Investigation of microbial contamination and use of food additives for pet foods in Gwangju, Korea

Abstract

This study was conducted for safety evaluation on 130 pet food products, which are distributed in Gwangju, South Korea. The microbial contamination part and the usage of food additives part were mainly investigated. The five microorganisms that we tested were total viable cell counts (TVC), Coliforms, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., pathogenic Escherichia coli and there were 15 products that exceed the microbial criteria or detected food poisoning bacteria. Specifically, Coliforms (13 products, 10%), TVC (9 products, 6.9%), Salmonella spp. (2 products, 1.5%), and E. coli (2 products, 1.5%) were followed. On the other hand, food additives such as preservatives, antioxidants and sodium nitrite were detected in 61 products. Among the preservatives, sorbic acid and benzoic acid were detected in 58 (44.6%) products. In antioxidants, Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) was detected in 3 (2.3%) products. In addition, preservatives and antioxidants were detected in 8 of 20 products labeled as 'additive-free' . Microbial contamination tended to occur mainly in small-scale individual homemade feed stores, while food additives were all detected in pet shops and supermarkets. Currently, the criteria for microorganisms and food additives for pet foods are insufficient in Korea. So, it is necessary to establish detailed feed standards and specifications for companion animals.