Use of food additives in animal-based pet food and snacks in Busan, Korea

With pets increasingly recognized as integral family members, the pet food market has expanded rapidly; however, current safety management systems do not sufficiently reflect the diversity of this market.This study investigated the use of food additives in 152 livestock-derived pet food and snacks distributed in the Busan area from January to October 2025.A total of eight food additives, including six preservatives, tar colors, and nitrite ions, were analyzed.Food additives were detected in 50.0% of the samples.Among the detected additives, sorbic acid was the most frequently identified, and in some products, the detected levels exceeded the maximum permitted levels established for human food.Dehydroacetic acid and benzoic acid were also commonly detected.In addition, a discrepancy rate of 57.1% was observed between product labeling and analytical results, suggesting that labeling claims such as "preservative-free" may not accurately reflect product contents.These findings indicate that current regulations under the Control of Livestock and Fish Feed Act, which primarily focus on livestock feed, may be insufficient to ensure the safety of pet food.Therefore, the establishment of independent safety standards and improved labeling regulations that consider the metabolic characteristics and consumption patterns of companion animals is required.