New FDA Regulations Target Food Safety, Including Pet Food Safety
July 19th, 2011
In the wake of the big melamine recalls and pet deaths as well as ongoing smaller recalls of pet foods, I took a little time to listen to this American Veterinary Medical Association podcast with Dr. Dan McChesney, director of the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) Center for Veterinary Medicine’s Office of Surveillance and Compliance. Here is my recap of that Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) podcast.
Food Safety Modernization Act: Background
McChesney offered this background on why the updated food safety rules (including those that apply to pet food supply safety) are necessary:
- In the U.S., 15% of the food supply is now imported.
- The number of individuals considered at high risk for food-borne illness now sits at 30% of the human populatioin.
- Each year 48 million people get sick from some sort of food-borne illness (that’s 1 in 6).
- Just under 130,000 of them are hospitalized … with about 3,000 dying each year.
McChesney admits these illness numbers are “significant but not astronomical,” but he points out that some short-lived food-borne illnesses can lead to long-term problems, including arthritis and kidney disease.
Food Safety Modernization Act: Focus on Prevention
McChesney explains in the AVMA podcast that the new rules focus on prevention, including:
- Requiring food product makers and suppliers to develop food safety plans that target the most likely problems they’ll face.
- Identifying the possible hazards for certain foods or ingredients
- Better collaboration and shared tools between federal and state food safety officials
- New regulations on any imported foods
McChesney says that the Food Safety Modernization Act addresses things that can go wrong, especially during transportation of foods across the country or around the globe and what he calls “food defense” (keeping us safe from food “attacks,” in other words).
Thanks to the Food Safety Modernization Act the FDA also gained more inspection and recall powers. It can, now, for example institute a mandatory recall, if necessary. In addition, new rules boast stronger registration procedures for food companies with:
- Updated registrations required every 2 years
- FDA ability to “delist” companies, if necessary, which would prevent them from selling products across state lines
When it comes to imported products, McChesney says the Food Safety Modernization Act puts the responsibility for product safety on the shoulders of IMPORTERS. That likely means importers will want their suppliers to implement similar food safety processes.
So, in theory, that means if a TAINTED ingredient comes in from another country, then the pet food manufacturer who used that tainted product would be responsible.
Food Safety Modernization Act: Faster Response
McChesney explains that the FDA also gained the ability to STOP the sale of a product quickly. “In the past,” he says, ” we had to rely on the states to do that.”
I’m not convinced these new FDA food safety regulations will necessarily keep foods safer overall. I do think these are important steps, and I do think it’s good that the FDA can move FASTER to stop potentially dangerous product sales … before more people or pets get sick … if / when something happens.
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I called the FDA to be sure these new rules indeed apply to both human and pet foods, and I was assured that is the case. At this point, I think it’s hard to say whether or not the Food Safety Modernization Act will keep our pet foods safer or not.
Have you read the new regulations or listened to the podcast? Do you think it’ll make a difference? What are your main concerns?
Tags: FDA pet food regulations, food safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, new food safety regulations, pet food recalls, pet food safety
Posted in Dog Food Basics, Dog Food News, Dog Health, K9 Nutrition | Comments Off
5 Questions about Raw Pet Food Logistics
August 25th, 2010
We’ve spent the month of August 2010 talking about various aspects of the raw pet food debate. Today, I’d like to address some of the questions and logistics that most often crop up.
A few weeks ago, I even put the question out on Twitter and asked for followers outside the intense dog world what questions they have about feeding pets a raw diet.
Question #1: How do you maintain food safety?
Other than the BIG question — Why feed raw? — I suspect this is the second-most asked question. And, that’s no surprise since it is a major concern for those who aren’t keen on feeding pets raw food.
So, I called a dog agility friend of mine here in Colorado who is an independent distributor of a frozen raw food, and I asked her how to keep things safe.
Essentially, she told me … you just have to treat raw pet food with the same kitchen safety practices as you would raw food you take out of the fridge or freezer for yourself and your human family. In many cases, the raw food is indeed “human grade.”
“Raw food is raw food,” she told me, “It’s all the same.”
So, what do raw food safety practices look like?
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and immediately after handling raw food.
- Immediately and thoroughly wash all plates, bowls, utensils used.
- Use an entirely separate set of kitchenware for your food and your pet’s food.
For tips on how long raw foods last in the fridge and other food safety matters, check out this food safety page from the USDA.
Question #2: Is it hard to switch a pet who has been fed raw food back to kibble or canned food, if that becomes necessarily for some reason?
The answer is that it really depends on the pet. Some make the shift no problem. Others become fussy about texture or develop some tummy troubles during the change-over.
Question #3: What about bones? Can pets really eat actual bones?
My pal explained that this is really a matter of personal preference. Her dogs (several Labs and an Australian Shepherd) do eat some non-weight-bearing bones — like necks, kneecaps, etc. But, she does not feed them things like thigh bones and other weight-bearing bones due to concerns over chipped teeth and intestinal blockages. (Her big male lab ended up with a blockage not long ago and needed emergency surgery.)
Other people, however, do feed their pets these bigger bones. (I’d love for some of our raw feeding readers to comment on this.)
Question #4: Can you feed both raw food and some sort of kibble?
Yes. And, many people do. The challenge is that dry pet foods and raw pet foods digest at different rates, so if you’re going to feed both, the recommendation is that you do NOT feed both at the same meal.
It’s common for people to feed kibble in the morning and raw in the evening.
Question $5: What else do pets on raw diets eat?
It is common for pets on raw diets to get a regular rotation of raw meats. We’re talking everything from chicken and beef to quail and rabbit. You can even find bison, llama, and ostrich meat, if you so choose.
In addition to the raw food, pets often get fruits and vegetables for variety. Just be sure to avoid things like avocado, grapes, and raisins … which are toxic to pets.
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Feel free to add any questions or answers. We’d love your participation in this discussion.
Tags: food safety, pet nutrition, raw cat food, raw dog food, raw food safety, raw pet food, refridgeration
Posted in Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition | 4 Comments »
A professional writer based in Colorado, Roxanne Hawn doesn't just love dogs. She deep-down requires them in life. Something inside her genes, perhaps? That's why it's such a joy to write about all things canine. Roxanne began writing about pets in 1995, when she worked for the American Animal Hospital Association and later for the American Humane Association. During this period in her career, Roxanne served on the board of directors for the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (a coalition of animal welfare groups). Roxanne also volunteered for many years at an animal shelter, where she witnessed firsthand what happens when the human-animal bond breaks or never forms.
