Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
Sci Total Environ. 2019 Sep 20;684:276-280. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.337. Epub 2019 May 23.
Commercial pet foods should be safe for long-term feeding. However, recent recalls and lawsuits have eroded public trust in pet food companies and products. Recent studies have identified high concentrations of mercury, a potent neurotoxin, in pet food products. Here we posit that pet food products require independent testing to verify safety and compliance with developed Food and Drug Administration and Association of American Feed Control Officials standards, and initiate a discussion as to why including quantification of mercury and methylmercury, as well as the identification of adulteration, are important to such testing protocols. The outcomes of these discussions will be multi-faceted: initiating the impetus to investigate the quality and label accuracy of pet foods; ensuring product safety; promoting transparency within the pet food industry; informing veterinary practices regarding pet food recommendations; providing data for evidence-based policy and regulatory enforcement; and working toward fulfilling the National Research Council's call for research that identifies levels of contaminants in animal feeds and residues in human foods.
商业宠物食品应该是安全的，可以长期喂养。然而，最近的召回和诉讼削弱了公众对宠物食品公司和产品的信任。最近的研究已经确定了宠物食品产品中含有高浓度的汞，一种强效的神经毒素。在这里，我们假设宠物食品产品需要进行独立测试，以验证其安全性和符合制定的美国食品和药物管理局以及美国饲料控制官员协会标准，并就为什么包括汞和甲基汞的定量以及掺假的识别对这种测试方案很重要展开讨论。这些讨论的结果将是多方面的：促使调查宠物食品的质量和标签准确性；确保产品安全；促进宠物食品行业的透明度；就宠物食品建议向兽医实践提供信息；为循证政策和法规执行提供数据；并努力满足国家研究委员会的呼吁，开展研究，确定动物饲料中的污染物水平和人类食品中的残留。
