Since you can receive an item from feeding this to a pet, they had to set it up as a special use item. It is still a food and you can still feed it, but it is a weird item. If I remember correctly, it is the only edible like that since there is only a CHANCE of receiving an item.

There are other edibles that you get items from them, but you "use" the item to get something, you don't feed it. Like Colcannon and King Cake.

As I said above, it is a food item but had to be set up differently because it has a chance of giving you an item.

Colcannon is different because you ALWAYS get an item.