Pet Food Recall Update – Chromium tripicolinate Information
Dr. Ernest Ward, Jr.

 The recent FDA letter to Iams Company regarding the use of chromium tripicolinate as a weight loss aid in its Eukanuba Restricted Calorie diets has left many pet owners and veterinarians confused. It must be noted that this nutritional supplement is not part of the recent pet food recall involving wheat gluten and Menu Foods. This information is meant to help you understand what chromium tripicolinate is and its safety.

What is chromium tripicolinate?
Trivalent chromium is an essential element required for normal carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism in humans and animals. It is used primarily in food animals to promote lean body mass and in humans as a weight loss and fitness supplement. I personally take chromium daily as part of my nutritional supplements to promote lean body mass. Additionally, Iams Company uses this FDA-approved supplement in its porcine (pig) diets. This means that if you eat pork, there is a high probability that you are eating meat from an animal that was fed chromium tripicolinate approved by the FDA and USDA.

What about the safety of chromium tripicolinate?
In a June 2004 research journal Food Chemical Toxicology, the safety for a human supplement of chromium tripicolinate was evaluated. The study was titled “Determining the safety of chromium tripicolinate for addition to foods as a nutrient supplement.”

 “This article describes how one particular form of trivalent chromium, chromium tripicolinate (Chromax), a stable complex of trivalent chromium and picolinic acid, was determined to be safe for use as a nutrient supplement in foods (i.e., nutritional bars and beverages). A safety assessment of a nutrient supplement for use in food requires an evaluation of the safety of the product (Chromax), as well as an evaluation of the safety of the intended dietary ingredient (chromium tripicolinate). In this assessment, the production process, final product specifications, and product analysis results for Chromax were evaluated to determine the safety of the final product. Then, the Estimated Daily Intakes (EDIs) of trivalent chromium and picolinic acid from the proposed use of Chromax were calculated using data from the USDA's most recent Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. The EDI for trivalent chromium was compared to the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for this compound derived from animal studies, corroborated with human data, while the EDI for picolinic acid was compared to existing in vivo exposure to this compound that occurs naturally in the body. As long as the EDI of trivalent chromium is less than the ADI for this compound and the EDI of picolinic acid is less than its estimated in vivo exposure, Chromax can be considered safe for its intended use. Employing this approach, it was determined that Chromax is safe, as well as generally recognized as safe (GRAS), for use in nutritional bars and beverages as a nutrient supplement at a maximum use level of 2.4 mg of Chromax per product serving.” [reprinted from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NIH)]

Why did the FDA issue a letter to Iams if it’s used in humans and other animals?
The primary duty of the FDA is to oversee and regulate human foods and approve veterinary and human drugs. Nutritional supplements for humans and pets fall into an area that the FDA has little, if any, jurisdiction over. The issue occurs when a manufacturer makes a claim for a supplement. This is why you see “these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA” disclaimers on your supplements. Iams Company states that chromium aids in pet weight loss – an FDA-unapproved claim for dogs and cats. Further, since a claim has been made, this now falls under the jurisdiction and possibly the definition of a drug. There have been no clinical trials or safety studies performed on dogs and cats to support this weight loss claim or prove it safe usage in dogs and cats.

Is chromium tripicolinate toxic to dogs and cats?
As far as we can ascertain, there are no research studies that demonstrate it is toxic to dogs and cats. There have been concerns that it could cause birth defects or damage to DNA but these studies have not been verified. In light of the recent pet food recall, I expect many claims to come forward with regard to this issue. I will be watching this issue very closely since I take this supplement twice daily and feed my cats this diet. At this time I do not plan on discontinuing chromium as part of my Ironman-training regimen. If there is any change in the science of this supplement, I will be sure to inform you immediately.