Myth no. 2: Raw food is contaminated and dangerous

When it comes to feeding dogs raw food, one of the most common concerns people bring up is: “Isn’t raw food full of dangerous bacteria?”

This fear is especially strong when it comes to the raw food diet for dogs living with young children, pregnant women or individuals with weak immune systems.

Critics of raw dog food usually refer to studies that supposedly “prove” just how dangerous raw feeding is. Let’s take a closer look and see if that is the whole story.

What the studies really say

In 2018, a team from the University of Utrecht published a study titled:“Zoonotic bacteria and parasites found in raw meat-based diets for cats and dogs.” They tested 35 samples of raw dog food and (surprise!) found bacteria and parasites (in this case, worms). Their conclusion was that feeding dogs raw food poses a risk to both the dogs and the people they live with.

Newspapers and the internet quickly picked up on the story, warning of the “dangers” of raw food diets and even calling for warning labels on raw meat products. But sadly, as so often, context and reflection were mostly missing from these headlines.

Here’s what the study really found:

Of course raw meat isn’t sterile – did anyone expected it to be?

Like any fresh animal product, it can contain bacteria. Of course, these are not without danger. That’s why basic kitchen hygiene is always essential:

• Put cutting boards and knives in the dishwasher after usage

• Wash your hands thoroughly after preparing raw food

• Do not let children touch the dog bowl etc.

  
  

But these rules don’t just apply to raw dog food – they apply to human food, too.

However, these bacteria are not only to be found in the meat that ends up in the dog bowl. In fact, a study by Germanwatch found that every second chicken meat sample from the supermarket was contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. And that’s just chicken.

There have also been food scandals about pathogens in plant-based products - a few examples:

• Listeria in lettuce

• E. coli in sprouts

• Salmonella in hazelnuts

  
  

The truth is: We are surrounded by germs, some of them are dangerous, and they enter our homes in manifold ways. Of course, us humans usually do not eat contaminated meat raw (exceptions are, for example, ground meat, carpaccio or sushi). We fry or boil it, which significantly reduces the bacterial load. The pathogens will though stick to our fingers if we don't wash our hands after processing raw meat and our dogs remain as a source of infection, because they excrete germs with their poo and saliva.

But let’s be realistic: We don’t eat dog food, we don´t touch dog poo with our bare hands and we usually don’t lick the bowl either.😉 If you wash your hands after handling meat and don’t let your dog lick your face right after eating, your personal risk is already minimized.

So can we really conclude that feeding dogs raw food is dangerous for humans? No!

Further studies would have to investigate

• How many raw-fed dogs and their owners actually become sick?

• Do they - in comparison - become sick more often than dogs and dog owners using ready-made food?

• How do the owners get infected? (Did they touch contaminated meat and forgot to wash their hands? Or was it through contact with the dog?...)

  
  

All this would be necessary to be investigated in order to be able to draw conclusions about the actual risks associated with raw feeding/BARF.

What about ready-made food?

If the goal is safety and scientific accuracy, we should also ask the following questions:

• What does the bacterial load look like in ready-made food?

• If dog food is a potential risk for contamination, shouldn't every type of dog food be examined?

There was a consumer funded project in 2015 called "The Pet Food Test" (under the direction of Dr. Gary Pusillo and Dr. Tsengeg Purejav), in which a total of 12 types of dog and cat food (dry and canned) from known brands, including Hill´s Pet Food, Frieskies (Purina), Cesar (Mars Pet Care), Beneful (Purina)*, were analyzed.

Different pathogens were examined than in the study from Utrecht, which is why a direct comparison is not possible. BUT: It shows why we should have a closer look at the risks of ready-made food: The results showed contamination with multiple bacteria – some of them resistant to antibiotics.

The results: 

Info note: Acinetobacter proves to be resistant to antibiotics. Some strains of Pseudomonas, streptococci and staphylococci also exhibit corresponding resistances.

As can be seen, the proportion of contaminated samples in ready-made food is quite high – overall even higher than in raw food.

Side note: The "Pet Food Test" also examined other risk aspects of ready-made food: All food samples contained mycotoxins (fungal toxins). In several cases the nutrient content indicated on the package did not even begin to correspond to what was stated on the package (e.g. massive overdose of calcium, phosphorus).

So we have to ask ourselves:

• How many people touch dry food with their bare hands – during walks, as training treats?

• Do we wash our hands after touching dry kibble or a chew?

• How many of you touch their own or their kid's faces (involuntarily) afterwards?

• Why do we assume these foods are "clean" just because they’re cooked or dried?

• Why do we think, our dog could not be be a source of danger as an excretor when feeding ready-made foods?

• Why do we trust something being produced in some factory more than what we could make at home?

  
  

Fact: Pathogens can be found in all types of dog food – not just in raw dog food.

What do we know?

We know that

• All food – raw, dry or canned – can carry bacteria

• Hygiene is the key to minimizing risks:

  
  

  • Always wash your hands.

  • Clean the used objects such as bowls, knives or cutting boards thoroughly after handling the food.

  • Keep small children away from the dog bowl.

  • In the case of immunosuppressed people - possibly even wear gloves when preparing the meat.

    
    

• Feeding dogs raw food does not make you a reckless owner (really!)

• Ready-made dog food is not automatically safer

At the moment, we don’t have conclusive research showing that raw food is more dangerous than other feeding methods. We also don’t have research showing that raw-fed dogs pass on more germs than others.

Stigmatization and prejudgment do not help. An open and informed debate should take place and appropriate research should be undertaken.

Sources:

Van Bree, F. P. J. et al. (2017): Zoonotic bacteria and parasites found in raw meat-based diets for cats and dogs

www.foodwatch.org

https://www.germanwatch.org/sites/germanwatch.org/files/Analyse%20von%20H%C3%A4hnchenfleisch%20auf%20antibiotikaresistente%20Erreger_0.pdf

http://truthaboutpetfood.com/the-pet-food-test-results/

Finley, R. et al. (2006): Human Health Implications of Salmonella-Contaminated Natural Pet Treats and Raw Pet Food