REGULATIONS ON PET FOOD

   The FDA  has proposed rules to prevent food-borne illnesses in animal feed and pet food.  The proposal is in response to numerous cases of contaminated pet food over the past decade.  The most current incident was the loss of hundreds of animals linked to contaminated jerky treats.  If the regulated proposal is put into effect, the manufacturers of animal food in the United States will be required to have written protocols to prevent food-borne illnesses.  The food producers would also have to be able to recognize critical points in the manufacturing process where the danger of contamination is the highest, and maintain protective procedures at those susceptible points.    In addition, the rules would require producers to re-evaluate the safety process every three years.  If problems arise, their contamination protection will need to be altered as needed.  Manufacturers who do not fulfill these standards would be subjected to actions by the FDA that includes a warning letter, consumer advisories to avoid those products, and potential fines. 

    In order to reduce the riskes your pets diet, at Palmer Animal Hospital we recommend;

           — Only buying well known name brands

           — Avoiding imported products (especially jerky treats)

           — Buying products that were manufactured in the United States only!