Do you buy organic, sustainably grown food for yourself – but not give sustainability much thought when it comes to what you feed your pet? Annamaet Petfoods wants to change your thinking. They’ve launched “Annamaet Sustain” so your dog and cat can eat sustainable pet food without taking a toll on the planet.
We’re partnering with them on this post to suggest 3 ways you can incorporate sustainable pet food into your dog or cat’s daily diet. We also want to hear from you about what you already do!
Sustainable Pet Food Starts With …
Proteins
When it comes to food, choosing a healthy formula that provides all the nutrients your pet needs without including fattening or questionable ingredients is key. But if you’re also looking for food that meets sustainability goals, look for independent verification by third parties and the appearance of 
those labels on the products you buy.
Annamaet’s new Sustain formula includes fish from cod fisheries that have been certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
How do you know? Each bag of Annamaet Sustain carries the MSC blue ecolabel.
The ecolabel is important.
It signifies that the product manufacturer actually meets independent standards that verify its product claims.
In this case, the ecolabel indicates that the cod were caught responsibly by a certified sustainable fishery.
Words like “natural” or “pet-friendly” or “planet healthy” mean absolutely nothing in terms of what is actually in the food you feed your pet (or buy for yourself, for that matter).
Look for ecolabels that back up the marketing claims companies make about their products.
Organics
The organic label is another label that you can use to verify a company’s claims. The organic label is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture here. In order for any product manufacturer to claim to be organic or to use the organic label, the company must meet federal organic standards and have its product independently certified.
Claims that your pet’s food are “all natural” or “biodegradable” or “planet friendly” are simply marketing claims that have no actual meaning. The organic label does.
No GMOs or GMO Free
Many consumers want to avoid genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, in their own food and that of their pets as well. It’s not clear if the presence of GMOs in grains, sweeteners, dairy products and other foods actually causes adverse reactions like allergies or worse. But mounting scientific evidence suggests that GMO plants could be taking a toll on birds, bees, and other insects and wildlife.
Some products seek certification through the Non-GMO label. Annamaet has gone one step further by getting EU (European Union) certified to contain no GMOs, salmonella or anthrax.
“We like to tell people, not only are we feeding your dogs and cats, we are also feeding our own,” says the company. “We single source our ingredients, meaning they are bought from the same suppliers each time…All of our meats and fishes are certified as fit for human consumption.”
Buying food for your dog or cat can be an extension of the green lifestyle you have chosen for yourself. That has certainly been a driving principle for Rob Downey, Annamaet’s founder.
Downey, who lives in Pennsylvania, named his company Annamaet Petfoods after his late mother, Anna Mae, pictured above.
“Since its inception,” he says, “the focus has been on giving pets the best nutrition possible, focusing on sustainable ingredients that also take care of the environment.”
At Annamaet, “we believe that sustainability and innovation really go hand in hand.” He says the company is linking into “new and original protein sources such as cricket meal and pea protein, which are also very sustainable.”
You can find AnnaMaet Petfoods online here.
You can also plug in your zip code here and find the nearest retailer to you.
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