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| Inspector, my hot dog has legs! Photo credit @Mosman Council on flickr; used under CC license |
A 2010 food safety bill gives the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to begin regulating pet food more stringently. After dogs across the country became sick from eating tainted jerky treats from China in 2007, the FDA began a deeper investigation. It already has the authority to make rules about what ingredients pet food may contain, but it does not inspect the products. Now, it wants to promulgate regulations that would allow it to do more to catch tainted animal food before it gets to consumers.
The proposed rules would cover contamination by chemicals, pathogens, and other contaminants, in an attempt to reduce food-borne illnesses. The regulations would also cover feed for farm animals, but would not affect antibiotic use on industrial farms.
To learn more about what the FDA currently does to ensure pet food safety, and to give comments on proposed regulations, please visit its website.
