STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — How dog owners feed their furry friends, store their food and wash their dishes may have significant health consequences for people and pets.
Researchers found that less than 5% of pet owners were aware of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) pet food handling guidelines that outline how to hygienically store and prep food. A total of 43% of participants stored food within five feet of human food, and only 34% washed their hands after feeding, according to the study, published last week in the journal PLOS ONE.
“Our findings confirmed that most pet owners are unaware that the FDA has pet food hygiene and storage recommendations,” Emily Luisana, the lead author of the study and a North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine researcher, said in a statement.
Sixty-eight dog bowls handled by 50 owners were randomly placed into three groups before being swabbed for bacterial populations.
Group A followed FDA guidelines, which included hand washing before and after handling food, washing the bowl and discarding uneaten food, among other measures. Group B followed stricter tips that included hand washing for 20 seconds with soap and warm water, scraping food off dishes before washing, washing dishes with soap and water hotter than 160 degrees for 30 seconds and drying bowls thoroughly with a clean towel. Group C was not given any hygiene instructions.
Researchers found the guidelines followed by groups A and B resulted in lower bacteria levels compared to Group C, signaling benefits to following the FDA’s protocols. However, just 20% of study participants said they would be likely to follow the protocols long-term.
Pet food bowls have long been known to be harbors of bacteria, sometimes rivaling locations like toilet bowls.
Exposure to contaminated food can have health impacts to both people and pets, according to the researchers.
“For example, there have been multiple outbreaks of both humans and dogs becoming ill after exposure to dog food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria,” the authors wrote. “These risks may be amplified in households with children and/or immunocompromised individuals, which were over a third of respondents’ households.”
The study’s authors noted that the small sample size may limit the strength of the research and added that more needs to be done to understand the ideal cleaning and storage recommendations. Additionally, best practices to communicate recommendations to consumers to minimize the risks of bacterial contamination needs to be optimized, the study suggested.
“Our study shows that pet owners look to their veterinarian, pet food store and pet food manufacturers for information about pet food storage and hygiene guidelines,” said Luisana. “Including recommendations at these places and in multiple formats — on the label, on handouts and on their website, for example — would be a strong start.”
