The US government have released a report that claims that tainted pet food can make children sick.
It focused on an outbreak of salmonella back in 2006 that sickened more than 40 children that was traced to contaminated dry dog and cat food produced at a Mars Petcare US plant in Everson, Pennsylvania.
Whenever there is an outbreak of foodborne illness we often attribute it to human food but in some cases this may not be the case at all.
Children love to put things in their mouths, and could’ve actually eaten contaminated pet food, touched a dog bowl containing the food or touched the contaminated food and then put their fingers in their mouths.
There have been six pet food recalls this year that have been related to salmonela bacteria, proof that the bacteria can get into the human food chain even if it is originally discovered in pet food. Humans at risk of salmonella from contaminated pet food is very rare says Duane Ekedahl, president of the Pet Food Institute. “Companies are very vigilant and in rare occasions when it occurs, products are pulled off the market,” he said.
