A recent study conducted by the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) evaluated the risks associated with raw pet food to humans and their companion animals. Contrary to popular belief, domesticated animals’ systems may not be as adequate to consume raw slabs of meat like their wild ancestors.
Additionally, what risks does raw pet food present to pet caregivers and their households today?
The UK’s FSA recently conducted the results of a risk assessment study determining the risks of companion animals and their owners for certain pathogens potentially found in raw pet food products.
“An assessment of the risk of companion animals acquiring Salmonella, Escherichia coli spp., Campylobacter spp., and MRSA from contaminated raw pet food, and associated risks to pet owners from the use of these product in the home” was published earlier this month.
Raw pet food products are commonly made from Category 3 Animal-By-Products “fit for human consumption” but surplus to human consumption needs. Meant to be consumed raw, these products do not undergo any cooking or heat treatment required to kill potentially present pathogens. This may expose pets and their owners to these harmful germs.
Raw meat has well documented risks of harmful pathogens. Most of these pathogens come from the intestinal tract of the animal and meat products are potentially exposed to these pathogens throughout the slaughter and processing of these goods.
The risk assessment considers the following pathogens:
During the course of the study, FSA collected and tested raw dog and cat food products for sale in retail locations throughout the UK between March 2023 and February 2024. These samples were tested for the presence and relative concentration of the previously described commonly associated pathogens.
Based on laboratory findings and potential illnesses associated with these pathogens, the agency was able to present a risk assessment for both humans and their companion animals with respect to exposure to raw pet food products. The study assessed both companion animal consumption and human exposure due to cross-contamination from handling raw pet food and through contact with an infected pet.
The results of the raw pet food risk assessment demonstrated the risk level associated with each pathogen with respect to the cat, dog, pet owner through handling raw pet food, and pet owner through exposure to infected pet.
To acknowledge the limitations of available data on the pathogen impact on the companion animal as well as the potential effects of exposure to their human owners, a measure of “certainty” accompanies each decision.
Risk level to dog: medium with medium uncertainty
Risk level to cat: medium with medium uncertainty
Risk level to owner handling raw pet food: low with medium uncertainty
Risk level to owner exposed to infected pet: very low with high uncertainty
Risk level to dog: low with medium uncertainty
Risk level to cat: low with medium uncertainty
Risk level to owner handling raw pet food: low with medium uncertainty
Risk level to owner exposed to infected pet: very low with high uncertainty
Risk level to dog: very low with high uncertainty
Risk level to cat: no information available
Risk level to owner handling raw pet food: very low with high uncertainty
Risk level to owner exposed to infected pet: very low with high uncertainty
Risk level to dog: low with medium uncertainty
Risk level to cat: very low with high uncertainty
Risk level to owner handling raw pet food: low with medium uncertainty
Risk level to owner exposed to infected pet: very low with high uncertainty
Risk level to dog: negligible with medium uncertainty
Risk level to cat: negligible with medium uncertainty
Risk level to owner handling raw pet food: negligible with medium uncertainty
Risk level to owner exposed to infected pet: negligible with medium uncertainty
According to the findings, Salmonella remains the greatest risk to both pet and owner. There are significant gaps in data with respect to the certainty of MRSA and STEC on the outcome of exposure to both humans and animals.
Surprisingly, humans and animals often experience different symptoms with sickness from these commonly associated raw pet food pathogens. In some cases, pets display no symptoms at all. Unfortunately, this is not the case for their human counterparts.
In humans, Salmonella spp. infections can present a wide range of symptoms and severity. Diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps beginning around 12 to 72 hours after exposure is common. Most normally healthy individuals recover without medical intervention, however more vulnerable groups (the very young, the very old, pregnant women, and those with a compromised immune system) may experience more severe and life-threatening infection.
In pets, most infections are non-symptomatic. However, the most commonly observed symptoms may include fever, malaise, vomiting, anorexia, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Cats with chronic Salmonella infection sometimes experience eye infections and pregnant dogs may experience abortion. These symptoms usually appear around three to five days after exposure.
