A new investigation into commercial dog foods is drawing national attention after independent lab testing found heavy metals and industrial chemicals across dozens of widely sold products.
The study, conducted by consumer safety nonprofit Clean Label Project, tested 79 top-selling dog foods across multiple categories, including dry kibble, fresh, frozen and freeze-dried products.
In total, the group ran more than 11,000 laboratory tests for contaminants such as lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, pesticides, plastic-related chemicals and acrylamide, a compound linked to cancer.
Dry dog food showed the highest contaminant levels, according to the report, with some kibble samples containing what the organization described as “dangerous levels” of acrylamide, mercury, arsenic and cadmium.
The group said the findings raise concerns about long-term exposure in dogs that eat the same food daily.
While the report included a list of brands tested, the organization did not identify which specific products had the highest contaminant levels. It also addressed differences in portion sizes between food types, stating that serving-size adjustments did not materially change the results and that dry food still tested significantly higher in heavy metals.
After the report’s release, Freshpet said in a separate announcement that its product line was the first dog food to receive the Clean Label Project’s certification seal, based on the group’s contaminant and ingredient-quality standards.
The findings are not tied to a recall or enforcement action, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates pet food safety, has not issued a recall or public alert tied to the report.
The Clean Label Project said federal rules largely focus on “physical and microbiological hazards” and that there are no comprehensive regulations addressing long-term dietary exposure to industrial or environmental chemicals in dog food. The findings, the organization said, “raise concerns that call into question current assumptions about product safety and purity.”
“Dog owners worldwide feed their dogs multiple times a day, relying on dog food to provide essential nutrition at every stage of life,” the organization said in the report. “They expect the products to be free from harmful heavy metals and industrial chemicals.”
