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Scanned by Randall Saunders · April 12, 2026
Canine Carry Outs Canine Carry Outs Beef Flavor Dog Snacks
11/100
Grade F — Avoid at All Costs
📦 Product Overview
BrandCanine Carry Outs
TypeDog Treats/Snacks
Life Stageadult
Size4.5 oz (128 g)
AAFCO Compliant❌ No
This is a treat/snack, not a complete and balanced food. No AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement is expected or present. Should not exceed 10% of a dog's daily caloric intake.
☠ Rendering / 4D Animal Warning

This product contains 'Animal Fat' and 'Animal Digest' — both from unspecified species. Under current FDA and AAFCO rules, these rendered ingredients can legally originate from 4D animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled), euthanized shelter animals, roadkill, zoo animals, or restaurant grease. The FDA confirmed pentobarbital (euthanasia drug) in pet foods containing these exact ingredient types. The rendering process does not eliminate drug residues. The manufacturer chose not to name the species, which means there is zero traceability.

🧪 Ingredient Breakdown
✅
Chicken
Named whole meat listed first. Positive, but in a soft treat this is mostly water weight. The product is called 'Beef Flavor' yet chicken is the #1 ingredient — classic FDA labeling trick. 'Flavor' designation only requires a detectable amount of beef.
❌
Wheat Flour
Refined wheat — allergenic filler with minimal nutritional value. Second ingredient means this treat is primarily wheat paste.
−3 pts
❌
Corn Syrup
Sugar in a dog treat. Contributes to obesity, dental disease, and insulin spikes. There is zero reason for this ingredient.
−3 pts
🟡
Soybean Meal
Soy-based protein — common allergen, likely GMO. Cheap protein filler.
−1 pts
❌
Corn Flour
Ultra-processed corn filler. Another cheap carb stacking ingredient.
−3 pts
❌
Soy Flour
Highly processed soy allergen. Common filler used to pad ingredient volume.
−3 pts
☠️
Propylene Glycol
Humectant/preservative. While legal in dog food (banned in cat food by FDA), it is an industrial chemical also used as antifreeze. Linked to Heinz body anemia in cats and flagged for potential cancer risk. No reason to include this in any pet product.
−5 pts
❌
Animal Fat (BHA/BHT used as a preservative)
Unspecified animal fat — zero species transparency. Can legally originate from rendering plants processing euthanized shelter animals, roadkill, restaurant grease traps, or 4D animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled). The fat is then preserved with BHA/BHT — both flagged carcinogens.
−3 pts
☠️
BHA (preservative in Animal Fat)
Butylated Hydroxyanisole — classified as 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen' by the National Toxicology Program. Restricted in the EU. Used here to preserve rendered animal fat.
−5 pts
☠️
BHT (preservative in Animal Fat)
Butylated Hydroxytoluene — linked to liver and kidney damage. Restricted in multiple countries. Paired with BHA in this product for double carcinogenic preservative exposure.
−5 pts
✅
Water
Standard moisture ingredient for soft treats.
❌
Animal Digest
Chemically hydrolyzed animal sludge from unspecified species. This is what creates the 'beef flavor.' The FDA defines digest as material resulting from chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean animal tissue — but the species and source are never disclosed. Can originate from any rendered animal including euthanized pets.
−3 pts
✅
Calcium Sulfate
Calcium source and firming agent. Generally safe.
✅
Phosphoric Acid
pH adjuster. Safe at typical levels.
✅
Potassium Chloride
Potassium supplement. Standard.
✅
Salt
Sodium source. Acceptable in moderation for treats.
✅
Sorbic Acid (preservative)
Mold inhibitor. Generally recognized as safe at typical levels.
☠️
Titanium Dioxide (color)
Synthetic white pigment used as a colorant. Causes DNA damage in animal studies. BANNED from food use in the EU since 2022. There is absolutely zero nutritional reason to put this in a dog treat. It exists solely to make the 'white marbling' look appealing to human buyers.
−5 pts
☠️
Red 40 Lake
Artificial red dye. Linked to cancer, hyperactivity, and allergic reactions. Banned or restricted in multiple countries. Used here to make the treat look like beef. Dogs are partially colorblind — this dye is for human eyes only.
−5 pts
☠️
Iron Oxide (color)
Synthetic colorant. Classified as a carcinogen in humans. Used here as yet another unnecessary dye to simulate meat color. Three artificial colorants in one treat is outrageous.
−5 pts
⚠
Natural Smoke Flavor
Source undisclosed. 'Natural' flavoring with no species or process transparency. May contain combustion byproducts.
−2 pts
✅
Lactic Acid
pH regulator and preservative. Safe.
☠️
BHA (used as a preservative)
BHA listed AGAIN separately as a standalone preservative — in addition to appearing in the animal fat. Double exposure to this anticipated carcinogen. Penalized again per the rules.
−5 pts
✅
Citric Acid (preservative)
Natural preservative. Safe.
⚖ What's Good / What's Bad
Good
✅ Named chicken is the first ingredient
✅ Contains some safe preservatives (citric acid, sorbic acid, lactic acid)
Bad
❌ Called 'Beef Flavor' but beef is nowhere in the ingredient list — the 'beef' comes from unspecified animal digest
❌ Propylene glycol — industrial humectant with cancer and toxicity concerns
❌ BHA listed TWICE — anticipated carcinogen appearing in two places on the same label
❌ BHT — another flagged carcinogen preserving unspecified animal fat
❌ Titanium Dioxide — banned in EU food since 2022, causes DNA damage
❌ Red 40 Lake — artificial dye with zero nutritional purpose, linked to cancer
❌ Iron Oxide — synthetic dye classified as a carcinogen
❌ Three separate artificial colorants in a single dog treat
❌ Animal Fat (unspecified) — rendering tank ingredient with 4D animal risk
❌ Animal Digest (unspecified) — chemically hydrolyzed sludge of unknown species
❌ Corn Syrup — sugar has no place in dog treats
❌ Wheat Flour, Corn Flour, Soy Flour — triple refined filler stacking
❌ Contains common allergens: wheat, soy, corn
🧬 Potential Cancer-Linked Ingredients
☠️
BHA (in Animal Fat) −5 pts — Anticipated human carcinogen per NTP. Restricted in EU. Used to preserve unspecified rendered animal fat.
☠️
BHT (in Animal Fat) −5 pts — Liver/kidney toxicant. Cancer link. Restricted in EU.
☠️
Propylene Glycol −5 pts — Banned in cat food by FDA. Heinz body anemia risk. Cancer concerns at higher exposures.
☠️
Titanium Dioxide −5 pts — DNA damage. Banned from food in EU since 2022. Zero nutritional purpose.
☠️
Red 40 Lake −5 pts — Artificial dye linked to cancer and behavioral issues. Banned or restricted in multiple countries.
☠️
Iron Oxide −5 pts — Synthetic colorant classified as a carcinogen in humans.
☠️
BHA (standalone preservative) −5 pts — Second listing of BHA on the same label. Double carcinogen exposure.
📊 Score Breakdown
Start score100 pts
Ingredient penalties−61 pts
❌ CONTAINS 'ANIMAL DIGEST' — lowest-tier rendered ingredient with pentobarbital contamination risk−10 pts
❌ THREE OR MORE FILLER STARCHES / REFINED CARBS (Wheat Flour, Corn Flour, Soy Flour, Corn Syrup)−10 pts
❌ ARTIFICIAL COLORS PRESENT (Titanium Dioxide, Red 40 Lake, Iron Oxide — three artificial dyes)−8 pts
Final score11/100
💬 The Verdict

