Ethoxyquin in dog food: what it is and why it is in fish meal

Ethoxyquin is a long, odd name. You may see it on a dog food label. Or you may read about it online and not see it on the bag at all. Here is what it is, why it is used, and what the rules say.

What is ethoxyquin in dog food?

Ethoxyquin is a preservative made in a lab. It keeps the fat in food from going stale. It also helps keep some vitamins from breaking down. Fat that goes stale smells and tastes bad. It is often found in fish meal, which is fish that has been dried and ground up.

US rules say ethoxyquin can be used to slow the loss of vitamins A and E in animal feed and fish food. The same rule says it can help stop fat from going bad in canned pet food.

It was not first made for food. It was made to stop rubber from cracking. Later it was used in feed, since it works well and costs little to make.

Is ethoxyquin safe for dogs?

US and EU rules do not agree. The US allows small amounts in dog food. The EU stopped it for all animals. Its experts could not show it was safe. Your vet is the best person to ask about your own dog.

In the US, the most a feed can have is 150 parts per million. That is a very small amount. The FDA page on it still gives the same limit.

In 1997, the FDA asked for less. It asked makers to lower the most in a full dog food to 75 parts per million. This was a request, not a new rule.

Here is why. A study fed the preservative to dogs. It found no harm to having pups. But mother dogs who were nursing had more of a dark pigment in the liver. Nursing dogs eat a lot more food. The FDA said this may go away once they eat a normal amount again.

People food can have it too, but only a few kinds. The FDA allows it in chili powder, paprika and ground chili, up to 100 parts per million.

Is ethoxyquin banned?

Not in the US. In the EU, yes. The EU first paused it for all animals. Then it said no. Food made with it was given time to leave the shelves. The EU rule covers all kinds of animals.

In 2015, EU food safety experts at EFSA took a close look. They could not say it was safe for animals, people or nature, since there was not enough data. They also had a worry about one leftover chemical from how it is made. That chemical is a “possible mutagen,” which means it may harm genes. So in 2017, the EU paused its use in feed for all animals.

The maker sent new data. In 2022, EFSA looked again. It still could not find a safe level for animals that live long or have young. That was because of the same leftover chemical. Later in 2022, the EU turned it down.

Why is ethoxyquin in fish meal?

Fish meal is full of fat. That fat goes bad fast, more so on a long trip by ship. Ethoxyquin works well to keep it fresh. There is also a shipping rule. Fish meal can heat up and even catch fire on its own, so it has to be treated before it ships.

The EU says this in its own rule. Feed made from fish has a lot of fat that goes bad with air and heat. So ethoxyquin was widely used to protect fish meal and fish oil. That is why the EU gave fish meal more time. Fish meal made with it could still be sold until the end of 2019.

EFSA points to a sea shipping rule. It says fish meal must be treated so it does not catch fire on its own. The rule allows ethoxyquin or BHT (another lab-made preservative) for this.

How can you tell if a dog food has ethoxyquin?

Look at the ingredient list. When a dog food maker adds ethoxyquin, the label must name it and say it is a preservative. But it can also come in with an ingredient, like fish meal. Then it may not be on the label at all.

The rule for the bag is clear. A feed with ethoxyquin added must say “Ethoxyquin, a preservative” or a longer note about vitamins. Any food with an added preservative must name it and say what it does.

There is a catch. Ethoxyquin can go in as part of an ingredient, not just on its own. A science review says when it comes in that way, it is not always shown. If you want to know, you can ask the maker.

Other preservatives do the same job. Read about BHA (another lab-made preservative) and its cousin BHT. Some foods use mixed tocopherols, which are forms of vitamin E. The EU has its own rules for other items too, like menadione (a lab-made form of vitamin K).

For more on reading the whole bag, see how to read a dog food label.