-day and time for this night walker to go to bed. In the aquaculture business we _did_ switch from bovine to porcine spray dried blood meal during the Mad Cow disease scare and we used that by the truckload. We also used porcine gelatin by the ton. Gelatin has a wide variety of food applications as a texturing and binding agent. It is rendered from the bones and hides. Just try to forget that the next time you hand your kid a Jello Pop. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/23 "2011-02-12T04:48:19Z")
I surprised that no one hasn’t mentioned that a lot of purchasers of pet food aren’t actually feeding it to their pets or don’t have pets and might have objections to eating pork products themselves. Frankly, I’m not sure there is a bright line on the continuum between Spam and pet food. ---
**Author:** ![Top\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@Top\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Top_Hat)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/24 "2011-02-12T06:28:45Z")
I think Dallas Jones has nailed it. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/25 "2011-02-12T06:29:17Z")
> [@fgasparini](#): > > I believe pigskin is actually used for leather now–I feel like I read something in the NYT about this 8-10 years ago, that a new process for tanning it had made the same or similar in quality to cow leather, leading to a drop in prices for leather everywhere. Lazy googling didn’t turn up anything. I owned a leather coat that was sold with the warning it was pig leather, I couldn’t tell the difference between it and cow and it kept me dry and warm, when it didn’t fit me anymore I put it in a charity bin with a note on it about it being pig in the hope it would continue to be labelled as such through to its resale. ---
**Author:** ![Zotlerg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8797f3/32.png) [@Zotlerg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zotlerg)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/26 "2011-02-12T13:41:32Z")
It’s much harder to process, as pork has to be cooked properly to avoid **Toxoplasma gondii** or as the person above correctly identified as **Toxoplasmosis** It’s also a problem with humans eating uncooked pork, as you may know. Probably a risk they couldn’t afford to take, besides when did you last see a cat eating a pig? p.s. Maybe you should have asked vets instead of food manufacturers? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/27 "2011-02-12T15:09:45Z")
> [@Zotlerg](#): > > Probably a risk they couldn’t afford to take, besides when did you last see a cat eating a pig? When’s the last time you saw a Chihuahua take down a Hereford? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/28 "2011-02-12T17:49:11Z")
The notion that food packers use up all of the pig so that few by-products are available makes historic sense. [Philip Danforth Amour](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Danforth_Armour) > [@](#): > > His meat packing plants pioneered new principles of large-scale organization and refrigeration to the industry. Armour was one of the first to take action to reduce the tremendous waste inherent in the slaughtering of hogs and to take advantage of the resale value of what had been waste products. It was reported that the company used every possible part of the animals to make products other than canned meat, such as fertilizer, glue and pepsin. Armour famously declared that he made use of “everything but the squeal”. ---
**Author:** ![Zotlerg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8797f3/32.png) [@Zotlerg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zotlerg)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/29 "2011-02-12T19:07:05Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > When’s the last time you saw a Chihuahua take down a Hereford? I’m sure I’ve seen big dogs (wolves) and cats take down cattle like beasts. Anyway I was just making a silly remark, is all. ---
**Author:** ![Zotlerg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8797f3/32.png) [@Zotlerg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zotlerg)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/30 "2011-02-12T19:21:21Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The notion that food packers use up all of the pig so that few by-products are available makes historic sense. > > [Philip Danforth Amour](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Danforth_Armour) hmmmmmm… mechanically recovered meat (MRM) ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/31 "2011-02-13T00:21:15Z")
> [@Zotlerg](#): > > I’m sure I’ve seen big dogs (wolves) and cats take down cattle like beasts. > Anyway I was just making a silly remark, is all. It does beg the question “who would win: mountain lion or Arkansas Razorback?” ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/32 "2011-02-13T06:52:41Z")
> [@fgasparini](#): > > I believe pigskin is actually used for leather now–I feel like I read something in the NYT about this 8-10 years ago, that a new process for tanning it had made the same or similar in quality to cow leather, leading to a drop in prices for leather everywhere. Lazy googling didn’t turn up anything. I’ve had a pig-leather coat for over 20 years, now. There may be a new (8-10 years ago) process that makes it cheaper, but there have been pig-leather products available for a lot longer than that. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/33 "2011-02-13T07:43:59Z")
My dog loves Chef Michael’s pork tenderloin variety. Lord only knows what’s actually in it. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/34 "2011-02-13T08:24:21Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > My dog loves Chef Michael’s pork tenderloin variety. Lord only knows what’s actually in it. > [@](#): > > Water sufficient for processing, chicken, liver, pork, wheat gluten, meat by-products, carrots, barley, added color, artificial and natural flavors, natural pork tenderloin flavor, calcium phosphate, salt, carrageenan, potassium chloride, soy flour, locust bean gum, sodium tripolyphosphate, guar gum, zinc sulfate, choline chloride, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, sodium nitrite (to promote color retention), copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, potassium iodide, Vitamin D-3 supplement, folic acid, sodium selenite, biotin. A-5932 [QUOTE=Rachael Ray] Delish! [/QUOTE] .. ---
**Author:** ![Cigarman942](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Cigarman942](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cigarman942)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/35 "2011-02-13T18:11:23Z")
I was thinking that the most common source of meat and meat “by-products” for hot dogs is PORK. There are also a great many hot dogs made of beef - but when you consider the ratio of hot dogs of pork vs. turkey vs. beef - I would guess pork makes up more than half the total volume – but pork carcasses are probably not as common as beef carcasses. So I would guess there is just more slaughter wastes available to the pet food industry from the other meats - Pork has a steady outlet that likely pays more in hot dogs. Not an expert on this subject by any measure. perhaps someone from one of the large meat packing companies could weigh in to suggest if my speculation might carry any merit. ---
**Author:** ![K\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@K\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K_Berry)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/36 "2011-02-14T20:24:12Z")
We’re worried about pig lungs and spleens? Why doesn’t pet food contain: mice, rats, birds, various insects such as cockroaches, generally all beetles, spiders and ants, and road kill specials such as squirrel, armadillo, deer, raccoon, a snake or two, that one unlucky bird who flew too low … oh, and grass for barfing up hair balls later. I once had a cat who supplemented his manufactured diet with his real favorites (see above) and he brought me side dishes too! Awww…what a sweet and caring cat! This is what I’d like to see in the stores: Seriously Natural Pet Food made with rodents, insects and wildlife bits and parts. For the real adventurers! ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/37 "2011-02-16T15:48:02Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > When I read the column, I was wondering if at least historically we were using all the pork byproducts for hot dogs. My husband and I made the mistake of looking at the ingredient list for chorizo at the supermarket once. One of the ingredients was “salivary glands”. Bob’s quip - Makes your mouth water, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014/38 "2011-02-22T04:06:01Z")
I have long wondered about that. That the pork byproducts go into hot dogs and sausage makes more sense than anything else. Then less you read food labels, the quieter your stomach. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-pet-food/571014.md?page=1)