
(DailyEmailNews.com) – Pet owners should be aware that a wave of cat deaths linked to H5N1 bird flu has sparked new regulations on pet food production, potentially limiting choices and driving up costs for American families.
The Food Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have announced policy changes focusing on pre-slaughter rules for poultry farms and food safety assessments for raw pet food producers.
This comes after cats in multiple states, including Los Angeles County, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado, died from consuming H5N1-infected raw pet food and raw milk.
The presence of the virus in commercial meat and dairy products highlights the alarming gaps in food safety measures.
Eric Deeble, Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, stated:
“Affected flocks that are depopulated as part of USDA’s efforts to control H5N1 are not permitted in any food product at all. They are most frequently composted on site, as part of the efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus.”
He added, “Obviously, a great deal of protein that is produced outside of [the USDA’s] Food Safety and Inspection Services inspected facilities is never intended for human consumption.”
The raw pet food industry, largely unregulated with few rules on sourcing raw meat, now faces increased scrutiny.
While the FDA claims it will investigate companies if animals become sick from pet food, questions remain about the agency’s ability to prevent such incidents in the first place.
This reactive approach puts pets at unnecessary risk and burdens responsible pet owners with additional worries and potential costs.
“With multiple diagnosed cases of H5N1 mortalities, can we in good conscience fail to provide widespread public warnings that raw meat… has been linked to multiple big cat mortalities,” said John Korslund, a retired U.S. Department of Agriculture veterinarian epidemiologist.
The outbreak’s impact extends beyond domestic cats. In Washington, 20 captive wild cats died after consuming contaminated raw pet food.
Although health officials recommend cooking meat thoroughly and consuming pasteurized dairy, these suggestions fail to address the root cause of the problem: the government’s inability to ensure a safe food supply for both humans and animals.
Instead of implementing more regulations that could harm small businesses and limit consumer choice, authorities should focus on improving existing oversight and holding large-scale producers accountable.
The H5N1 outbreak has affected diverse cat populations, marking a significant warning for the pet food industry.
Ongoing investigations and calls for stricter regulations highlight the pressing need to protect America’s pets from this lethal threat.
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