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Investigation finds heavy metals in nearly all cat food

Top-selling options, including wet, dry, air-dried and freeze-dried foods, were tested for more than 120 contaminants.

News 12 Staff

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Oct 2, 2026, 10:26 AM

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An investigation conducted by the Clean Label Project detected heavy metals in almost all brands and varieties of cat food on the market.

Top-selling options, including wet, dry, air-dried and freeze-dried foods, were tested for more than 120 contaminants.

The testing covered toxins such as herbicides, lead, mercury and arsenic.

Lead appeared in 99% of products, cadmium in 96% and arsenic in 94%.

Dry food was found to contain three times the amount of lead detected in wet or air-dried products.

Fish-based cat products also had much higher levels of mercury, according to the report.

The Clean Label Project advises cat owners to vary their pet’s diets, examine ingredient lists and watch out for excessive filler ingredients.

For more information, click here.

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