Raw meat fears branded ‘alarmist’ by diet’s supporters

Fears of a major disease outbreak associated with pets’ consumption of raw meat products have been branded “alarmist” by prominent supporters of the diets.

Senior figures in both the animal and human health spheres have been urged to launch a “cross-profession initiative” to reduce the perceived risks.

But prominent agencies within the veterinary sector have so far remained tight-lipped on the issue.

Controversy

The new controversy has broken out following the release of an open letter by vet and academic Mike Davies, in which he argued that human cases of several illnesses could be linked to contact with pets that had been fed raw meat foods.

He also raised concerns about the potential for diseases such as brucellosis and listeriosis to be brought into the country through meat imports and highlighted APHA figures from 2021 and 2022, which indicated significant increases in the reporting of both Salmonella and the isolation of regulated serovars in raw meat products.

The document further warned that consumer confidence was being unduly enhanced by the RawSafe accreditation scheme which Dr Davies branded as “disingenuous to say the least as the truth is that feeding raw meats can never be safe unless it is treated, for example by cooking, to kill pathogens.”

He continued: “My main concerns are the apparent lack of compliance with health standards by the industry, and that nobody is currently advising owners about the risks that raw-fed pets present to high-risk people who may come into contact with it or its environment.”

‘Open minds’

But the scheme’s directors have urged vets to “open their minds” and support clients who choose raw diets for their pets.

Meanwhile, Amaya Espindola, president of the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society, said her organisation was unclear about the scientific basis for what she described as Dr Davies’ “alarmist remarks”.

She said: “We have a number of members who have been using real food as therapy for many years and none of them has experienced any of the alarming events mentioned by Dr Davies.

“They continue to enjoy a healthy relationship with their own raw-fed pets as well as interacting with those of their clients on a regular basis.

“To believe that we can live in a world devoid of bacteria and bacterial risk, from both environment to human, human to human and animal to human is to fail to understand the beautiful complexity of the interlinked world in which we live.”

As well as Vet Times, the letter was addressed to the current health secretary, Victoria Atkins, leading public health officials, the BMA and senior representatives of both the APHA and the RCVS.

‘Obvious steps’

Dr Davies wrote: “I do not need to spell out obvious steps that could or should be taken to minimise the risks to human health.

“I trust that you will agree that action is needed now and organise a cross-profession initiative before we see more unnecessary fatalities or a major outbreak.”

But the college declined to comment on the issue, which it argued falls outside its remit, while the APHA had not provided a response at the time of going to press.