Natural and organic have become buzzwords that are as important when applied to pet food as to food for humans. People who are wary of possible toxic additives and contamination in what they eat also want their pets to have the healthiest, most wholesome diets.

Marion Nestle, a noted professor of nutrition and author considered an expert on the food industry and public health, believes the pet food recalls of a few years ago were a warning that “food for people, farm animals and pets is really much the same.” She writes in her blog that her book, “Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine,” shows how “we only have one food system and a safety problem in any part of it affects food for all.”

Fears are well-founded, says Penny Milligan, who owns The Hungry Hound in Somerville, and has just started to carry Petcurean Pet Nutrition, a brand of cat and dog food she says is one of the best alternatives to commercially made pet foods that consist of many toxic ingredients.

“Commercial dog food companies are, for the most part, owned by corporations that produce foods for human consumption. In turn, anything left that is not for human consumption will go to the pet food division – including moldy grains, grease from grease traps stored in drums for months at a time, and all parts of animals not fit for humans,” Milligan says.