FDA Requiring Cat and Dog Food Manufacturers to Watch for Bird Flu Inputs
The FDA is requiring certain manufacturers of cat and dog foods to reanalyze their food safety plans to include the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (specifically H5N1) as a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard. The virus is popularly known as bird flu.
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This requirement is for cat and dog foods manufacturers that are covered by FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act Preventative Controls for Animal Food rule and that use uncooked or unpasteurized materials derived from poultry or cattle, such as uncooked meat, unpasteurized milk or unpasteurized eggs, according to a Jan. 17 FDA announcement.
"The FDA is issuing this update to ensure that cat and dog food manufacturers are aware of information about the new H5N1 hazard associated with their pet food products, which is an additional reason that manufacturers must conduct a reanalysis of their food safety plans," the FDA said.
The FDA noted that it is tracking cases of H5N1 in domestic and wild cats in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington that have eaten contaminated food products. It has issued this reanalysis requirement in response to reports of domestic cat illness and deaths and to scientific data indicating that cats and dogs have gotten ill from consuming the H5N1 virus.
The FDA also is requiring manufacturers to conduct a reanalysis of their food safety plans when they become aware of new information about potential hazards associated with animal food, the FDA said.