New Study Finds Widespread Mycotoxin Contamination in Commercial Dry Pet Food

Mycotoxins are dangerous and potentially deadly when consumed in contaminated food.

As Dr. Jean Dodds and I discuss in our book, Canine Nutrigenomics: The New Science of Feed Your Dog for Optimum Health, mycotoxins are toxic metabolic by-products produced by fungi, or mold. Foods contaminated withy mycotoxins can cause serious illness, and even death, to people and animals that eat them.^[1]

Previous research has revealed that mycotoxin contamination in dry pet foods (kibble) is a real and potentially dangerous threat to the health of our companion animals. In 2007, researchers studying mycotoxin contamination in pet food found that it “poses a serious health threat to pets”.^[2]

A new study out of Italy, which analyzed 48 commercial dry, extruded dog foods (24 low/standard price products and 24 premium/super-premium products) supports and expands upon already existing concerns regarding mycotoxin contamination in dry foods and the potential harm to the health of our companion animals.

The study, published earlier this year, found that of the 48 foods tested, all of the lower-priced foods and all but one of the premium foods were contaminated with at least two types of mycotoxins. Moreover, more than half (52%) of the samples analyzed were contaminated by three different types of mycotoxins, while 25% were contaminated by four different types and one of the premium products was contaminated by all five mycotoxin categories evaluated.^[3]

The researchers stated that, “Amongst recent concerns about the quality and safety of pet foods, the occurrence of mycotoxins represents a serious problem for pet health…”^[3]

The study’s authors also discuss the potential health hazards related to “multiresidues”, when multiple types of mycotoxins occur and react with each other in a single food product.^[3]. They point out that multiple types of mycotoxins may appear not only in a finished product, but also in individual ingredients that go into that product. In other words, one cereal grain, such as corn or wheat, can contain multiple types of mycotoxins.^[3] Previous studies have shown that corn in particular is at high risk of contamination by multiple types of mycotoxins.^[4]

When more than one type of mycotoxin exists in a food, the toxic effect can increase due to the interaction between the mycotoxins.^[3] Rabbits given food contaminated with multiple mycotoxins experienced effects on both the liver and kidneys,^[5] while pigs experienced symptoms such as pulmonary hemorrhages (bleeding from the lungs).^[6]

Previous research from the University of Guelph in Canada found that pet foods containing plant-derived proteins are more likely to contain harmful mycotoxins than foods that rely on animal-based fish and meat proteins. The researcher who led the study suggested that pet owners avoid “cheaper” pet foods that are more likely to contain vegetable cereals and corn or wheat fillers, as well as those with large amounts of rice bran.^[7]

While the concentrations of mycotoxins detected in the new study were below the regulatory limits and guidelines set by the European Union, I do not find any amount of mycotoxins to be acceptable in the foods that are supposed to nourish our animal companions. (And while this study pertained to dog food, you can bet that a similar problem occurs in cat food). As Dr. Dodds and I discuss in our book, even when foods contain “low” or “acceptable” levels of contaminants, such as mycotoxins or fluouride, our pets consume these foods every single day, day in and day out. There is no benefit of “moderation.” And, as the authors of the new study conclude, we’ve yet to uncover what can happen to our pets from chronic exposure to the same contaminated food for an extended period.

Until such time as pet food companies test for and report on levels of mycotoxins in their products, I advise the following to minimize your pet’s risk of mycotoxin exposure:

• Opt for a pet food that is free of cereal grains.
• If you must feed a commercial food containing cereal grains, call the manufacturer and ask them what steps they take to avoid mycotoxin exposure.
• Also ask the pet food company whether they routinely test for mycotoxin contamination.
• Rotate your kibble with a high-quality canned food or a home-prepared meal a couple of times a week.

Remember, you are your pet’s health advocate, and he or she is relying on you.

References

1. ^[1] Dodds, WJ & Laverdure, DR 2015, Canine Nutrigenomics: The New Science of Feeding Your Dog for Optimum Health, Dogwise Publishing, Wenatchee, WA. ↩
2. ^[2] Boermans, HJ & Leung, MK 2007, ‘Mycotoxins and the pet food industry: Toxological evidence and risk assessment’, International Journal of Food Microbiology, vol. 119, pp. 95–102. ↩
3. ^[3] Gazzotti, T, Biagi, G, Pagliuca, G, Pinna, C, Scardilli, M, Grandi, M and Zaghini, G 2015, ‘Occurrence of mycotoxins in extruded commercial dog food’, Animal Feed Science & Technology, vol. 202, pp. 81–89. ↩
4. ^[4] Streit, E, Schatzmayr, G, Tassis, P, Tzika, E, Marin, D, Taranu, I, Tabuc, C, Nicolau, A, Aprodu, I, Puel, O, Oswald, IP 2012, ‘Current situation of mycotoxin contamination and co-occurrence in animal feed – focus on Europe’, Toxins, vol. 4, pp. 788–809. ↩
5. ^[5] Orsi, RB, Oliveira, CA, Dilkin, P, Xavier, JG, Direito, GM and Corrêa, B 2007, ‘Effects of oral administration of aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin B1 in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), Chemico-Biological Interactions, vol. 170, pp. 201–208. ↩
6. ^[6] Stoev, SD, Denev, S, Dutton, MF, Njobeh, PB, Mosonik, JS, Steenkamp, PA and Petkov, I 2010, ‘Complex etiology and pathology of mycotoxic nephropathy in South African pigs’, Mycotoxin Research, vol. 26, pp. 31–46. ↩
7. ^[7] PetfoodIndustry.com 2013 (August 23), Petfoods with Plant-derived Proteins may Contain more Mycotoxins, Researcher says [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www. petfoodindustry.com/48909.html. ↩

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