What is the Whiskas controversy

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Is Whiskas Supportive of Israel? Explained

Mars Petcare stands firm in the belief that pets contribute significantly to the enrichment of our world. In their pursuit of A Better World For Pets, their 100,000 Petcare Associates channel their efforts towards the well-being of the worlds 400 million pets.

Ranging from nutritional considerations through brands like PEDIGREE, WHISKAS, and ROYAL CANIN, to top-tier medical care provided by BANFIELD Pet Hospitals, VCA, and AniCura, Mars Petcare aims to elevate pet lives holistically. Additionally, they tackle larger societal issues, such as pet homelessness, and strive to alleviate student debt for veterinarians. Innovations emerging from the Waltham Petcare Science Center further fuel advancements in pet health through nutrition, data, and veterinary care.

Among the roster of Mars Petcares brands stands WHISKAS, a stalwart in feline nutrition, aimed at ensuring the health, happiness, and natural curiosity of cats.

Exploring Whiskas Association with Israel

Recent claims have surfaced regarding Whiskas ties to Israel through its parent company, Mars. Allegations suggest that Mars, the owner of Whiskas, significantly supports Israels foodtech startup scene by heavily investing through its venture capital partner, JVC. This revelation has sparked discourse and activism, urging individuals to abstain from purchasing or selling Whiskas products and discouraging employment with Mars, citing ethical concerns over its support for the Zionist state.

The Call for Alternatives

In response to the scrutiny and activism, a movement has gained traction, advocating against the consumption and promotion of Whiskas products. The call extends to exploring alternative options, such as supermarket-owned brands, as well as promoting a dietary shift towards whole foods over processed confectionery.

The controversy surrounding Whiskas purported support for Israel via Mars investments has triggered a broader conversation about ethical consumerism. It prompts individuals to consider the moral implications of their consumer choices and align them with their ethical compass.

As discussions persist, it highlights the growing awareness among consumers about the socio-political landscapes corporations operate within and the implications of their affiliations. This underscores the evolving relationship between consumer decisions and global socio-political dynamics.

In essence, the scrutiny surrounding Whiskas ties to Israel via its parent company, Mars, emphasizes the need for consumers to critically assess the ethical ramifications of their purchases. It prompts a deeper reflection on the interconnectedness of consumer choices, corporate actions, and global socio-political contexts.

Whiskas

Whiskas Information

Whiskas is an established cat food brand that is owned by the Mars Petcare conglomerate. This conglomerate also owns other well-known pet food brands like Royal Canin, Iams, and Pedigree.

Like some of Mars other brands, Whiskas originates from a brand created in 1936 called Kal Kan, which was one of the earliest pet food brands. Mars then split this brand into several more specialized brands, including Whiskas and Pedigree.

Whiskas recipes sold in the United States are produced in the United States at one of Mars Petcares partners.

However, Whiskas recipes sold overseas in Canada, the United Kingdom, or other countries are often produced at local factories or by local partners.

Whiskas can most commonly be found at large retail pet food stores such as PetSmart or Walmart, where it fits in with other similar brands.

Whiskas is more difficult to purchase online than some other cat food brands and is not available on some of the large pet food websites like Chewy.

Whiskas Product Range

In the United States, Whiskas has a relatively small product range which is a mix of dry cat food recipes and wet cat food recipes.

While Whiskas wet cat food recipes are not age-specific, Whiskas does produce a dry cat food recipe for Kittens and another for indoor cats.

Outside of the United States, in countries like Canada or the United Kingdom, Whiskas has a vastly different product range with much more variety.

This often includes a much greater number of wet/canned cat food recipes as well as some more specialized recipes such as those for senior cats.

Whiskas Nutrition

Whiskas cat food recipes provide nutrition that is average when compared to other similar cat food brands.

This average nutritional profile consists of adequate proportions of protein and fat and proportions of carbohydrates that are sometimes too large.

The nutrition provided by Whiskas wet cat food recipes is superior to Whiskas dry cat food recipes in the majority of cases and often contains higher proportions of protein and fat.

