The CDC also is recommending that manufacturers employ heat treatment or irradiation during the processing of such treats.

Nine pet owners developed salmonellosis in 2004 and 2005 after handling dehydrated salmon or beef pet treats from two different manufacturers in Washington and British Columbia, according to a report issued in June by the CDC. However, the health organization believes many cases of human salmonella infection linked to pet treats have gone unreported.

According to Human Salmonellosis Associated with Animal-Derived Pet Treats—United States and Canada, 2005, dehydration temperatures were not high enough to kill bacteria that might have been present. Furthermore, “no processing steps, such as irradiation that would destroy Salmonella and other bacteria, were used during the processing. Production code dates, lot numbers and location of plants were not recorded on the finished product packaging. No labels instructing pet owners to wash their hands after handling the product were provided.”

In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration initiated annual nationwide testing of pet treats for salmonellae. “Because results of this testing have shown that the prevalence of Salmonella organisms in pet treats in the United States has not decreased, FDA plans to broaden its use of enforcement actions to ensure compliance with the [Food, Drug and Cosmetic] Act, ” the CDC report states.

In 1999, after a person in Canada developed a salmonella infection linked to pig-ear treats, the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (Greenwich, Conn.) developed guidelines for companies that make pet treats from natural animal parts. [September 2006 PET AGE]