Raw pet food safety has to include the kitchen, not just the product

The UK Food Standards Agency has again put raw pet food at the centre of household hygiene. In its annual science update, published on 3 September, the agency reports that 29% of samples tested did not meet statutory hygiene criteria: Salmonella was found and/or Enterobacteriaceae counts exceeded the limit. High levels of Campylobacter, MRSA and STEC were also identified. The findings concern raw food for companion animals, not products intended for human consumption. They are nonetheless relevant to the meat industry and retailers because the risk can readily transfer into the home environment: hands, bowls, work surfaces, refrigerators and contact with children, vulnerable people or other foods. The control challenge does not end when the package reaches the pet owner. The FSA has already updated handling and storage advice and has begun social research to establish how these products are used in homes, what consumers understand about the risks and what barriers they face in following recommendations. The work is due to conclude in January 2027 and will inform the agency’s future risk assessment. The practical conclusion is that the category requires use communication as precise as its product specification. Useful labelling should make the separation of utensils, cleaning of hands and surfaces, chilled storage and prevention of cross-contamination visible. For manufacturers and retailers, this means bringing formulation, microbiology, packaging and customer education into one safety concept. The food may be intended for the animal, but the risk system inevitably includes the people handling it.