UK pet owners’ shift to raw diets clashes with mounting public health risks

As interest in natural and sustainable pet diets grows in the UK, emerging research highlights potential health risks from contaminated raw food, prompting vets to emphasise harm reduction and owner education.

Interest in alternative pet diets is reshaping the UK market, but the science continues to point to a clear tension between owner preference and public health risk.

A forthcoming Vet Voices On Air podcast, due on 9 August 2026, examines how feeding choices for dogs and cats are increasingly influenced by ideas about “natural” nutrition, sustainability and trust in non-veterinary advice. Yet research from the University of Liverpool suggests many raw-feeding owners are less likely to view their chosen diet as risky, and more likely to rely on breeders, friends, family or social media than on veterinary professionals.

That matters because the microbiological evidence is becoming harder to ignore. The Food Standards Agency said in February 2026 that 35% of raw pet food samples sold in the UK were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella, Campylobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E coli. Separate Liverpool work has found antimicrobial-resistant E coli and Salmonella in raw diets, and later studies showed raw-fed dogs were more likely to shed such organisms in faeces.

A July 2026 study also found that only 32% of 60 raw pet food products from eight UK manufacturers met acceptable safety standards.