Microbiology of raw materials and feed for pets
This manuscript deals with qualitative and quantitative analyses of microorganism populations in animal and plant raw materials to be used for feed production for pets. The impact of extrusion was tested on feedstuff sanitary state. This investigation took place at the Kazakh Research Institute of Processing and Food Industry (Almaty) in 2020-2022. Feeds were produced at the TOO Golden Fish.kz. Pathogenic microorganisms were tested in six samples from raw materials (chicken meat and bone meal, maize gluten, wheat, wheat bran, wheat gluten, chicken fat) and five samples of extruded feeds (feed for up to 2- and 4-month-old puppies, feed of “economy” and “premium” classes for dogs and feed for cats). Total quantity of opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms did not exceed acceptable values. Samples of extruded feeds were sterile. After 6 months of storage, the sanitary state of these samples was checked. Feeds for up to 2- and 4-month-old puppies, feed of “premium” class for dogs and feed for cats contained low concentrations of spore-forming bacteria (from 1 to 6 CFU per 1 g of product) from the group of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms. However, lactic acid bacteria, mold fungi, salmonella, pathogenic E. coli , C. botulinum or anaerobic microorganisms were absent. Only feed of “economy” class for dogs contained mold fungi (2×10<sup>1</sup> CFU/g) and spore-forming bacteria (1×10<sup>1</sup> CFU/g), possibly, due to spore germination survived after heat treatment under temperature or humidity increase during storage.