Is Commercial Raw Pet Food Dangerous?

Recalls of commercial raw pet foods have increased recently, but does this mean they are dangerous?

In recent weeks, I have reported on several voluntary recalls in the commercial raw pet food industry. Most of these recalls have occurred among the largest, most well known names in the industry. Since I often recommend raw commercial pet foods to clients and feed my own beloved dog, Chase, a combination home-cooked and commercial raw diet, I feel compelled to delve deeper into the safety of raw commercial pet foods.

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Understanding safety issues surrounding commercial raw pet foods is also important for the future of the pet food industry. As more and more consumers recognize the benefits of feeding raw, sales of this niche are skyrocketing. According to the market research firm GfK and reported in PetFoodIndustry.com, in the past year retail sales of raw freeze-dried pet food rose 64% from US$25 million to US$40 million, while sales of commercial raw frozen pet food increased 32% from US$52 million to US$69 million. Clearly, people are recognizing the benefits of raw and are demanding more commercial raw food options.

As also reported in PetFoodIndustry.com, a recent survey of 1,826 US cat and dog owners by the raw pet food company Allprovide revealed that more than 37% of pet owners are interested in feeding their pets a raw food diet.

All signs point to continued popularity of raw pet diets, so deciphering issues surrounding their safety is more important than ever.

The safety of commercial raw diets is often lambasted in the media and by leading veterinary medical associations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). In 2012, both of these organizations issued official position statements strongly advising consumers against feeding raw proteins to pets.

The organizations, veterinarians and other pet food “experts” that malign raw protein pet foods invariably compare it to the “safe” alternative – processed pet foods (i.e., kibble). Opponents of raw meat pet foods cite risks of pathogenic contamination and the potential harmful effects on humans – effects that, by all accounts, do not exist (or exist to only a minute degree) in commercial processed foods and treats. In a recent article published on PetFoodIndustry.com titled “Is raw pet food right?”, one such veterinary “expert” states, “Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would begin focusing on raw pet foods for potential bacterial contamination, we have seen a flurry of announcements of new pet food recalls for Salmonella and Listeria.” The author continues, “While pet owners traditionally have relied on veterinarians for guidance on what to feed their pets, it seems that they are completely bucking that tradition with this new trend.” She then ponders: “Is this the ‘It can’t happen to me’ mentality showing through or some distrust of hard science or something else entirely?”

As I read the article, I couldn’t help but consider the author’s reference to “hard science” regarding the dangers of commercial raw pet foods. Were they, in fact, more likely to be contaminated with pathogens than processed pet foods? To find out, I decided to delve into some “hard science” of my own – the history of pet food recalls. After all, the author of the article had opened the door, citing the “flurry of announcements on new [raw] pet food recalls” in light of the recent FDA focus on the raw pet food industry.

Using the FDA’s Web site and a comprehensive list compiled by Dog Food Advisor, I reviewed all pet food recalls since January 2012 – more than three-and-a-half years. When I embarked upon this pet food recall expedition, I had originally planned on going back even further, but the results were so telling that I did not feel it was necessary. If you would like to read more on your own, please visit this wonderful recall summary dating back to 2009 by the Dog Food Advisor. You will find a pattern very similar to the one enumerated below.

So, what “hard science” (i.e., facts) did I uncover in my historical review of commercial raw versus commercial processed pet food recalls? Let’s take a look:

2014 2015 Pet Food Recalls (to date)

2014 Pet Food Recalls

2013 Pet Food Recalls

2012 Pet Food Recalls

Summary

Obviously, 2015 has been a rough year for the raw pet food industry so far, with a record number of recalls. If we look at 2015 in isolation, it would be easy – and natural – to assume that commercial raw foods are unsafe. If we eliminate Primal Pet Foods from our 2015 list because its recall was not due to bacterial contamination, we are left with 10 commercial raw food recalls in less than eight months. But wait. Processed commercial foods are not far behind, with eight recalls to date due to some form of contamination (we’ll eliminate Rachael Ray’s Nutrish as that was also due to a vitamin, and not a contamination, issue).

Once we step back to 2014, however, raw food recalls dramatically decrease. There were two raw pet food recalls in 2014, both by the same company – Bravo!, while there were 10 recalls of commercial processed pet foods. Included in those 10 recalls were some “trusted giants” of the commercial pet food industry, most notably Hill’s Science Diet and Pedigree.

In 2013, there were six recalls of commercial raw pet foods and 23 recalls of processed pet foods (Since Honest Kitchen is dehydrated, which is heat-treated, I classify it as a processed, and not a raw, food). Among these recalls were, once again, several trusted brands in the processed pet food industry, including Purina, Iams, Eukanuba, Innova, EVO and California Natural.

2012 was an even bigger travesty for the processed pet food industry, with zero commercial raw food recalls and 26 processed pet food recalls. The recalls once again included numerous “top” pet food brands – brands that were all manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods. Included in these recalls were Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, Diamond Naturals, Costco’s Kirkland Signature, Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Wellness, Canidae and Taste of the Wild. In addition were separate recalls by pet food giants Natural Balance and Pedigree.

Conclusion

What does this historical look back at pet food recalls tell us? Most obvious is that any time you feed your dog or cat a commercial pet food, you run the risk of that food being involved in a recall, no matter how careful you try to be. The only way to completely control your pet’s food is to purchase the ingredients and prepare it yourself.

But perhaps you will also draw the same conclusion that I did while preparing this post:

The facts show that raw commercial pet foods are no more likely to be recalled due to dangerous bacterial contamination than processed pet foods. On the contrary, when we take a historical look at pet food recalls, we find that commercial processed pet foods are far more likely to be recalled due to pathogens than commercial raw pet foods.

All pet food recalls should be taken seriously. Never feed your pet a recalled food, as illness, or even death, could result.

But the next time a so-called “expert” tries to tell you that feeding your dog or cat a commercial raw diet is dangerous and that you are exposing them – and your family – to harmful pathogenic contamination, you might encourage them to take a look at indisputable facts – the history of pet food recalls.

You might also ask them what sanitary measures they take after handling their pet’s kibble or processed treats. Do they thoroughly wash their hands, their pet’s bowl and all surrounding feeding areas? Do they allow young children or immune-comprised adults in their household to handle their pet’s processed food? Unless they take the same sanitation precautions as they urge when feeding a commercial raw food, they are just as culpable of exposing themselves and their families to potential pathogenic contamination as they accuse raw feeders of doing.

[Note: In writing this article, I have taken great care to be as accurate as possible. If you notice any recalls that I missed or documented in error, I welcome your feedback. Also note that this article refers specifically to commercial raw pet foods. Meats meant for human consumption are meant to be cooked and so are allowed to contain a higher level of pathogens.]

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