You can see an example of the nutrition of a Whiskas wet cat food recipe below.

A nutritional profile high in animal or fish-based protein and fat is critical to cats as they are obligate carnivores and do not need to consume plant matter.

You can learn more about what it means to be an obligate carnivore in our Cat Food Guide.

Whiskas Ingredients

High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients

Chicken
Duck
Beef
Tuna
Salmon
Whitefish

Whiskas uses a moderate range of high-quality meat and fish ingredients in its recipes, including the above. These ingredients can provide cats with high-quality animal-based protein and fat.

Several of these ingredients are industry favorites, especially in the wet cat food space. Examples include Tuna, Salmon, Chicken, and Whitefish.

These ingredients are so popular among wet cat food manufacturers as they are easy to source, relatively low-cost, and highly nutritious.

Other Notable Ingredients

While Whiskas wet cat food recipes tend to utilize higher-quality meat and fish ingredients, Whiskas dry cat food recipes use ingredients like Poultry By-Product Meal.

Ingredients like these can be controversial inclusions as many believe they are less accountable, more processed, and less desirable.

However, despite this controversy, these ingredients can still provide valuable nutrition to cats in the form of protein and fat and would be preferred over plant-based alternatives.

In addition to by-products like Poultry By-Product Meal, Whiskas dry cat food recipes also include grain ingredients such as Corn, Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, and Soybean Meal.

These grain ingredients can be extremely controversial additions to pet food recipes, with many being strongly against their use.

However, there are also some strong supporters of grains in pet food, especially among those that feed brands like Purina Pro Plan or Royal Canin.

Sadly, some of Whiskas recipes include small portions of Animal Fat. While Animal Fat can be a nutritious ingredient and provider of animal-based fats, it is an unaccountable ingredient that lacks transparency.

Many in the industry would much prefer that brands like Whiskas use named animal fats such as Chicken Fat or Beef Fat.

Several of Whiskas recipes include a small portion of Dried Beet Pulp. Dried Beet Pulp is extremely popular in dry dog food and is a reliable source of soluble fiber.

While this fiber is less critical to cats, it can help to aid digestion and ensure cats have regular stools. You can read more about Dried Beet Pulp in our article Dried Beet Pulp In Dog Food.

Lastly, Whiskas includes several gum-based ingredients in its recipes, such as Guar Gum and Carrageenan.

These gums are used as binding agents to hold wet cat food together in a consistent texture and format.

Outside of this binding property, ingredients like Guar Gum and Carrageenan provide little to no nutrition to cats. You can learn more about Carrageenan in our article Carrageenan In Dog Food.

Whiskas Animal Testing

At this time, we have no information on whether Whiskas participates in invasive or laboratory testing of animals.

However, Whiskas is likely to perform similar testing and feeding trials as other Mars Petcare brands.

We strongly believe that laboratory or invasive testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice. We hope that in the future, it will be eliminated.

Whiskas Recalls

Based on our research (FDA,AVMA,DogFoodAdvisor), Whiskas has issued recalls in some locations and is, therefore, not a recall-free cat food brand.

In September 2021, Mars Petcare Canada issued recalls for more than a dozen Whiskas dry cat food products.

As you may imagine, this recall only affected Whiskas recipes sold in Canada and was not relevant to their US or UK products.

This recall was a voluntary recall which means it wasnt mandated by the relevant health agencies. While not always the case, a voluntary recall usually suggests it is less severe. They mention that Mars Petcare has not received any consumer complaints related to this issue.

Mars Petcares reasoning for this voluntary recall was due toraw ingredients that were outside of stringent internal quality specifications.

This motivation is quite vague, and it is not clear why the raw ingredients used in these recipes were not suitable or posed a risk to cats.

You can find the table of all of the affected Whiskas recipes below. You can also read the full statement from Mars Petcare on their websitehere.

