CDC links earlier Salmonella outbreak to dry dog food

Now we can add dog food to the list of foods that can harbor Salmonella, a common cause of serious food poisoning. The Centers for Disease Control for the first time has attributed a large Salmonella outbreak to contaminated dry dog food. The link was discovered through an investigation of a large multi-state Salmonella outbreak that occurred between 2006-2007. The outbreak affected at least 70 people across 19 states. Many suffered serious illness and some were even hospitalized.

It's not clear how many of the cases were caused by eating the food and how many involved contamination of human food associated with handling the dog food. In any case, the incidents point to a need for greater pet food safety that goes beyond pet welfare alone. Pet food can potentially expose people to pathogens, both directly through pet food handling, and indirectly, through contact with pets. Because pet and human food production is sometimes linked (animal foods are sometimes made from wastes generated in human food production), pet food contamination may signal a larger problem that may affect the human food supply.

The pet food implicated in the outbreak—Krasdale Gravy dry dog food (5 pound bags) sold in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, and Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula dry dog food (50 pound bags) sold in Pennsylvania—was recalled in August 2007. Both brands were made by Mars Petcare. Though it's been nearly a year since the recall, it pays to check your pet food supply since some bags may still be on store shelves or stored in homes. 

Because pet food can harbor salmonella and possibly other pathogens, the CDC recommends that anyone handling pet food should take the same precautions needed when handling raw meat and chicken. Wash hands and all utensils and dishes with hot soapy water after feeding pets. Store dry pet food in a clearly marked container in a cool, dry place out of reach of children and away from areas where human food is prepared. Refrigerate wet food.

For  more information, read the CDC announcment and the FDA's FAQ on the recalled food.

Comments

[Edouin W.]

Those who have cats know (or ought to know) that cats are obligate carnivores - that is, they cannot tolerate high amounts of carbohydrates, but require large amounts of protein. This is because Cats are true carnivores, unlike dogs, whom are considered Omnivores.

Cat owners also know (or ought to know) that dry food (kibbles) is mostly vegetable matter "fillers" that have absolutely no nutritional content for cats. This is only to provide a profit for the pet food industry, and has nothing to do with the animals health! As a by-product, the fillers result in larger fecal droppings, and distinctly smellier droppings. Once on a BARF diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food Diet), a cats coat will become healthier, shinier, eyes shinier, more alert, not gain weight, become more active and playful, have smaller and less droppings and the dropping will smell a lot less too!

The incidence of Feline Diabetes has a direct link to the amount of dry food being fed to cats around the world, and it has been proven that a newly diagnosed diabetic cat can possibly be insulin free simply by switching to a high-protein wet-food diet. A raw food diet is preferred, however people seem to be squeemish, so wet canned food with low carb levels are preferred. Even some wet foods have a lot of fillers, so you still have to be aware of content. 90% of the time, you can tell by the first ingredient on a can's label. If it is veggie matter, it will NOT be good for the cat!

I shake my head every time I see someone walking out of a store with a 40 pound bag of Cat Kibbles thinking that they are getting a good deal for their cat.

To learn more about how to properly feed your pet cat, visit http://www.felinefuture.com/.

If your cat has just been diagnosed with Diabetes, hop on over to http://www.felinediabetes.com and you will have the best and largest Feline Diabetes collective knowledge in the world to help you take care of your cat. The first thing they will all tell you to do is to stop feeding dry food to the cat. All these people on this site from around the world cannot be wrong. They all have proven track records that industry just cannot "bluster" away.

[Christine H.]

I totally agree with Carol A.’s comments. I firmly believe there is cat food on the market that is totally unsuitable and causes harm to felines. I believe Consumer Reports needs to do an article on this as there is quite a lot of information now about feline physiology and the HUGE impact that diet and type of foods has on it (as explained on vet Lisa A. Pierson’s site www.catinfo.org). There is information there that EVERY cat owner NEEDS to know that is critical to their cat’s health. I am really shocked at what pet food companies can get away with and how many vets must be ignorant or in league with them. I am inclined to believe that they are beyond greedy, have no morals and think that our pets are disposable.

