The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Protects Pets

In partnership with: Tennessee Department of Agriculture

Pet owners across Tennessee will do anything to keep their furry friends safe and healthy. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) Consumer and Industry Services Division can help ease their minds.

“We have eight inspectors and one inspector supervisor who work with pet food manufacturers and retailers statewide,” says Bethany McAnulty, program coordinator.

Inspectors check everything from raw and finished products to cleanliness and procedures in manufacturing facilities. For retailers, they take samples of animal feed and run various tests that inspect for bacteria, like E. coli and salmonella, and confirm claims made on the label, such as fiber and protein content.

“There’s a specific way to test animal feed, and we want to make sure we have a large enough sample from the lot,” McAnulty says. “For most product lots, 10 bags are probed, bagged and sealed by a TDA inspector, then brought back to the lab for testing.

Kibble Confidence

The exception would be for a small feed container that is under 10 pounds. In this case, the inspector would bring back an unbroken container for testing.”

If a product comes back in violation, the department will send out a warning letter to the manufacturer.

See more: Are Poinsettias Poisonous to Pets?

If it’s a severe violation, it will stop sales of the product and have it removed from the shelves.

“Once the violation is addressed, a follow-up inspection is completed to verify compliance,” McAnulty says.

These inspections are necessary to make sure dogs and cats don’t get sick, but McAnulty emphasizes that they are important for human consumers, too.

“Of course, you want what you’re buying for your pet to be safe and the label claims to be accurate,”
she says. “But it’s keeping humans safe, too. If you have a toddler who might get into your dog’s food, or maybe you accidentally touch your eye after handling cat food, it’s important that contaminants aren’t being spread.”

The department also inspects livestock and other animal feed.

McAnulty adds that if a consumer has a concern about their pet’s food, they can always call the office.

Learn more about ways the TDA is keeping pets safe at tn.gov/agriculture/businesses/inputs.html.