Testing for the Pressence of ENdangered Shark Species in Cat Food (2024)

Undergraduates: Kevin Lin, Mazarine Bruno, Anna Boode, Connor MacCiniak

Faculty Advisor: Savannah Ryburn
Department: Psychology and Neuroscience

---

While numerous studies have investigated seafood mislabeling in products intended for human consumption, there has been limited effort to comprehend the complete scope of seafood mislabeling in pet food. Seafood mislabeling is a pervasive problem that not only affects ocean biodiversity but also has wide-ranging implications for society, encompassing civil rights, economics, and public health.The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of endangered shark species in cat food. Exploitation of endangered species is dangerous to humans and pets, as shark products can contain heavy metals like arsenic and mercury. Our results suggest that Scalloped Hammerhead, an endangered species, is found in cat food. Additionally, we found that there is an overall presence of seafood mislabeling in cat food. However, several samples returned no chromatograms, possibly due to preservatives in our samples. Thus, more research is needed to draw conclusive results. This work provides new insight into the full extent of seafood mislabeling, providing crucial information on the composition of cat food to the public as well as insight on the implications of fishing endangered shark species.