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  6. Biological Hazards
  1. Biological, Chemical, and Physical Contaminants in Animal Food

Biological Hazards

Biological hazards can come from a variety of contaminants including bacterial and viral pathogens. Fungal contamination is discussed under mycotoxins, which are the chemical contaminants produced by these organisms. Under the Animal Food Contaminants program, biological hazards that are routinely monitored include Salmonella. Salmonella may present a hazard to animal health when animals consume contaminated food, and to human health by consumption of contaminated animal products, or by direct exposure to the contaminated animal food capable of causing disease in humans.

Salmonella

Salmonella are the bacteria responsible for salmonellosis in humans and animals. Salmonella can infect animals through consumption of Salmonella-contaminated animal food, and humans can be infected by handling such animal food or infected animals and their feces.

Animal food can become contaminated with Salmonella through the inclusion of Salmonella-contaminated raw materials (ingredient-related), Salmonella-contaminated manufacturing environment (facility-related) and when the manufacturing process is inadequate to kill the Salmonella (process-related). Meat and poultry ingredients, including rendered ingredients, have been sources of Salmonella contamination.

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