People could be at risk from dog food made from raw meat because products contain high levels of bacteria, researchers warn today.
Swedish research published online in Vet Record warns that infants, the elderly, and those with poor immunity, are particularly at risk from the raw-meat diets, which are not heat treated or freeze dried to pasteurise their content.
Researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, led by Josefin Hellgren, took samples from 60 packs of raw meat products between March and September 2017, all of which were manufactured in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany or England.
They found that all 60 samples contained Enterobacteriaceae species, with 31 (52%) containing levels that exceed the maximum threshold set by European Union (EU) regulations of 5000 bacteria per gram.
E coli was found in about one third of the samples, while C perfringens was found in 18 samples (30%), with two samples exceeding the maximum limits set by Swedish guidelines.
Salmonella were found in four the 60 samples, while Campylobacter species were found in three samples from three different manufacturers.
The researchers warn that because of the potential risks, raw dog meat should be: kept frozen until use, and thawed at 10C; kept separate from other food; and handled with separate kitchen equipment or with equipment that is washed thoroughly after use
“Dogs in families with infants, elderly people or immunocompromised individuals should also not be fed [raw meat products], as these groups are more susceptible to infections,” they write.
Hellgren J, Staaf Hästö L, Wikström C et al. Occurrence of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Clostridium and Enterobacteriaceae in raw meat-based diets for dogs. Vet Record 5 March 2019. doi 10.1136/vr.105199
http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/vr.105199
Leave a Reply