In 2026, we have seen 16 different pet product recalls, six of these recalls were for Salmonella contamination (and two more for Listeria contamination).
What is your and your pet’s risk to be sickened by Salmonella?
Note: I am not a health professional and am not giving advice on how to protect your pet or yourself from illness. We are providing data from FDA and USDA in order for pet owners to assess their risk.
Regarding the risk of illness for your pet, the FDA states: “Salmonellosis is uncommon in dogs and cats, but they can be carriers of the bacteria. When the disease is seen in an adult dog or cat, the animal typically has another infection or health problem at the same time. Puppies and kittens are more likely to show signs of disease.”
The risk of Salmonellosis is far greater for people. The CDC “estimates Salmonella cause about 1.35 million infections in the United States every year.” Also the CDC states:
“People can get infected with Salmonella in many ways, including
- Eating contaminated food
- Drinking or having contact with contaminated water
- Touching animals, animal poop, and the places animals live and roam”
Raw (poultry) meat is the most commonly known risk of Salmonella contamination, which links raw pet food into a high risk category. So…what is the risk of raw meat/raw pet food?
The USDA is the federal agency that regulates meat (raw and cooked), the FDA is the federal agency that regulates pet food (all styles). These two agencies have very different perspectives on Salmonella.
The USDA performs random testing in slaughter facilities for Salmonella. Below is the USDA “Maximum acceptable percent positive” allowed in whole chicken/turkey, ground chicken/turkey, and chicken parts.
Note that the USDA allows 25% of raw ground chicken samples to test positive for Salmonella.
The FDA on the other hand holds a zero tolerance (no Salmonella positive testing) in raw ground chicken pet food (in all pet foods).
Thus, based on enforcement actions taken by regulatory agencies – raw ground chicken purchased in your grocery is significantly more of a Salmonella contamination risk than any style of pet food.
Another FDA concern with pet food is that pets can shed the Salmonella bacteria in their feces, potentially sickening us. The FDA was so concerned about bacteria in animal feces they performed a study on the topic.
The FDA tested the feces of 542 cats and 2,422 dogs for Salmonella. The results: “The overall study prevalence of Salmonella in cats (3 of 542) was <1%. The prevalence in dogs (60 of 2,422) was 2.5%.”
The FDA found less than 1% of cat feces tested positive for Salmonella, and 2.5% of dog feces tested positive for Salmonella. Not a significant risk.
The FDA study stated raw pet food was the biggest threat to shedding Salmonella in dog feces. “Salmonella-positive dogs were more likely to have consumed raw food (16.7%, 10 of 60).”
But…this FDA claim that raw pet foods were more likely to leave Salmonella in the pet feces is not accurate.
Of 2,422 dog feces tested, only 60 were positive for Salmonella (2.5%). Of the 60 positive, 10 of those dogs consumed raw pet food. This leaves 50 positive dogs who ate other styles of pet food. Unfortunately (or perhaps intentionally) the FDA study did not disclose what style of pet food the 50 remaining dogs consumed.
The potential styles of pet food those 50 positive dogs consumed would be kibble, cooked or dehydrated styles of pet foods.
The reality is, any style of pet food can be a risk for Salmonella contamination. Pet owners should not be lax in hand washing, cleaning pet bowls and utensils for any style of pet food. And hand washing is necessary after picking up after our dogs and after cleaning the litter box.
We encourage the FDA to provide consistent reminders to pet owners regarding hand washing and bowl washing – just as the USDA continues to do with handling of raw meat.
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Consumer Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area Click Here
The 2026 List
Our trusted ‘list’ of pet foods. Click Here to learn more.
The 2026/27 Treat List
Susan’s List of trusted pet treat manufacturers. Click Here to learn more.
Association for Truth in Pet Food is a stakeholder organization representing pet food consumers at AAFCO and with FDA. Your membership helps representatives attend meetings and voice consumer concerns with regulatory authorities. Click Here to learn more.
