Chewing the Fat: Gettin' Friskie(s)

When you're pouring out Fluffy's daily ration of Meow Mix, have you ever been tempted to try a bite?

If the fancy does strike you, you'll be happy to know that Popular Science declares cat food safe for human consumption, though not exactly the basis for a nutritious diet. The ingredients--meat by-products, chicken by-product meal, turkey by-product meal, ash, and taurine--pretty much sound like hot dogs. Some people even pay top dollar for ash in their own food.

Back away from my bowl!

The crowd paying for ashes in their cheese might be the same one buying cat food from British chain Marks & Spencer. We previously mentioned the trend toward gourmet pet foods, but now we've learned that someone with two legs actually gets paid to sample the products. Here's what he looks for: "Crushed carrots in the topping, a red, livery, pâté-style flavour underneath."

Sounds good, right? A couple decades ago, John Candy (playing Johnny Larue on an SCTV "Cooking with Larue" segment) demonstrated a recipe for tough economic times. It included cat food, cheap gin, grass and--incidentally--cigarette ash.

There's nothing new in the food industry.