Barfing: Dutch study urges caution

It has been reported in the Vet Record journal that Dutch scientists have found a host of pathogens in 35 frozen raw pet food products. The products of eight manufacturers in all were mixed in part with other raw foods such as eggs or vegetables.
Coliform bacteria were detected in a quantity exceeding the permitted limit for human food in 40 per cent of the products tested. In 23 per cent of the products the Escherichia coli variant was also detected, which can cause serious food poisoning outbreaks. And antibiotic-resistant coliform bacteria were detected in eight out of ten of the products. Listeria and salmonella were also found.
The scientists stress that the bacteria and parasites detected in the raw meat products analysed can trigger infectious diseases in pets and pose a risk to humans if transmitted.