Today Stop Feeding Chemical Soup to Your Animals

A Deep Dive into What's Really in Fortified Feed for Horses, Livestock, and Pets.

The most important things a pet owner can do for their pets is: 

Provide Proper Nutrition and Fresh Water

Meeting this need provides a strong foundation for a happy, healthy, animal.

Yet what we feed our animals may not provide the nutrition they need.

Grass hay cannot provide all of the nutrients a horse needs to be healthy, so even the finest grass hay will require additional sources of nutrients either from other feedstuffs, such as legumes, other forages, concentrates or from supplements,” (Horse Illustrated July 1, 2005)

Two decades ago, big pet food companies like Purina, Nutrena, Triple Crown, and others tried to solve this problem by adding vitamins and minerals to their product lines. However, this strategy created even more dire problems over the next couple of decades. Recent studies show an 18% increase in insulin resistance in horses and an 80 fold increase in canine diabetes mellitus in the last 20 years. Since most responsible owners are not feeding Twinkies and donuts to their animals. It is plausible that these increases may be directly related to the additives in the processed food they are consuming. This is similar to the way humans are affected by consuming processed foods with additives, as has been shown by the MAHA movement. Lets take closer look at what is really in those bagged equine and canine feeds you buy at your local feed stores.

When vitamins and minerals are added to food (a process called fortification or enrichment), they are typically synthetic or isolated compounds that mimic the natural forms found in whole foods. Here’s how they are made:

1. Synthetic Vitamins

Most added vitamins are chemically synthesized in labs to match their natural counterparts. Examples include:

• Vitamin C – Made from glucose (often via fermentation or chemical synthesis) to produce ascorbic acid.

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) – Synthesized as thiamine mononitrate or thiamine hydrochloride.

• Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – Produced as nicotinic acid or niacinamide through chemical processes.

• Vitamin D – Often synthesized from lanolin (sheep’s wool) or fungal/yeast sources to create D2 (ergocalciferol) or D3 (cholecalciferol).

• Folic Acid (B9) – A synthetic form of folate, made through chemical processes.

  2. Mineral Compounds

  Minerals are usually added in forms that are easily absorbed by the body. Common sources include:

• Calcium – Added as calcium carbonate (chalk), calcium citrate, or calcium phosphate.

• Iron – Added as ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, or reduced iron powder.

• Zinc – Added as zinc sulfate, zinc gluconate, or zinc oxide.

• Iodine – Added as potassium iodide or sodium iodide (often in iodized salt).

  3. Natural vs. Synthetic

  • Some fortified foods use natural extracts (e.g., vitamin E from soy or vitamin A from fish liver oil).

  • However, most mass-produced foods use synthetic versions because they are cheaper and more stable.

  • Many synthetic vitamins are derived from petroleum-based precursors or produced using petrochemical processes. Here’s a breakdown of the most common ones:

     

    Petroleum-Derived Synthetic Vitamins

    1. Vitamin A (Retinol, Beta-Carotene)

       • Often synthesized from acetylene (a petroleum derivative) or acetone.

       • Some forms use fish liver oil (natural), but synthetic versions are common in fortified foods.

    2. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

       • Made from coal tar derivatives or petrochemical-sourced intermediates.

    3. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

       • Produced via fermentation (using bacteria or yeast), but some synthetic pathways involve petroleum-based precursors.

    4. Vitamin B3 (Niacin/Nicotinic Acid)

       • Synthesized from 3-methylpyridine or quinoline, which are petroleum-derived.

    5. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

       • Often made from formaldehyde and isobutyraldehyde (petroleum-based chemicals).

    6. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

       • Produced from petroleum-derived chemicals like propylene oxide and hydrochloric acid.

    7. Vitamin B7 (Biotin)

       • Some synthetic pathways use petroleum-based fumaric acid.

    8. Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)

       • Made from petrochemical-derived pteridine and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA).

    9. Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)

       • Produced via bacterial fermentation (not petroleum-based), but the purification process may involve synthetic chemicals.

    10. Vitamin D (D2 & D3)

        • D2 (Ergocalciferol) is derived from yeast or fungi (not petroleum).

        • D3 (Cholecalciferol) is often synthesized from lanolin (sheep’s wool), but some processes use petroleum-derived cholesterol.

    11. Vitamin E (DL-alpha-Tocopherol)

        • Synthetic form is made from trimethylhydroquinone and isophytol (petroleum-derived).

        • Natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) comes from soy or sunflower oil.

    12. Vitamin K (Menadione, Synthetic K3)

        • Made from petroleum-derived methylnaphthalene.

    Minerals (Usually Not Petroleum-Based)

    Minerals are typically inorganic compounds (mined or chemically processed) and not petroleum-derived. Examples:

    • Calcium carbonate (from limestone)

    • Magnesium oxide (from seawater or minerals)

    • Iron sulfate (from iron ore)

    Are They Safe?

    • These compounds are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by regulatory agencies (FDA, EFSA, WHO).

    • However, some people prefer whole-food sources because synthetic vitamins may lack co-factors (like enzymes) found in natural foods.

      Should You Be Concerned?

      • Regulatory agencies (FDA, EFSA) consider these safe in small amounts.

      • Some people prefer whole-food vitamins to avoid synthetic sources.

        Key Takeaways

        • Most synthetic B vitamins and vitamins A, D, E, and K can be petroleum-derived.

        • Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is usually made from corn or tapioca starch (via fermentation), not petroleum.

        • Minerals are not petroleum-based but may be processed with chemicals.

     

Conclusion

Fortified feeds may not be the best way to provide nutrition to your livestock and pets due to chemical ingredients. This is especially so since limited studies have been done on the long term effects of ingesting these chemicals to both animals and humans.

Better Alternatives

For those who want a more natural and safer feed, there are better alternatives.

Safer and more nutritious alternatives exist, such as single-source timothy, or alfalfa, pellets from Standlee or Moringa pellets from UtterNutition.com. Mixing 120-150 grams of moringa pellets with timothy or alfalfa pellets will provide all the nutrients your horse needs naturally without any chemicals or petroleum based ingredients and without any side effects. Additionally, your horse will receive other benefits such as increased immunity, increased muscle building and effective chemical free deworming.