Contents:
- Medical Video: Is Pet Food Safe for Humans to Eat?
- What animal food is made of?
- What will happen if humans eat animal food?
- Risk of eating animal food
Medical Video: Is Pet Food Safe for Humans to Eat?
For those of you who have pets at home, have you ever been tempted to taste animal food? Relax, you are not the only person who has ever wondered what would happen if humans ate animal food. In fact, many people have tasted the food of dogs, cats, or pet fish. Then, what happens after humans eat animal food? Check out the following information to find out.
What animal food is made of?
Basically, what animals eat is almost the same as what humans eat in general. The reason is that humans are all omnivorous species. However, there are several types of food which are not suitable for humans but are often consumed by animals. Among them are bones, worms, blood, substances ash, taurine acid, or parts of innards of livestock.
These materials will be destroyed and then processed until they are fused. For longer shelf life, animal food will be dried so that the shape resembles biscuits or snacks for humans.
However, pet food may be made from other ingredients or additives that are not listed here. Because, animal food is not regulated and monitored by certain bodies like the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) for human food.
What will happen if humans eat animal food?
If you are desperate to try just one bribe, you may not feel any effect. According to Dawn Jackson Blatner, a nutritionist who is part of the American Dietetic Association, this is because the human body actually has an adequate system for removing toxins or harmful substances consumed. The liver, kidneys, and skin can expel all foreign substances whose structure is not recognized by the body.
Moreover, the structure of animal food and human food everyday is not much different. Therefore, even if you or your child swallow animal food, the body will not necessarily be poisoned. However, eating large portions of animal food or long periods of time can lead to diarrhea or vomiting because the body tries to expel foreign substances that humans cannot digest.
Also keep in mind, animal food will not be able to replace human nutritional needs. So, health workers still do not encourage you to eat animal food.
Risk of eating animal food
Not that animal food is entirely safe for human consumption. The reason is, you may suffer from allergies to certain ingredients or chemicals in animal food. Some people are known to be allergic to worms which are used as the main ingredients of fish pellets. If you or your child has allergic symptoms after eating pet food, immediately contact your doctor or nearest health service.
Besides the risk of allergies, animal food may also be processed in an unhygienic manner. For example, processing animal food using water contaminated with arsenic poison. Frequently consuming animal feed can increase your risk of poisoning or even cancer.