Studies show that “direct transmission of Salmonella spp. Between pets and owners is estimated to account for 3-6% of human salmonellosis cases a year.”
In humans, Campylobacter spp. Infections usually involve diarrhea (frequently bloody), abdominal pain, fever, headache, nausea and/or vomiting. These symptoms usually begin around 2 to 5 days following exposure and can last for 3 to 6 days. The elderly, people taking antacid medications, and those with a compromised immune system are at greatest risk of infection. Complications can include reactive arthritis, Guillaine-Barré syndrome, Miller Fisher syndrome, hemolytic uremic syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease.
In pets, Campylobacter infections symptoms are rare, however they are more common in puppies and kittens than older dogs and cats. The prevalence of this bacteria in dogs, however, is significant. Studies have demonstrated the presence of Campylobacter spp. In both dogs who were fed raw meat and those fed dry dog pellets
In humans, MRSA is extremely dangerous, as it is resistant to certain common antibiotic medications and difficult to treat. Fortunately, there is no clear evidence that MRSA is transmitted through food.
In pets, MRSA symptoms can occur within 2 to 3 hours of ingesting contaminated food. Common symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea that can quickly lead to dehydration. A small percentage of healthy cats and dogs can carry MRSA, however there is little data to determine the exposure risk from infected pets to their human owners.
In humans, STEC symptoms usually include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloody diarrhea beginning around 3 to 4 days after exposure. Symptoms generally resolve within 10 days; however additional complications may persist. The very young and the very old are most susceptible to complications which may include a type of kidney failure known as hemolytic uremic syndrome. The infectious dose in humans is very low, meaning that it doesn’t take very much STEC bacteria to make a person sick.
In pets, STEC related illness appears to be fairly low. However, studies have shown that both dogs and cats may carry STEC bacteria without symptoms and shed the pathogen in the feces. There is limited evidence to suggest that in some cases, STEC infection in dogs can lead to idiopathic cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV), causing anemia and kidney failure, much like hemolytic uremic syndrome in people.
In humans, many non-pathogenic strains of E. coli can be present. These bacteria do not present a risk to human health. However, their presence may be an indication of a bigger issue such as cross-contamination, poor temperature/time control, and other contamination risks.
In pets, these same non-pathogenic E. coli strains may also be present without major issue in normally healthy dogs and cats. However, a few cases of septic bacterial enterocolitis and gramulomatous colitits have been observed. While symptomatic E. coli infection in pets cannot be completely ruled out, there is no conclusive evidence that it is a concern.
While more data is needed, this FSA produced risk assessment has provided some valuable information.
Salmonella infection is the greatest threat to pets consuming raw pet food. However, Campylobacter and STEC remains the greatest risk to their human owners.
If you decide to feed your companion animal raw pet food, a few safety tips can go a long way when it comes to keeping your pet and your family safe.
Consider cooking pet food to kill potentially lurking bacteria. This significantly reduces the risk of exposure to your pet and subsequent exposure to those in your household.
Handle raw pet food just as you would any other raw meat. Separating raw foods from ready-to-eat foods, cleaning areas where raw pet food has been such as food dishes, counters, and floor. Wash your pet’s face, paw, and exposed areas after meal time. And it goes without saying, but wash your hands after handling or serving raw pet food.
Wear gloves and effective hand washing are great ways to minimize risk while cleaning up pet feces. If hand washing is not an option (such as on walks), use hand sanitizer and wash with soap and warm water as soon as possible.
If you’d like to know more about food safety topics in the news, like Is Raw Pet Food Risky?, check out the Make Food Safe Blog. We regularly update trending topics, foodborne infections in the news, recalls, and more! Stay tuned for quality information to help keep your family safe, while The Lange Law Firm, PLLC strives to Make Food Safe!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)
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