Extruded canine diets containing primarily peas in contrast to those containing lamb and chicken meal are at higher risk of mold and mycotoxin contamination when treated similarly: An observational study.

Three extruded dog diets were created for a nutritional study with different primary protein sources (BAS: lamb meal (LM) and deboned lamb (DL); CHK: chicken meal, LM, and DL; PEA: dried ground pea, LM, and DL). All diets were processed using the same single-screw extruder, shipped from the processing facility on the same day, and transported under the same conditions in January 2021. After 8 months of storage in a temperature and humidity-controlled room in September 2021, only the PEA diet was molded upon inspection.