WHISKAS MEATY SELECTION Dry Cat Food With Real Chicken 12X670G Best By Date 6/13/2022 7/19/2022 UPC 0 58496 43320 8

WHISKAS MEATY SELECTIONS Dry Cat Food With Real Chicken, 2kg Bag Best By Date 6/23/2022-8/12/2022 UPC 0 58496 70322 6

WHISKAS MEATY SELECTIONS Dry Cat Food With Real Chicken, 4kg Bag Best By Date 7/17/2022-8/12/2022 UPC 0 58496 70124 6

WHISKAS MEATY SELECTIONS Dry Cat Food with Real Chicken, 9.1kg Bag Best By Date 6/16/2022-8/17/2022 UPC 0 58496 70329 5

WHISKAS MEATY SELECTIONS Dry Cat Food with Real Chicken 11.6kg Bag Best By Date 6/24/2022-7/22/2022 UPC 0 58496 44481 5

WHISKAS Dry Cat Food Beef Selections Natural Beef Flavour, 2 kg, Bag Best By Date 6/25/2022-8/6/2022 UPC 0 58496 43351 2

WHISKAS Dry Cat Food Beef Flavour, 9.1kg Bag Best By Date 8/13/2022 UPC 0 58496 43353 6

WHISKAS SEAFOOD SELECTIONS Dry Cat Food With Real Salmon, 2kg Bag Best By Date 6/25/2022-8/18/2022 UPC 0 58496 70332 5

WHISKAS SEAFOOD SELECTIONS Dry Cat Food With Real Salmon, 4kg Bag Best By Date 8/9/2022-8/10/2022 UPC 0 58496 02681 3

WHISKAS Dry Cat Food Indoor With Real Chicken, 3kg Bag Best By Date 7/19/2022 UPC 0 58496 42153 3

WHISKAS Dry Cat Food Indoor With Real Chicken, 1.5 kg, Bag Best By Date 6/23/2022-7/19/2022 UPC 0 58496 23285 6

WHISKAS Dry Cat Food With Real Tuna, 9.1 kg Bag Best By Date 6/25/2022-8/7/2022 UPC 0 58496 43469 4

WHISKAS Dry Kitten Food With Real Chicken, 1.5 kg Bag Best By Date 7/18/2022 UPC 0 58496 70310 3

WHISKAS SEAFOOD SELECTIONS Dry Cat Food With Real Salmon, 9.1kg Bag Best By Date 6/26/2022- 8/13/2022 UPC 0 58496 42152 6

Until this voluntary recall was issued by Whiskas, they had an impressive record given that they have been independently producing cat food recipes for over three decades.

Other Mars Petcare brands are less fortunate than Whiskas and have issued several recalls over the last few decades. We recommend checking out our reviews of these brands to learn more.

Despite their lack of widespread recalls, we always suggest that pet owners remain vigilant of any future recalls of Whiskas or any other pet food brand.

Best of Whiskas

Purrfectly Fish With Salmon Review

The above Purrfectly Fish With Salmon from Whiskas is a prime example of their typical wet cat food recipes.

The formula includes a portion of Tuna, Salmon, and Chicken which combine to provide a generous proportion of animal and fish-based protein and fat.

Salmon is an excellent addition to any cat food recipe and is a dense source of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which many believe can provide cats with several health benefits.

Outside of these poultry and fish ingredients, the recipe contains little to no other notable ingredients.

The only exception is a small portion of Carrageenan which is used as a binding agent to give the recipe a consistent appearance and texture.

Whiskas Featured Articles

To date, Whiskas has not been featured in any of our articles.

Whiskas Full Product Range

Dry Cat Food (USA)

Chicken & Turkey Flavor

Indoor Chicken Flavor

Kitten Chicken & Turkey Flavor

Salmon & Shrimp Flavor

Wet/Canned Cat Food (USA

Chicken & Beef Entree

Chicken & Duck Entree

Chicken Entree

Oceanfish Entree

Sardine & Mackerel Entree

Tuna & Whitefish Entree

Tuna Entree

With Salmon

With Shrimp

With Snapper

Dry Cat Food (UK)

2-12 Months Kitten Complete With Chicken

Adult 1+ With Salmon

Adult 1+ With Tuna

Adult 1+ With Chicken

Adult 1+ With Lamb