On Friday, January 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement requiring cat and dog food manufacturers using uncooked or unpasteurized materials derived from poultry or cattle to reanalyze their food safety plans to to include Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (HPAI) as a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard.
There are several cases of HPAI transmission to domestic and wild cats being investigated, including cases that are associated with eating contaminated food products.
Ingredients that may need to be considered as potential contaminants:- uncooked meat,
- unpasteurized milk,
- unpasteurized eggs.
- obtaining ingredients from known suppliers with healthy herds or flocks,
- heat treatment of the ingredients and/or products that is capable of inactivating the virus
- supply-chain-applied control to ensure ingredients are not coming from HPAI-infected animals.
If you have any questions about your facility's food safety plan or animal food safety, please contact Dr. Marissa Cohen.
