Pet Food Recalls? Alternative Pet Foods? The AVMA Annual Convention Offers Answers To Common Questions About Safe Pet Food

Main Category: Veterinary
Article Date: 22 Jul 2008 - 2:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The pet food recalls that took place in the spring of 2007 were shocking, drawing the attention and concern of pet owners, veterinarians and politicians. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration has been charged with developing new federal regulations for pet foods, which historically were regulated primarily by the states, and some pet owners were so shaken that they decided to change the way they feed their pets, trying organic brands, home-cooked meals and even raw food diets.

To help answer many questions people have about pet foods today, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) hosted a series of educational programs on pet food safety and alternative pet foods during its convention in New Orleans, July 18-22. The programs focussed on a range of ways the recall has impacted pet owners, from new legislations to new diets.

Dr. Sally C. Perea, a veterinarian who consults with the pet food industry at DVM Consulting in California, says that the 2007 recalls likely had long-term impacts on consumers. She discussed these changes in her program, Alternative to Commercial Foods, at 4 p.m. on July 19 during the convention.

"Melamine really caught people off guard, because it wasn't on anybody's radar," she says. "Now there is awareness among consumers, and they are selecting foods that they feel are safer. The number of smaller, specialty companies now offering pet foods has increased, but smaller companies may not necessarily be any safer, because they may not have the same number of safety checks as a larger company."

Dr. Perea says that organic foods, vegan foods and even raw pet diets are becoming more common, and so are home-cooked diets. Dr. Perea explains that she has tracked the growing popularity of home-cooked diets through growing sales for vitamin and nutrient supplements that home-cooked diets require. Sales of these supplements spiked immediately after the recall, declined for a few months and then rebounded. "Sales of these supplements have risen this year almost up to where they were immediately post recall," she explains.

Another alternative pet food option that seems to be increasing in popularity is the raw diet. Proponents of raw diets make numerous claims about the benefits, but Dr. Perea says that these claims are unproven.

"Some people do see some benefits in feeding a dog on a raw diet. The raw diet is somewhat easier to digest, and it's easier for people to adjust if the dog has special dietary needs. But, in my opinion, those benefits could be maintained while cooking the meat," she explains.

Dr. Todd L. Towell of Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. presented an educational program at the AVMA convention on alternative pet foods called Alternative & Raw Food Diets at 11 a.m. on July 19. Dr. Towell said that one of her biggest concerns is how little is really known about these alternative diets.

"Of all the raw food diets, only one commercial raw cat food diet has passed AAFCO feeding trials," she says. "There have been several published studies that show there is, in fact, reason to be concerned." Of the 200 homemade elimination diets most often recommended, one study indicated that about 90 percent were nutritionally inadequate.

Dr. Towell said that in addition to nutritional adequacy, studies have raised concerns that dogs fed a raw food diet will introduce harmful pathogens into their environment - their homes. One study documented that in at least one of four unique samples of 21 commercially available raw pet foods tested positive for at least one type of bacteria, and other studies have documented that dogs consuming naturally contaminated raw foods will shed that bacteria in their feces. In addition, common cleaning and disinfection practices have been shown to be inadequate for complete elimination of Salmonella sp., including washing in a dish washer.

"It's scary, particularly if you talk about contaminating an area where young children may be present. How many people are living with compromised immune systems? How many people are living with HIV/AIDS, with transplants? Pregnant women are immuno-compromised," Dr. Towell says. "This is a huge population who are at risk."

Dr. Towell says that in response to these studies, many human hospitals have begun prohibiting therapy dogs fed raw foods from visiting patients for fear interaction between the hospital patients and the dogs could lead to infections.

Dr. Jeannie Perron, JD, DVM, with the law firm Covington & Burling, presented a session at the convention that explores pet food and other recalls, It's Another Recall!!!, at 2 p.m. on July 19.

Dr. Perron says the melamine pet food contaminations of 2007 prompted Congress, in a "knee-jerk" and not necessarily well-thought-out reaction, to add to pending legislation provisions directed at pet food. On Sept. 27, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Amendment Act of 2007 was signed into law, and part of this new legislation specifically addresses improving communications during pet food recalls and enhancing the recall procedures of all foods.

"This legislation was Congress' response to the melamine recall and all of the publicity that surrounded it, and the fact that Congress decided to include clauses that specifically mention pet food recalls is unprecedented," Dr. Perron explains.

Duane Ekedahl, president of the Pet Food Institute presented Product Associated Outbreaks: A Recall Like None Before at 2 p.m. July 20 at the AVMA convention, and he also joined a roundtable discussion about pet food safety. He said one interesting aspect of the melamine contamination of pet food in 2007 is that it may lead to safer food for people, since Congress and the FDA are taking a hard look today at human food safety.

"Pet foods, which are already among the most highly regulated food products, soon will be under new federal regulations as the FDA expands its role in regulating pet food over the next two years," Ekedahl says. "The FDA needs to be reinvigorated with additional funding so it can fulfill its current charge, like ensuring the safety of imported food, while it takes on expanded responsibilities for pet food."

For more information about the AVMA annual convention in New Orleans July 18-22, visit http://www.avmaconventionmedia.org.

----------------------------
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
----------------------------

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and its more than 76,000 member veterinarians are engaged in a wide variety of activities dedicated to advancing the science and art of animal, human and public health. Visit the AVMA Web site at www.avma.org for more information.