Shark Mislabeling in America's Leading Cat Food Vendor (2024)

Undergraduates: Jackson Shawen, Cassie Zehner, Harrison Qiu

Faculty Advisor: Savannah Ryburn
Department: Biology

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Seafood mislabeling is a widespread, yet often overlooked problem that can have major ramifications for both the ecological well-being of marine populations and health of seafood consumers. Currently, few studies have satisfactorily investigated the presence of endangered fish species, especially shark species, within cat food products. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is shark DNA present within cat cans produced by Americas’ leading wet cat food supplier, Purina. We extracted DNA from cat food samples, which then underwent Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) multiplexing and Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) sequencing to determine species identity. Using these methods, Purina products did not produce chromatograms, possibly due to interference from preservatives. However, these methods were successful on products from other cat food brands, confirming the presence of shark DNA in several cans. While future investigations into Purina will need to adjust their methodology, this work cautions pet owners of the potentially hidden ingredients in popular cat food products.