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New Raw Pet Food Study Neglects to Consider…

…common sense.

…common sense.

Based on the media stories, and without thinking it through, one might believe that raw pet food is a greater risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria than other styles of pet food and a greater risk than even human food. As example, this recent Inverse.com story on a new raw pet food study from Switzerland:

We’re “all in danger” because of one tiny segment of pet food?

The Inverse.com write up of the Swiss study sets a concerning stage. “The team revealed Wednesday in the journal Royal Society Open Science that the raw meat sampled here turned out not to be something you want to give to man’s best friend. Nearly 73 percent of the samples contained levels of enterobacteria that exceed the amount the European Union says is safe for pets to eat, while antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria were found in 63 percent of the samples. Furthermore, Salmonella was found in 3.9 percent of the samples, and one sample contained E. coli.

But here’s what all of the news stories about the Swiss study (and most raw pet food studies), the study itself, the FDA, the CDC, and on and on neglects to mention…

The VERY same risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria applies to human food!
(Where do they think the meat in raw pet food is sourced from?
Answer: in many cases from the same suppliers as to human food.)

Meat in raw pet food is obtained through two different kinds of suppliers; human grade suppliers (the very same suppliers that sell to your grocery store) or feed grade suppliers (often condemned meat that is sold to every other style of pet food).

If meat used in raw pet food is sourced from human grade suppliers – that means that human food meats are of the exact same antibiotic-resistant bacteria risk. As evidenced by testing performed in the U.S. – human food meats are a slightly higher risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria than was found in the Swiss pet food study. Based on U.S. federal government testing, the Environmental Working Group put together this chart of meat tested in the U.S. – purchased from grocery stores:

https://www.ewg.org/research/superbugs/

A whopping 79% of ground turkey sold in the U.S. for human consumption tested positive for “antibiotic-resistant bacteria“. Based on this U.S. government testing, a trip to the grocery “could put us all in danger” too.

If the meat is sourced from feed grade suppliers – that antibiotic-resistant bacteria meat is going to all styles of pet food – not just raw. When antibiotic-resistant bacteria meat is used in other styles of pet food – such as kibble and canned – the perception given by these studies, the media, FDA and CDC is that the risk is minimized due to cooking the meat, killing the bacteria. But…that is NOT true. What most of the researchers, most of the media, all of FDA and CDC neglect to mention is endotoxins produced by the dead bacteria (from gram-negative bacteria such as Salmonella); endotoxins are in most cases, a greater risk to pets than the live bacteria.

From Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, PhD, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine (from his book which is online for free “Home-Prepared Diets For Dogs and Cats“):

Meat meal is one dietary source of endotoxin that can make an animal sick. Manufacturers do not analyze pet foods for endotoxin, but it can be present. The fact that coliforms can be cultured from meat meal shows that it contains endotoxin. Meat meals are highly contaminated with bacteria because their source is not necessarily slaughtered animals. Animals that have died because of disease, accidents, or natural causes are a source of meat meal. The animal carcasses may not be rendered or cooked until sometimes days after death. During this time even if the carcass is kept at cool temperatures, bacteria leave the intestinal tract and spread throughout the body. Thus, the carcass is contaminated with bacteria and high concentrations of endotoxin accompany such contamination.”

“Endotoxin entering the body is carried to the liver where it is inactivated. Increased endotoxin levels can damage the liver. Moreover, when the amount of endotoxin reaching the liver is normal, the presence of another potential toxin can interact with endotoxin to damage the liver. The other substances are not necessarily toxins. They include vitamin A, copper and iron, and many drugs. Thus, any level of endotoxin can damage the liver. Exposure to endotoxin should be minimized as much as possible.”

So…why are studies and the media singling out ONLY raw pet food with the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria ignoring the EXACT same risk coming into our homes from meat purchased in the grocery? And why isn’t the risk of endotoxins in all other styles of pet food being discussed?

The actions of the researchers, the media reporting on the research, the FDA and CDC warning about the research is short-sighted. To neglect to investigate/research the source of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria problem is a significant mistake. Similar to putting a tiny band-aid on a massive wound.

To neglect to investigate/research the risk of endotoxins in pet food and human food is as well a significant mistake. Research has proven endotoxins are a serious health concern, of equal or greater risk than live bacteria to our pets.

So…why isn’t anyone discussing how to fix the antibiotic-resistant bacteria problem at its source? Isn’t a thorough investigation of the bacteria risk associated with factory farming of animals a good place to start? Perhaps the methods used to slaughter animals for meat needs a complete overhaul?

We do need studies like these. However, we need common sense applied to the findings. The red flags raised shouldn’t be specific to raw pet food, they should be indicators of a larger problem that actually does put “all of us in danger“; any trip to the grocery, touching a grocery cart, selecting a meat for dinner.

C’mon folks (researchers, media reporting on the research, FDA, CDC), let’s work on fixing the problem at the source. By singling out ONLY raw pet food, it makes you look very bias (and ignorant).

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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10 Comments

10 Comments

  1. Ashlee Luke

    October 21, 2019 at 11:11 am

    Well said.

  2. Kismutt

    October 21, 2019 at 11:38 am

    As a raw feeder for over twenty years, I feed human grade to my guys and they’re doing great! All of my cats have lived into their twenties; so something like this is unlikely to change my mind, but it may deter others from feeding an appropriate diet to their pets. I try to put myself in their ( the authors of these studies) mindset, but the only thing that I get out of it, is that they’re doing it for greed and certainly not the wellness of our pets. I don’t know how they sleep at night!
    Thanks Susan for all that you do!

  3. Beth Knuth

    October 21, 2019 at 12:06 pm

    AMEN!

