Microbiology, mycotoxins, heavy metals and emerging contaminants — planned around the real risks of each ingredient and format.
Most pet food recalls have a safety cause. Pathogens, mycotoxins and heavy metals enter through raw materials or after processing, and the risk differs sharply between kibble, raw, fresh, treat and supplement formats.
We plan safety testing by format and ingredient risk, run it through Guires Analytical Lab, our bioscience lab and qualified partner laboratories, and interpret results against market limits — so your food safety plan rests on data, not assumptions.
Start your project with Guires PNLEach test is chosen for a reason — the stage of development, the format and the rules in your market.
Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and STEC E. coli, with rapid PCR screening in our bioscience lab.
Total plate count, Enterobacteriaceae, yeasts and moulds to track hygiene and shelf life.
Multi-mycotoxin panels for cereals and by-products, including aflatoxins and fumonisins.
Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic in raw materials and finished product.
Kill-step and environmental monitoring data for your food safety plan.
Advice on when bisphenols, PFAS or microplastics testing is warranted for your ingredients and packaging.
Raw and dried formats carry far higher pathogen risk than extruded or retorted foods.
Mycotoxins rarely occur alone, so single-toxin tests can miss the real exposure.
Pathogens can enter after the kill step and survive for months in dry food.
Heavy-metal levels depend on ingredients such as fish, bran and minerals.
Hazards mapped by ingredient and format.
Tests, frequency and limits agreed.
Raw materials, environment and finished product.
In-house PCR screening plus partner labs.
Results against market limits.
Corrective actions and supplier feedback.
Peer-reviewed findings that shape how we design and interpret this work.
One study found Salmonella in 26.2% and Listeria monocytogenes in 19% of raw diets, and in none of the extruded diets tested.
Pathogen testing of every raw and minimally processed batch, plus kill-step validation where a step exists.
A 2026 survey of 126 dog and cat foods found fumonisin B1 in over 94% and more than one mycotoxin in over 92% of products.
Multi-mycotoxin screening of ingredients and finished product, not single-toxin tests.
In a 2025 survey of 93 products, 8.6% exceeded lead limits; in another study, ingredients such as wheat bran carried higher metal levels.
Heavy-metal testing of both raw materials and finished product.
Each application has its own page with the evidence, the actives and the claim boundaries we work within.
Firm stools, comfortable digestion and a balanced gut microbiome.
Nutrition that helps the immune system work as it should.
The right start for puppies and kittens, and the extra nutrition mothers need.
Helping pets stay healthy for longer.
Every ingredient we choose for safety & contaminant testing is assessed for nutrient contribution, digestibility, processing behaviour, palatability and the rules in your market — and sourced to your specification.
Regulation updates, the latest research, recalls and market trends that shape safety & contaminant testing — written by our formulation, testing and regulatory teams.
Yes. Raw and minimally processed batches get pathogen testing, with a validated kill step recommended where one is possible.
Yes. Our bioscience lab runs PCR screening; positives are confirmed by culture through partner laboratories.
We advise when packaging-related contaminants such as bisphenols warrant testing and arrange it through partners.
Clients in the USA, UK and UAE on working with Guires PNL. Names are withheld at clients’ request.
“Their nutritional and stability testing produced documentation we could present to retailers and regulators. Having that validation in hand made our retail listing process far smoother.”
“As a small brand, independent validation of our nutritional claims was beyond our own resources. They verified our shelf life and nutrient retention and provided the data to back every claim.”
“They tested our formula under the heat and storage conditions of our region and delivered audit-ready reports. We launched knowing the product would perform exactly as specified.”
Tell us your product, your question and your market — our scientists will come back with a study design and next steps.
Every Guires PNL product is formulated to comply with the FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines and the AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles. Neither body issues certificates to manufacturers, so compliance is verified independently against their published standards — and every product comes with a complete documentation package for regulatory submissions in the EU, US, Australia and Asian markets.
How we verify compliance →