No. 5 — Risks of Salmonella Shedding in Pet Poop Are Hugely Overblown
Regulators claim pets increase human exposure to pathogens when they consume fresh, raw foods because they may poop out pathogens. However, the FDA referenced scientific studies in which dogs were fed chicken that was intentionally contaminated with eight forms of pathogens, showing that 56 percent of the dogs fed pathogens did not, in fact, poop them out, and of the 44 percent that did, none got sick.21
A separate study revealed that 8,157 canine rectal swabs resulted in 27.6 percent positive tests for salmonella.22 What was not mentioned is that 72.4 percent of dog feces do not contain salmonella, even though dogs eat poop, dead things, dirt, garbage and body part chew bones.
No matter what you feed your pet, poop is not supposed to be sterile. Safe handling of pet waste is necessary no matter what your pet's diet is, and no matter what the status of your immune system is.
No. 6 — The FDA Is Working to Ensure Pet Parents No Longer Have Access to Fresh, Raw Pet Food
Regulators are systematically going after fresh, raw pet food manufacturers as they gain popularity, because lobbyists pressure regulators to support the corporate structure of kibble manufacturers. Food trends that shift consumers permanently away from brand names are very threatening to corporate agriculture and food companies.
Is all cooked food bad for your pet? No. Actually, many foods are better or safer when they're cooked, such as grocery store meats and some hard-to-digest veggies. Yet recent attacks on raw pet foods are an example of the relationship between lobbyists and regulators capitalizing on consumer disinformation and naiveté.
Should raw pet foods not be regulated? Like all pet foods, they certainly should. Many co-op pet foods illustrate the fact that inaccessibility to regulators can result in false labeling, pathogenic contamination and inadequate nutrients. Regulations can prevent problems and keep products safer, but only if the regulators are held accountable for equal and fair treatment and enforcement of all pet food products and manufacturers, which is currently not the case.