Pet Food Safety

VM 834 Current Issues in Food Safety

Pet Food Safety

Semester: Fall, Spring

Course Description: Pet food safety has come into the spotlight due to recent recalls. The course will review the systems involved in the pet food industry. The history of pet food safety, recent recalls and the impact of the FSMA on pet food safety will be discussed. Regulations, labeling requirements and food fraud in pet food labeling/ingredients will be reviewed

Objective: Students will develop an understanding of pet food processing including food safety challenges and measures taken to meet these challenges. Students will be able to discuss the relationship between contaminated pet food and human health. Students will have an understanding of recent pet food recalls due to biological, physical and chemical contaminants.

Topics include:

  • History of Pet Food Safety Issues
  • Pet Food Regulations
  • Labeling requirements Pet Food Fraud concerns
  • FSMA and pet food
  • How Pet food is made
  • Rendering
  • Extrusion, retort, raw, chews
  • Microbiological contaminants
  • Toxicological contaminants
  • Physical contaminants
  • Vitamin deficiency and toxicity

Course Materials

All materials will be made available in the D2L course. Lectures will be provided by industry professionals. There is no textbook requirement - readings will be assigned from regulatory, industry, and research sources.

1 Credits