The Clean 16 Dog Foods: What Labels Don’t Tell Us About Dog Food

Most pet parents assume that if a dog food is sold in stores, it must be safe. But what if the label only tells part of the story? In this episode, we dive into findings from the Clean Label Project, which analyzed 79 of the nation’s top-selling dog foods and ran more than 11,000 lab tests looking for hidden contaminants that don’t appear on traditional nutrition labels. These contaminants included heavy metals, phthalates, acrylamide, and plastic residues. The pet food industry changes. Companies get acquired, sourcing shifts, and manufacturing practices evolve. That’s why staying present and intentional about what your pet eats matters. What You’ll Learn in This Episode • What the Clean Label Project discovered after testing 79 popular dog foods • Hidden contaminants that are not required to appear on pet food labels • Why dry dog food often contains higher levels of certain contaminants • Why the “Clean 16” list is a helpful tool, but not the final word • Why staying intentional about your pet’s food matters • The role of proactive functional testing in long-term pet health Book your 1:1 nutrition consultation today: www.southernveterinaryservices.com/nutrition Book your 1:1 holistic in home visit today: www.southernveterinaryservices.com/in-home Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: www.southernveterinaryservices.com/podcast