Contamination has been the cause of most pet food recalls over the past nearly two decades with one incident in 2007 accounting for a quarter of all recalls. The Journal of Food Production published a review of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls involving dog and cat products. The review examined 3,691 dog and cat product recalls that occurred from 2003 to 2022. The review included recalls for pet foods (food, treats, and chews), ingredients, supplements (vitamins and minerals), and medicines. Pet foods, treats and ingredients made up 68% of the total number of recalls, while drugs made up 27% and supplements accounted for 5%.
The FDA divides recalls into three classes:
- Class I remember: a situation where there is a reasonable possibility that use or exposure to an infringing product will cause serious adverse health effects or death.
- Recalling Class II: a situation where use of or exposure to an infringing product may cause temporary or reversible medical adverse health consequences or where the likelihood of serious adverse health effects is remote.
- Recalling Class III: a situation where use or exposure to an infringing product is unlikely to cause adverse health consequences.
Among the pets recalled 51% were Class I, 35% were Class II and 14% were Class III. Products for dogs made up only 42% of the recalls, cat products accounted for 18% and multi-species products 40% of the total.
“The main reasons for recalls were biological contamination in 35%, chemical contamination in 32%, and cGMP violations in 8%,” the study authors wrote. “Almost 25% of the total recalls in the last 20 years were due to a melamine incident in 2007/2008 (73% of those were Class I). Salmonella recalls within 20 years accounted for 23% of total recalls (94 % of those were Class I). Although recalls for vitamins and minerals accounted for only 5.6% of the total, 70% of those were Class I and 30% Class II.
Melamine and Salmonella contamination of pet food
Together, melamine and Salmonella-related incidents account for 48% of all dog and cat product recalls.
“If the 914 recalls for melamine or cyanuric acid are removed, there are 42 types of contamination listed with 1676 recalls,” they wrote. “This includes 859 recalls for Salmonella serovars, 169 for aflatoxin, 113 for cleaning products, 103 for mold, 93 for dioxin and more. So, some type of contamination, whether biological, chemical, physical (plastic, wood, etc) is behind most of the pet sector recalls.
The review authors trace the root causes of many of these recalls to human error. The technology used to formulate, mix and fill bags, boxed, pouches, cans and other containers with pet food is safe, proven and well established. When auditors reviewed the recalls, they found human errors that confounded the safety of established processes.
“Examples of human error include 239 returns for sterility issues, 201 returns for cGMP violations, 113 returns for quaternary ammonium contamination and 93 returns for dioxin contamination,” it wrote. them. “Human error can also contribute to biological contamination or recontamination if biological pathogens are carried or retained on clothing, gloves, boots, hair, tools, and process or measurement equipment. Members of the management and processing team must constantly practice proper procedures and be vigilant about cleanliness and hygiene in the factory. Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) must be developed by each factory and properly followed. Every employee will need initial training, and the authors suggest refresher training annually. Constant vigilance is essential to prevent biological contamination.”
