UK Pet Food response to the Food Standards Agency’s report on raw pet food

Response to Food Standards Agency (FSA) report: A survey of microbiological and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) contamination found in raw dog and cat food on retail sale in the UK, based on data collected in 2023-2024.

Pets are an important part of family life, and keeping both pets and people safe is central to responsible pet food manufacturing. As raw pet food is not heat-treated, managing microbiological risk relies on robust manufacturing controls and responsible handling at home, in the same way as raw meat for human consumption.

The FSA report provides a snapshot based on surveillance data collected in 2023-2024. It does not reflect current practice across a sector that continues to strengthen standards and manufacturing controls. As the report may cause concern among some raw-feeding pet owners, we want to provide reassurance and context.

UK Pet Food represents 15 dedicated raw pet food manufacturers who operate in line with robust UK legislation and industry best practice, and who are committed to transparency, responsibility, and continually raising standards.

Data from the Animal & Plant Health Agency indicates continued improvements in manufacturing controls within the raw pet food sector between 2022 and 2024. Over this period, Salmonella isolations identified during manufacturing fell by nearly a third (29%), while sales volumes increased by 12.5%.

To proactively drive best practice, UK Pet Food developed industry guidelines for the manufacture of commercial raw pet food in conjunction with Defra, the Animal & Plant Health Agency, and the Food Standards Agency, which underpin the high standards our members are expected to follow.

Building on this work, UK Pet Food established the UK Pet Food Raw Pet Food scheme, an independent, sector-leading standard that supports safe production and handling and helps pet owners identify responsible manufacturers.

Greg Van Praagh, Chair of the UK Pet Food Raw Manufacturers’ Working Group and Managing Director of Benyfit Natural, comments: “As a member of UK Pet Food, we are continually striving to set the highest standards for the safe manufacture of raw pet food. Raising the bar is not optional for us, it’s fundamental to how responsible businesses in this sector operate, and it’s the direction we expect the industry to keep moving in.”

As the FSA report highlights, risk is best reduced through a combination of responsible manufacturing across the supply chain, clear information, and good hygiene practices in the home, including appropriate storage, handling, and cleaning.

UK Pet Food continues to work with regulators, manufacturers, the wider supply chain, and pet owners to support education, promote high standards and enable informed choice across all pet food categories.

Pet owners who choose to feed raw can look for products from manufacturers that demonstrate high standards, transparency, and strong safety practices, and are encouraged to follow handling guidance carefully.

Practical guidance for pet owners is available at www.ukpetfood.org

A list of UK Pet Food Raw Members, including those who have signed up to the Raw Standard scheme, is available at: Member Directory | UK Pet Food

Responding to common questions about the FSA’s findings:

• Does the FSA’s finding that 35% of raw pet food contained harmful bacteria mean these products are unsafe?

Raw pet food differs from cooked pet food and requires different handling. The figure reflects surveillance of uncooked products rather than processed foods and does not directly reflect illness risk. With responsible manufacturing and good hygiene at home, risks can be reduced, which is the focus of both the FSA’s advice and our own guidance.

The emphasis, as the FSA makes clear, is on proportionate risk management through standards, hygiene, and handling, rather than on eliminating risk entirely.

• Alongside this focus on risk management and handling, manufacturing oversight data from the same period shows the raw pet food sector made significant strides in manufacturing safety.

This period also saw the introduction of the UK Pet Food Raw Pet Food Standard, which set clear requirements to strengthen safety, hygiene, and quality across the manufacturing process. Industry engagement with the Standard has continued to grow, with the number of UK Pet Food members achieving the Standard increasing from two at the start of the Food Standards Agency’s work to seven today.