Nobody wants to suffer the pains of food poisoning. Unfortunately, some cases of food poisoning can be lethal and the danger is emphasized when consumed by children, the elderly, or by people with compromised immune systems. For humans, properly handled and prepared food can cut down on the dangers but contaminated pet food also threatens the lives of humans and animals.

Tambi Renee decided to use recent articles about contaminated pet food to raise awareness about Salmonella poisoning. Whenever pet food tests positive for Salmonella, it is the FDA that is responsible for checking, stopping, and recalling the contaminated pet food. “I found this very interesting article in regards to the double standard that exists between contaminated pet food and food for human consumption,” says Tambi Renee. The article Tambi Renee refers to comes from the pet food site TruthaboutPetFood.com.

Tambi Renee found an October 11, 2013 article particularly interesting. “The article was about the double standard our society has on food regulation. Primarily, the difference between how the FDA handles the issue of food contamination with complete recalls compared to how the USDA FSIS handles contaminated food sold to humans,” says Tambi Renee.

Tambi Renee was led from the article to a list of recent pet food recalls. “You hear of food recalls or warnings on the news. They’ll often give you a series of numbers to check and what factory the food poisoned products originated from,” says Tambi Renee. When looking at the list of pet food recalls, the list is quite extensive, with nearly one or more recalls on pet food every month.

Looking at the list of pet food recalls spanning the past year, nearly all recalls were linked to a risk of Salmonella. The list of recalled products included dry dog food, a chewable heartworm preventative, and a beef chewy dog treat in August of 2013. Between June and July of 2013, pet food recalls included frozen pet foods and pet jerky.

Tambi Renee cautions pet owners, “Be aware of pet food recalls. If your pet gets ill after eating a product be sure to call the vet and keep the product for possible sampling. And always practice food safety; wash hands after handling food.”