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For those of you who have pets at home, have you ever been tempted to taste pet food? Relax, you are not the only person who has ever wondered what happens when humans eat pet food. In fact, many people have tasted the food of their dog, cat, or pet fish. So, what happens after humans eat animal food? Check out the following information to find out.
What is pet food made of?
Basically, what animals eat is almost the same as what humans eat in general. The reason is, humans are an omnivorous species. However, there are several types of food that are not suitable for humans but are often consumed by animals. Among them are bones, worms, blood, ash substance, taurine acid, or animal offal parts.
These materials will be crushed and then processed until they are combined. In order to store longer, the pet food will be dried so that it looks like a biscuit or a snack for humans.
However, pet food may be made from other ingredients or additives not listed here. This is because animal food is not regulated and supervised by a certain body like the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) for human food.
What would happen if humans ate animal food?
If you are desperate to try one bite of pet food, you probably won't feel any effect. According to Dawn Jackson Blatner, a nutritionist who is a member of the American Dietetic Association, this is because the human body actually already has an adequate system to get rid of toxins or harmful substances that are consumed. The liver, kidneys, and skin can secrete any foreign substance whose structure the body does not recognize.
Moreover, the structure of animal food and human daily food is not much different. Therefore, even if you or your child ingest animal food, the body will not be poisoned immediately. However, eating large portions of pet food or for a long period of time can trigger diarrhea or vomiting as the body tries to excrete 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 recommend you to eat animal food.
Risks of eating pet food
This does not mean that pet food is completely safe for human consumption. The reason is, you may be allergic to certain substances or chemicals in pet food. Some people are known to be allergic to worms, which are used as the main ingredient in fish pellets. If you or your child experiences allergy symptoms after eating pet food, immediately contact the doctor or the nearest health service.
Besides the risk of allergies, pet food may also be processed in an unhygienic manner. For example, processing pet food using water contaminated with arsenic poison. Frequent consumption of animal feed can increase your risk of poisoning or even cancer.
