Are Premium dog food cans ok for human consumption?

I was wondering if premium canned dog food without meat byproducts, fillers and grain free might be an option in emergency. I feed my dog BLUE BUFFALO HOMESTYLE which has real meat and vegetables and added nutrients for complete balanced diet. (I understand a complete diet for dogs may not be complete for human but who worries about that in short term?) I have not asked Blue Buffalo if the meat used is ok for human consumption.

A single can is about 400 calories so a person could survive on 2 cans a day for short term emergency. This would be expensive for a family but I am single so a can costs just under $3 and requires no cooking or preparation. I haven't tasted it but my dog loves it. Comes in Turkey, Chicken, Beef, and Lamb. Any thoughts. Better than eating rodents and almost rotten food stored inappropriately or too long. Any thoughts?

 

If all I could get hold of was dog food I'd eat it for sure, I doubt there is anything in it that is harmful to humans and I imagine you probably get quite a lot of energy from it.

 

What cans of human food are complete nutrition? How many different cans of food would you have to open to get complete meal? As far as I know, a human "meal in a can" doesn't exist.

 

Did some calculations of macronutrients in can of BLUE BUFFALO Beef Dinner with garden vegetables (425 kcal in can).

Can is 78% moisture so you calculate macronutrients by converting to dry matter (just divide crude grams by 22 (dry matter content) to get percentages.

Protein 38.6% (human recommendation is 10%-35%)
Fat 27.3% (human recommendation is 20%-35%)
Implied Carbs 34.1% (human recommendation is 45%-65%)
The implied carbs includes fiber which reduces actual calories.

So just slightly high protein and lower carbs so add some favorite hard candy and you get a very balanced macronutrient diet for humans.

Actual ingredient list from can: beef, beef broth, beef liver, carrots, peas, sweet potatos, brown rice, barley, oatmeal, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, guar gum, carrageenan, potassium chloride, cassia gum, salt, acid chelate, choline cbloride, vitamin E supplement, copper amino acid chelate, mangaese amino acid (vitamin B3), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2), biotin (vitamin B7), vitamin B12 supplement, potassium iodide, pyrodoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid (vitamim B9).

Notice no glutens, meat meal or byproducts, soy, corn or wheat.

Cannot determine if the vitamin supplements are close to RDA for humans but overall a nutritious meal.

THE BIG QUESTION: How does it taste? I will have to eat a spoonful next time I feed my dog.

 

If I was starving, I guess I would try it. However, I can always forage for food, grow food, hunt for food, etc. A friend of mine used to work for a dog food factory in Indiana when I lived there and I used to "smell" her daily as she came home from work. For that reason, I sort of have an aversion to the smell of dog food. It is awful and instantly makes me gag. So, it would probably have to be a very last resort for me.

 

Ok, so my family knew some people who went to Germany for work and they had this older relative with them that didn't know the language at all, yet. So when they went to the supermarket to buy food, and found this really cheap food in cans right next to the counter. Back then dog food didn't have the doggie picture on the outside. No one bothered to read the can at all because they kept eating that food for 2-3 years until one day they read the actual description on the can that said "premium dog food".

They said it tastes like really good canned meat.

 

I wouldn't suggest eating the canned dog food, but it's not going to hurt you. The most it's going to do is make your stomach hurt or gross you out. It all depends on if you can stomach it. It should be perfectly fine to eat. If a dog can eat it without getting hurt, then a human should be absolutely fine. I'd suggest just looking into canned soup, since that's around the same price and will probably taste better.

 

Being that I'm vegetarian, I don't think I'd ever be up for trying dog food. There was that recent episode, however, where Serena Williams tried her dog's canned food and was immediately rewarded with a trip to the bathroom, Dumb and Dumber style. That news alone was enough to deter my curiosity from ever sampling dog food or cat food forever.

Still, I have heard of the elderly sharing their pet's food and getting by all right... but, yeah. Still ew. No thanks.

 

Young children 2-3 when they arent' being watched often eat dog food and it doesn't affect them negatively in anyway. I suppose that if they can eat dog food and they don't get sick if circumstances demanded that you eat dog food, then you could eat just a little.

http://www.livescience.com/32195-what-happens-if-you-eat-dog-food.html

Don't overdo it . . .

 

I do love your adventurous spirit and your lack of plate fright.
Prairie Dog

 

What can of soup provides a completely nutritious macronutrient diet? You get a salty broth-based liquid with a few small chunks of meat and maybe some vegetables. No soup is going to meet your PROTEIN needs. How many cans of soup does it take to obtain 800-1,000 kcal per day?

 

You cannot GROW food soon enough to provide nutrition in the aftermath of a crisis. This is not a feasible food survival plan. I am thinking short-term, immediately available, without the need to hunt, prepare, or cook anything. My last resort would be rodents and reptiles (very repulsive to me alive so can't imagine I would actually eat them).

Yes, I could stock my shelves with cans of beans, soup, fruit, ravioli/pasta, vegetables, tuna/chicken/turkey/sardines. But daily meals of this hodgepodge would be expensive.

 

My wife use to work for Royal Canin. A dog food manufacturing plant. They also make James Wellbeloved. In the U.K. All dog food legally has to be fit for human consumption. There were people who ate the kibble at there desks

 

One option is to grow food indoors in 5 gallon pails. I have successfully done this with potatoes, going to experiment with other vegitables as well. Well worth trying as it would be less seasonal and open up options that may make a huge difference. I live in a climate that has 6 month winters and short grow seasons, if I can grow many of my staples this way it is a game changer.
Prairie Dog