WASHINGTON — The Pet Food Institute (PFI) recently issued a statement expressing its concern surrounding highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) following numerous reports of cats becoming ill or dying due to consumption of ingredients with detections of HPAI or H5N1. According to PFI, amid these major outbreaks of HPAI, pet food makers remain committed to ensuring safe pet food for the pets of the United States.
“Pet food makers love animals, and the safety of pet food is their highest priority,” said Dana Brooks, president and chief executive officer of PFI. “They recognize the risks to pets that are associated with HPAI and they have strict processes in place to mitigate those risks. In response to the HPAI outbreak, US pet food makers are revisiting the food safety plans that are already being closely followed throughout the production of pet food, ensuring that they are continuing to carefully monitor for foodborne pathogens in cat and dog food.”
According to PFI, US pet food producers are complying with all regulatory requirements, including a recent update from the FDA that requires manufacturers to reanalyze their food safety plans to include HPAI as a potential hazard. Further explaining, PFI states that pet food makers adhere to the highest standards regarding quality and safety, and the ingredients used in pet food always undergo rigorous testing and quality assurance processes.
“Pet food makers are implementing supply chain controls and are actively engaging with suppliers of eggs and poultry products that are used in making nutritious pet food to both ensure that ingredients are not coming from HPAI-infected animals, and to identify ways to further alleviate risk,” Brooks added.
The FDA recently released some guidance for safe pet feeding practices, stating that, “H5N1 can be deadly to cats, as well as dogs, so we encourage consumers to carefully consider the risk of this emerging pathogen before feeding their pets uncooked meat or an uncooked pet food product.”
It isn’t just the FDA warning against raw diets, both the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) discourage the feeding of uncooked meat diets to companion animals due to the potential presence of pathogens, including HPAI.
Dry and heat-treated pet food is still deemed safe, as the Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPFA) has reaffirmed the safe trade of extruded dry pet food and heat-treated poultry based on the World Organization for Animal Health’s (WOAH) Terrestrial animal Health Code.
As HPAI poses serious risk to pets, especially to cats, PFI recommends that pet owners keep their cats and dogs indoors as much as possible to prevent exposure to birds and other wildlife. PFI also urges pet owners to adhere to their own food safety guidelines at home, including washing hands and cleaning surfaces thoroughly after handling pet food or poultry.
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