Cat Food Investigation Finds Heavy Metals, Pesticides and Plastic Chemicals

A new investigation of 100 top-selling cat foods has detected heavy metals, pesticides and chemicals associated with plastics across a wide range of products, including wet, dry and air- or freeze-dried foods.

The analysis, conducted by the nonprofit Clean Label Project, tested cat foods for more than 122 contaminants. According to the investigation, lead was detected in 99% of samples, cadmium in 96% and arsenic in 94% of samples across 62 brands.

The findings do not mean that every product containing a detectable contaminant is unsafe for cats. The investigation tested a single batch of each product, meaning it could not determine how contamination might vary between different batches. The report also did not establish whether any specific product causes illness in cats.

A new investigation tested 100 top-selling cat foods for more than 122 contaminants.

Heavy Metals Found Across Cat Food Categories

The investigation found heavy metals in wet, dry and air- or freeze-dried cat foods.

Dry cat food contained roughly three times more lead than wet or air-dried products, according to the analysis. The researchers also found differences based on the type of protein used in the food.

The US Food and Drug Administration recognizes lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury as toxic elements that can occur in animal food. The agency says contaminants in animal food can arise naturally or be introduced accidentally during production, and it monitors animal food through its contaminants program.

Fish-Based Cat Foods Had Higher Mercury Levels

Fish and seafood-based foods showed the strongest association with mercury and cadmium in the Clean Label analysis.

Mercury levels were about 18 times higher and cadmium levels about 2.5 times higher in fish- or seafood-based cat foods than in products made with other proteins. Wet seafood products had nearly 28 times as much mercury as wet foods made with other meats, particularly poultry.

Mercury can accumulate in aquatic animals. The World Health Organization explains that microorganisms can convert mercury into methylmercury, which then bioaccumulates in fish and shellfish.

The Clean Label Project analysis also found that nearly 85% of poultry-based foods met its purity standard, compared with 25.7% of fish and seafood products. However, this was a standard established by Clean Label Project and should not be interpreted as a government safety classification.

Glyphosate Detected in Some Cat Foods

The investigation also examined glyphosate, a widely used agricultural herbicide.

Detectable glyphosate was found in 37% of the tested products. The analysis reported higher glyphosate levels in foods containing more plant ingredients among the first 10 ingredients listed on the label.

The report notes that the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” in 2015. The US Environmental Protection Agency has reached a different regulatory assessment of glyphosate, illustrating that the scientific and regulatory debate around the chemical remains contested.

Importantly, the presence of detectable glyphosate in a cat food sample does not by itself establish that the product causes cancer or other disease in cats.

Plastic-Related Chemicals Were Also Detected

Another finding involved di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, commonly known as DEHP.

According to the investigation, DEHP was detected in about half of the products tested, with the highest levels found in canned and pouch products. Ryan Babadi, science director for Toxic Free Future, said contamination could potentially occur during processing through contact with PVC tubing or other equipment.

The analysis also found bisphenols, including BPA, less frequently. Babadi described the lower frequency as encouraging because it suggests pet food can be produced and packaged with fewer of these endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Industry Group Defends Pet Food Safety Controls

The Pet Food Institute, which represents cat food manufacturers, told CNN that manufacturers use food-safety and quality-assurance programs.

Elise Fennig, CEO of the Pet Food Institute, said those programs include ingredient specifications, supplier verification, testing procedures, traceability systems and preventive controls intended to ensure pet food is safe and nutritionally appropriate.

The organization said cat owners should have confidence that pet food is produced according to regulatory and quality standards.

The FDA likewise states that animal food must be safe, produced under sanitary conditions, free from harmful substances and accurately labeled under federal law.

The Investigation Has Important Limitations

The findings should be interpreted in the context of the study design.

Each product was tested from a single batch. Consequently, the analysis could not determine whether contaminant concentrations would be the same in other batches of the same food.

The investigation also compared contaminant levels between categories and products rather than demonstrating that a particular cat food causes a specific health problem.

Clean Label Project's own product listings also caution that a product's absence from its highest-performing group does not necessarily mean that contaminant levels exceed federal or state regulations.

What Cat Owners Can Consider

The Clean Label Project report suggests that cat owners with seafood-heavy diets may consider varying protein sources to reduce repeated exposure to mercury and cadmium.

The report also recommends considering wet or air-dried products rather than dry food when the goal is to reduce lead exposure, based on the differences observed in its testing. It suggests examining the ingredient list carefully, particularly when multiple plant ingredients appear among the first 10 ingredients.

However, these recommendations come from the investigation and should not be treated as universal veterinary dietary advice.

The report also warns against judging a food's contaminant profile solely by its first-listed ingredient. In more than one-third of the tested products, the first ingredient did not provide a complete picture of the contaminants detected.

For cats with specific medical conditions or dietary requirements, owners should discuss food choices with a veterinarian rather than changing the diet based solely on a contaminant screening report.

What the Findings Mean for Cat Owners

The investigation highlights that contaminants can occur across different types of pet food and that a premium price or marketing language does not necessarily guarantee lower contaminant levels.

At the same time, the findings should not be interpreted as evidence that all cat food is dangerous. The analysis involved 100 products, tested one batch at a time, and did not determine whether any specific product causes illness.

The most practical takeaway is that pet owners can ask manufacturers about contaminant testing, quality-control procedures and how frequently products are screened.

The FDA confirms that chemical contaminants are monitored in animal food and that regulatory action depends on factors including the contaminant, its concentration and whether its presence can reasonably be avoided.

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