This is one of the worst dog treats on the market. Seven separate cancer-linked ingredients, three artificial dyes, unspecified rendered animal ingredients, corn syrup, and propylene glycol — all crammed into a 4.5 oz bag marketed with a cartoon dog. The 'Beef Flavor' claim is particularly deceptive: there is no beef in this product. The flavor comes from chemically hydrolyzed animal sludge of unknown species origin.

🧨 Final Verdict

Canine Carry Outs Beef Flavor is a masterclass in deceptive, low-quality pet food manufacturing. J.M. Smucker packed seven cancer-linked ingredients into a 4.5 oz bag of treats — BHA (listed TWICE), BHT, propylene glycol, titanium dioxide (banned in EU food), Red 40 Lake, and iron oxide. The 'Beef Flavor' name is technically legal because FDA rules only require a detectable amount of flavor — and that flavor comes from 'Animal Digest,' which is chemically dissolved animal tissue of completely unknown origin. There is literally no beef in this product. The treat is primarily chicken, wheat paste, corn syrup, and soy flour dyed to look like meat with three separate artificial colorants that dogs cannot even perceive. At the cheapest retail price point in the store, this product is not a bargain — it's a liability. There are single-ingredient freeze-dried treats available for similar cost per treat that contain zero carcinogens, zero mystery rendering, and zero sugar. This product scores an 11 out of 100 and earns every point of that F grade.