Why are some pet foods recalled because of cross-contamination? What is cross-contamination?
Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful substances or microorganisms to food by equipment, food-contact surfaces, utensils, hands, or other means. It occurs when these items are not cleaned properly after processing a food that contains a harmful substance and then processing another food. Several manufacturers recalled pet foods that were not formulated with wheat gluten or rice protein concentrate, but were manufactured at plants during the period when pet foods using these potentially contaminated ingredients were processed. Some recalls occurred as a precautionary measure; others occurred because testing indicated the product included traces of melamine that may have resulted from cross-contamination during manufacturing.
