From Susan Thixton of TruthAboutPetFood.com:

"The anti-healthy pet food folks are at it again. This time going after friend and fellow pet food consumer advocate Rodney Habib (with a jab at Dr. Karen Becker too!).

Rodney Habib published a video (Facebook) exposing the risk ingredients in five popular dog treats. From Snopes.com:

“On 22 March 2016, the Facebook page “Planet Paws” published a video claiming that Milk-Bone dog treats contained a known canine carcinogen, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). In just under one week, the video achieved nearly half a million shares and scores more views, causing worry to dog lovers across the social network. On an initial watch, we noticed a brief portion that cited the unreliable health site Mercola. We were unable to substantiate claims that BHA, which is commonly used as a preservative in Milk-Bones (and many other dog treats), posed a risk to pets.”

Snopes.com dismissed the evidence to risk of BHA in pet treats stating (bold added for emphasis): “While “experimental animals” (presumably rats or mice) were mentioned, dogs did not appear in that NIH document.” Snopes.com dismissed the risk to pets consuming BHA because this study was not performed on dogs (though it was performed on animals).

But…to proves the safety of BHA in dog treats Snopes.com cited a human study. “The association between dietary intake of BHA and BHT and stomach cancer risk was investigated in the Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS) that started in 1986 among 120,852 men and women aged 55 to 69 years …”

Snopes.com feels it is perfectly acceptable to base the safety of a pet food ingredient on human studies, but it’s not acceptable for a consumer advocate to base the risk of a pet food ingredient on animal studies.
And Snopes.com cited the very same veterinarian that attacked our Pet Food Test results – Dr. Jessica Vogelsang – who stated “The “experts” in these videos substitute Google searches and scary sound bites for actual science. They are much better videographers than scientists. In that vein they’re most like the Food Babe of the pet world.”

Just to be clear…
The Center for Science in the Public Interest suggests consumers to “Avoid” BHA. “BHA retards rancidity in fats, oils, and oil-containing foods. While some studies indicate it is safe, other studies demonstrate that it causes cancer in rats, mice, and hamsters. Those cancers are controversial because they occur in the forestomach, an organ that humans do not have. However, a chemical that causes cancer in at least one organ in three different species indicates that it might be carcinogenic in humans.”

The National Toxicology Program, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states: “Carcinogenicity: Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals.”

Personally, I choose to believe that BHA is a cancer risk I’m not willing to take for my pets. I choose to support the truth shared by Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker. I know for fact – both of these individuals work tirelessly to protect pets and to educate pet food consumers. I cannot say the same for Snopes.com and Dr. Jessica Vogelsang."

Snopes.com – you got it wrong.

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food