LC-MS/MS Detects Contaminants in Cat Food

As more people buy commercial pet food, there's growing concern about whether it might contain harmful contaminants and what effect that could have on pets' health. Chicken-based pet food could be an especially major way that environmental pollutants end up in animals' bodies, potentially triggering inflammation-related health problems. This concern led researchers to test 29 commercially available chicken-based cat kibble products for a range of contaminants. They checked for antibiotics and "forever chemicals" (PFAS) (using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry [LC-MS/MS] for detecting antibiotic contamination and inductively coupled-plasma mass spectrometry [ICP-MS] for toxic metals), as well as plastics and microplastics. A paper based on their work was published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.¹

Why Does Pet Food Quality and Safety Matter?

Food plays a huge role in how well pets are cared for, and in the bond between pets and their owners. Beyond just meeting nutritional needs, feeding their pets is also a way owners show love, closeness, and care.^2,3 More and more, owners understand that good nutrition can help prevent health problems like chronic kidney disease and bladder/kidney stones,^4-7 while also supporting an active lifestyle, ultimately helping their pets live longer, healthier lives.^8,9

Recent figures from the European Pet Food Industry Federation show that in 2023, Europe had around 299 million pets, including 108 million cats and 90 million dogs. The pet food industry produced about 9.1 million tons of food that year, generating a market worth more than €29 billion.¹⁰

What Contaminants Did the Researchers Find in the Cat Kibble Samples, and How Common Were They?

The researchers found that most of the kibble samples they tested contained some level of contamination. A common antibiotic called chlortetracycline turned up in just 1 of the 29 samples, while a related antibiotic, doxycycline, showed up in 4 of the 29. A group of "forever chemicals" known as PFAS was found in 7 of the 29 samples. Toxic metals, including lead, cadmium, and arsenic, were far more widespread, appearing in 28 of the 29 samples. And two types of contamination, a chemical called BPA (commonly found in plastics) and microplastics (mostly tiny fibers, with some fragments), were detected in every single sample tested.¹

“The lack of maximum residual limits and the chronic dietary exposure to complex contaminant mixtures,” write the authors of the paper,¹ “may pose health risks to cats due to cumulative and synergistic effects. These findings,” they continue,¹ “underscore the need for continuous, stricter monitoring of contaminants and their residues in raw materials, as well as for a comprehensive risk assessment to ensure pet food safety.”

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References

1. Öztürk, Y.; Nicotra, M.; Palermo, F. A. et al. Multiple Contaminant Detection in Commercially Available Chicken-Based Cat Kibbles in Italy. Front Vet Sci. 2026, 13, 1846767. DOI: DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2026.1846767
2. White, G. A.; Ward, L.; Pink, C. et al. “Who's Been a Good Dog?” - Owner Perceptions and Motivations for Treat Giving. Prev Vet Med. 2016, 132, 14-19. DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2016.08.002
3. Nielson, S. A.; Khosa D. K.; Verbrugghe, A. et al. Cat Caregivers' Perceptions, Motivations, and Behaviours for Feeding Treats: A Cross Sectional Study. PLoS One 2024, 19 (1), e0296011. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296011
4. Fritsch, D. A.; Jewell, D. E.; Leventhal, P. S. et al. Acceptance and Effects of a Therapeutic Renal Food in Pet Cats with Chronic Kidney Disease. Vet Rec Open. 2015, 2 (2), e000128. DOI: 10.1136/vetreco-2015-000128
5. Hall, J. A.; Fritsch, D. A.; Yerramilli, M. et al. A Longitudinal Study on the Acceptance and Effects of a Therapeutic Renal Food in Pet Dogs with IRIS-Stage 1 Chronic Kidney Disease. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2018, 102 (1), 297-307. DOI: 10.1111/jpn.12692
6. Torres-Henderson, C.; Bunkers, J.; Contreras, E. T. et al. Use of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diet UR Urinary St/Ox to Dissolve Struvite Cystoliths. Top Companion Anim Med. 2017, 32 (2), 49-54. DOI: 10.1053/j.tcam.2017.07.007
7. Igreja, I. A.; Lourenço, A. L.; Vernooij, J. C. M. et al. Effects of Two Commercial Diets and Two Supplements on Urinary pH in Dogs. Vet Med Sci. 2023, 9 (6), 2566-2575.DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1285
8. Bontempo, V. Nutrition and Health of Dogs and Cats: Evolution of Petfood. Vet Res Commun. 2005, 29 (Suppl 2), 45-50. DOI: 10.1007/s11259-005-0010-8
9. Butterwick, R. F. Impact of Nutrition on Ageing the Process. Bridging the Gap: The Animal Perspective. Br J Nutr. 2015, 113 (Suppl), S23-S25. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114514003900
10. Fediaf. Facts and Figures. 2025.https://europeanpetfood.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FEDIAF-Facts-Figures-2025.pdf (accessed 2026-03-13)