Food for Thought

Did you know that Carnation and Upjohn tried to market a birth-control dog food in 1985? Or that the second most important factor for most people in buying a dog food is the size and character of the resulting stool? On Sunday, September 2, take some time to read “They Eat What We Are,” Frederick Kaufman’s story on the state of the dog food industry in The New York Times. Kaufman traces the interconnected evolution of human diet and dog diet. The piece is loaded with some grim truths about how we got to where we are and also some interesting predictions, including nutrition professor Marion Nestle’s conjecture that the dog food market will split and that only about 5 to 8 percent of dogs will enjoy better, fresher foods, while the other 92 to 95 percent will see an ever more industrialized diet. Still, there is good news in the grass roots, slow food, socially responsible pet food campaign. Don’t miss it. (If you’re registered with Times Select, you can take an early look.)

Lisa Wogan