As a caring pet owner and animal lover, I believe it is animal abuse to knowingly feed harmful food to pets – and cat owners are being duped into hurting their animals! I am trying to get the word out too, but this topic needs so much more public exposure – the sooner the better! Please help be part of the solution to this problem. Everyone who educates themselves about this and passes along the information will be helping to prevent diseases, pain and suffering in cats and saving their owners money on vet bills.

Carol A. has awesome links worth checking out and sharing.

[Jean R.]

I agree that CR should look into pet food with a more critial eye. It could force some of these pet food companies to look at their manufacturing process/ingredients. If they are going to lose marketshare, they will do it. I always feed meat(cooked) to my dogs along with their dog food. Cat owners should do the same. Carnivores should not have a grain only diet.

[Max]

FYI: Mars Petcare U.S. was formed out of two highly successful pet care manufacturers: Masterfoods Pet Division/Mars, Inc. and Doane Pet Care. Years ago, the Mars candy plant in Chicago was shut down by the Health dept for unsanitary conditions (won't go into detail..ugh). Needless to say, our current federal govt agencies are not doing their job due to mismanagement and underfunding.

New mantra...buyer beware.

[Ann H]

This article fails to bring to consumer attention the fact that the CDC report warns of the potential for contaminated products to still be available to consumers. This also fails to mention that the CDC report specifically stated that not all contaminated products were recalled.

No Cat food was recalled either even though they found it associated with illness. I guess those must have been better known brands :(

"A voluntary recall of specific-sized bags of two brands of dry dog food issued by the manufacturer in August 2007 was based only on lot-specific testing of finished unopened bags found to be positive for Salmonella by official FDA testing. [b]Other sizes of bags of the two brands of dry dog food, although produced at plant A, were not recalled. Other brands of dry dog or cat food produced at plant A, including brands associated epidemiologically and microbiologically with illness, also were not included in the recall. [/b]"

The warning tucked inside the CDC documentation which applies to cat & dog food:

"However, because dry pet food has a 1-year shelf life and all contaminated products were not recalled, contaminated dry pet food might still be found in homes and could provide the potential for causing illness."

http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/mars08_07.html

http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/schwarzengrund.html

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5719a4.htm

[Ann]

Glad to see Consumer Reports finally recognizing what pet owners
have known since March 16, 2007: commercial pet food is made of
poor quality and dangerous ingredients. There was a noticeable lack of any comment from Consumer Reports at the May 2008 Pet Food Safety FDA hearing. The problems with pet food have not been
any more effectively addressed than the problems of human food safety. Please continue to be more proactive in trying to reform
commercial pet food safety and offer users consumer action involvement through Consumers Union, as pet owners have been begging you to do since March 16, 2007.

[Carol A.]

The point I take exception to in the article is telling people how to store dry food. And telling people to store wet food in a fridge should tell them to remove it from the can before doing so.

The fact is, that there is NO FORM of dry food that is acceptable for a cat to eat. I wouldn't feed it to a dog either.

Apart from the salmonella issue, the fact is that all these dry food pet food products contain grains. Cats, as obligate carnivores, cannot digest grains and these dry kibble products are causing many illnesses over the long term, such as feline diabetes, chronic renal disease, inflammatory bowel syndrome and cancers (because of all the additives and chemicals in the products).

As for dogs, although they can tolerate carbs a little better, they are still basically carnivores.

So as for consumer safety, the best thing you could do to advise people is to save a sample for the lawsuits and return the rest of the product for a refund.

When people stop buying this crapola, the companies will stop making it. This is a larger battle, but the real truth about pet food has just begun to emerge over the past year.

The fact that veterinarians are prescribing so many of these kibble based products that are causing illnesses in pets is the real scandal behind the tainted pet food scandal of the spring of 2007.

see:
www.yourdiabeticcat.com
www.catinfo.org
www.catnutrition.org
www.rawdogranch.com

There are alternatives to commercial pet food. More and more people are turning to them, since the industry's focus is clearly on profits, not on health, for our beloved cats and dogs.