Study: Dog Food Tastes Just Like Pâté

(CBS)  If the recession gets worse, we may be eating dog food for dinner.

Don't laugh. It's apparently tastier than you'd expect.

In the last few years, organic dog food made with human-grade free range meat and fresh vegetables has spiked in popularity among health-conscious shoppers. Some companies even claim, for instance, that "humans actually taste our foods, as part of our QC process!"

What's surprising is that some of the new organic dog foods taste as good as (or as bad as) similar human foods, like liverwurst and duck liver mousse, according to a working paper circulated on Friday by the American Association of Wine Economists.

The paper is titled "Can People Distinguish Pâté from Dog Food?" and it concluded that, well, they can't.

These enterprising researchers separately put organic Canned Turkey & Chicken Formula for Puppies/Active Dogs, duck liver mousse, pork liver pâté, liverwurst, and spam in a food processor. The resulting confection was ladled into five different bowls and garnished with parsley.

The volunteers in this culinary experiment didn't exactly prefer the dog food, but they couldn't identify it either. "Only 3 of 18 subjects correctly identified sample C as the dog food," the paper says.

The authors conclude that: "Although human beings do not enjoy eating dog food, they are also not able to distinguish its flavor profile from other meat-based products that are intended for human consumption."

The lesson? Presentation matters. Expectations matter. And, perhaps, that organic dog food is better than you think.

Which is why blind taste tests are so useful; Trader Joe's $2-or-$3-a-bottle Chardonnay won a blind test in California against formidable competition. Another working paper published by the wine economists' group found that, as you might expect, people give higher ratings to wine if they're told it's more expensive.

By Declan McCullagh

[godpsyco]

very interesting. In my opinion exist some pet food that is better that mans food.

[e-mail]

[jasperrdm]

What? None these researches were doubled dog dared to eat Alpo as kid.
Hint it tastes like cheap corn beef hash. :)

[paddyhayes]

You know what, some1has2sayit?

I feel the same way about baby food.

[paddyhayes]

I knew there was a reason I didn't like dog food.

[ibsteve2u]

I note some people get really upset about this story's presence. Makes me wonder:

Do they dislike the story simply because they think it is "gross"? (Should watch Mel Gibson's "Road Warrior", in that case; a dark future where a can of dog food is a tasty treat!)

Do they dislike the story because they fear their own economic situation may force them to accept the idea?

Do they dislike the story because their atrophied consciences twinge at their having just come home from an anti-tax tea-bagging?

Do they dislike the story because they foresee the consequences of three decades of Republican malfeasance including dog food for the masses?

[rsmik]

In a related story, since this one won't go away, an independent study has found that hamster food looks just like trail mix

[ibsteve2u]

lollll...not "can of dog", but "can of dog food". Although kegogi ain't bad.

[ibsteve2u]

YOU CAN GET A CAN OF TOMATOE OR CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP CHEAPER THAN DOG FOOD. I'M SURE ORGANIC, OR REGULAR DOG FOOD COSTS MORE THAN A CAN OF SOUP. BUY A BAG OF BEANS OR RICE. THAT IS RIDICULOUS TO SAY YOU HAVE TO EAT DOG FOOD. COME ON. THINK ABOUT IT!
Posted by dottybgood at 11:28 PM : May 4, 2009

The can of dog would would be a more nutritious (that means, more likely to keep you alive) choice than any of the substitutes you proposed.

[big_hungry_shepard]

Bitter Tricky , you have been reported for offensive remarks. Ya wanna dog biscuit , honey ? Hope you can get better soon.

[big_hungry_shepard]

ok, you got your 2 seconds of recognition , are ya happy now ? The fact is , many dogs and other
intelligent animals and mammals such as dolphins and orcas , and eagles, etc. are trying to survive in this world we humans have not been good stewards of, that is You if you are not a caring person an
you know whoyou are ! U sit at yer PC and dont do squat to help ! Wake the hell up !
How can you be a better person in regards to helping save this world from starvation? Think ! and Do anything to help !