  4. Mitch

    October 21, 2019 at 12:09 pm

    I remember earlier this year when it seemed that everything grain free was bad, and was suspected of causing Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Then they introduced the myth that raw food is bad. I saw a news report last night saying raw was bad, and Vets have the best recommendations.

    Do you know what I have never seen as a suspected problem food? The garbage brands at the vet office like Science Diet, Purina and Royal Canin. The FDA will never have a problem with those brands.

    I have learned that ignoring 95 percent of what the government says is the best policy.

  5. Robin M

    October 21, 2019 at 12:37 pm

    This is why I began raising my own organic meats, eggs, and milk (chicken, pork, goat) nine years ago to avoid the persistent antibiotic contamination for myself and my dogs. I don’t particularly fear bacteria in raw meat, but antibiotics is a whole ‘nother story. Scarier yet is many commercial livestock feed sources ( hay, grains, etc.) are also impacted by antibiotics, GMO’s, and whatever it is they do that makes most feed grains non-viable and non- sprouting, as in ie; Monsanto keeping anyone from growing whatever grain item is in a feed mix to protect some ridiculous patent.

  6. Tina

    October 21, 2019 at 5:42 pm

    Very informative. Thanks Susan.

  7. Nick Thompson

    October 22, 2019 at 4:53 am

    Agree with you totally here, Susan. Thanks for hitting the nail on the head. BUT is there a greater exposure of humans to resistant bacteria in raw fed dogs because cooking kills bugs? One would presume so, but is there any work to show how much there is a concentrating effect of dogs retaining/multiplying resistant bugs? I know Liverpoool Uni have done studies showing more resistant bugs in raw dogs. Would love your thoughts, or we can chat when you come to the RFVS Conference on 9th Nov in UK? Keep up the good work! Nick.

    • Susan Thixton

      October 22, 2019 at 8:00 am

      I don’t know if raw fed dogs retain bacteria any more than other styles of fed dogs. Look forward to meeting you and chatting in a couple of weeks!

  8. T Allen

    October 22, 2019 at 7:33 pm

    There is a VERY good reason there are warnings on all meat about handling and cooking thoroughly! It’s because the Gov knows and accepts the fact that there is no such thing as “clean” meat. Some “bugs” are inside the meat (salmonella) from feeding contaminated feeds and some “bugs” are introduced at the time of slaughter. No matter how good your slaughter process is there is no way to prevent all contamination. That said, there is no doubt these processes could be better but they are getting worse, with the Gov speeding up processing lines and decreasing the number of inspectors. And that’s human grade meat! Forget trying to improve pet food. Until a lot of people start dying from contact with pet food nothing will change because there is too much money involved. Great job warning people about endotoxins, Susan. Thanks!

  9. ~ Pet Owner ~

    October 27, 2019 at 3:15 pm

    In response to:
    “Here’s what news stories (Swiss study) … neglects to mention. The very same risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria applies to human food.” Specifically I think that does apply. But raw food intended for pets has even more risk. Here’s why:

    1) Meat obtained from suppliers intended for human retail customers isn’t going to be coming from (possibly) 4-D protein sources.
    2) Meat (for human retail) “may” be affected by animals being administered an overabundance of antibiotics (leading to drug resistance). However, the difference is, that humans can choose to buy organic (pasture raised) protein that has been minimally exposed to antibiotics. Most people can’t afford the higher cost of feeding their dog in that manner.

    3) In raw form all protein is exposed to pathogens. Certainly sitting their in the butcher cabinet (questionable cleaning practices). The high incidence of turkey pathogens also comes from ground turkey going through the grinding machines which are NOT cleaned between batch processing. Turkeys have their own issues of health defects. (Separate topic).

    4) Costco’s “organic” line of chicken is “air-chilled” (meaning it is not bathed in a bacteria ridden wash).

    5) Endotoxins is a separate issue, because it is not a factor in canned protein meant for human retail, because sources (supposedly) are not sourced from 4-D meat to begin with.

    As mentioned before the risk of raw to humans is minimized because of stringent cooking directions. Only sloppy kitchen methods are dangerous.

    The risk of feeding raw to pets is SECONDARY. If and when proper kitchen methods are followed, good. However, it’s not safe to leave “Fido’s” dirty dog dish hanging around unwashed or reused. Or included in the dishwasher (meaning NOT even pre-washed or soaked first). Or letting the kids handle PF residue, then sucking on their fingers! Or “Fido” slobbering over a ball the kids are playing with just after he’s eaten. Generally, kids aren’t handling raw food intended for human consumption. I’m not staying all those dangers happen frequently, but they are a risk, and another reason Vets can’t recommend raw that easily.

    I feed raw, including to a very old dog who survived just fine. Raw food is remarkably more bio-available, than other formats. I don’t touch kibble anymore. And mostly feed human grade beef and chicken. And follow particular methods to keep everything clean and separated. Unfortunately the raw PF I used was also HPP’d, which somewhat negated the true benefits of raw. But was a compromise in the interest of safety. I would PREFER to have fed actual pasture raised, locally raised and butchered meat, and give kudos to all those owners who can do so.

    BUT anything that is for commercial sale comes with a risk. Generally e-coli doesn’t occur (thankfully, too frequently) in human retail ground meat. But when it does, they jump on the problem quickly, know the source, and recall it immediately. That brand suffers the same bad publicity as any other product.

    I think raw PF should be no exception. HOWEVER it doesn’t explain why raw PF manufacturers, (interestingly, I think) “claim” to be HPP’ing their raw food and yet have problems. Either they’re not testing, it’s not 100% affected, is being contaminated after the fact … or it’s just another symptom of an “imperfect” world in which we live.

    I agree. That rather than fixating on a bunch of separate little examples all the time, that the process of safeguarding ALL methods of “food” handling must be emphasized.

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