Australia's $4 billion pet food industry will be scrutinised by a parliamentary inquiry after a series of reports by 7.30 revealed plastic, shards of metal and mould had been found in some foods, and one popular brand was implicated in more than 100 dogs falling sick.

It comes as the industry's own representative body, the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA), concedes a federal regulator should have the power to pull foods from shelves.

Currently the industry enjoys a regime of self-regulation and recalls are almost unheard of.

Centre Alliance senator Stirling Griff proposed the parliamentary inquiry and said it would examine the feasibility of formal oversight, mandatory recalls and pet food labelling.

He said pet owners would be invited to participate in the inquiry.

"This is a $4 billion industry and it is self-regulated — it looks after its own compliance and its own recalls. It's hardly a model for transparency and assured good practice," he said.

Senator Griff said he was concerned that dozens of dogs had developed the incurable condition megaesophagus, with some euthanased, after eating popular dry dog food Advance Dermocare.

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Melbourne University researchers are investigating whether there is evidence to definitively link the illness to the food.

Advance Dermocare was recalled three months after manufacturer Mars Petcare first learned of a potential problem.

"There is no framework to implement mandatory recalls," Senator Griff said.

"There are no real repercussions for manufacturers who fail to notify their industry body or the public of potential hazards and initiate product recalls within a reasonable time."

'Let's shine a light in'

Zara had to be put down after developing megaesophagus. ( ABC News: Rachel Dola )

Rachel Dola's dog Zara was euthanased after being diagnosed with megaesophagus. Zara was fed Advance Dermocare.

Ms Dola said industry scrutiny was overdue.

"It shouldn't have taken so many lives to learn that the system failed but it's fantastic news that the committee will be investigating the industry, especially given that public input hasn't been considered before," she told 7.30.

"It's time pet owners are actually heard."

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said he also supported the inquiry.

"Let's shine a light in. Scrutiny is only ever a good thing and I look forward to the inquiry's recommendations," he said.

"Having a pet die is an absolutely terrible thing. It can be like losing a family member."

Mr Littleproud said he'd already asked the states and territories to consider a rethink on how the industry operates. So far only Queensland, Tasmanian and South Australian ministers have indicated support for a review.

Plastic found in wet dog food

A piece of plastic found in a tin of Nutro dog food. ( Supplied )

The Federal Government is under mounting pressure to regulate the industry as failings and shoddy practices come to light, including plastic and other rubbish being processed along with raw meat to make dry protein meal — a key dry pet food ingredient.

Animal ear tags and plastic gloves have been identified as key contaminants. Foreign objects can also be a problem in tinned food.

One owner told 7.30 she found a piece of plastic in a tin of My Dog, made by Mars Petcare — the same company which manufactures Advance Democare. The object turned out to be a special clip used in abattoirs.

Now another owner, Gayle Buchanan, has come forward complaining about a piece of plastic in a tin of Nutro, also made by Mars Petcare.

She complained and was upset with the company's handling of the matter.

"Their response was two $5 vouchers and an apology in writing for the foreign object. No information was given on what the object was.

"When I called them to find out if it was safe to use the remaining tins of the same batch there was no comment," she told 7.30.

Mars Petcare declined to respond to 7.30.

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'Improvements can be made'

In a statement, the PFIAA said it understood recent issues had raised questions and concerns for pet owners, but said it was working with the Government to make improvements.

"We support the view of pet owners and media commentators who propose that a federal regulator should have powers to implement a pet food recall, if circumstances warrant this action," the PFIAA statement said.

The association also responded to what it called "isolated batches" of contaminated pet food.

"Our member companies are investing time and resources and are working with the suppliers to implement a range of procedures to minimise the potential for contaminants such as plastic entering our pet food products.

"Recent events have shown that improvements can be made to both processes and regulations and we are committed to working to ensure that only pet foods of the highest quality are offered for sale across Australia."

There are no laws governing pet food manufacturing in Australia, only a voluntary standard.

The only way pet food safety issues are reported is voluntarily by vets to a system called PetFAST, managed by the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA).

AVA president Dr Paula Parker couldn't say how many reports had been lodged since the system was launched in 2012, only that multiple complaints were sent to the manufacturers to handle.

"The PetFAST system is only an alerting mechanism, so that if three similar cases come through, we alert the pet food company involved.

"PetFAST is not used to store data or report on incidence, so is an alerting tool, rather than an investigative tool," she said.

Two voluntary recalls in two years

Mars Petcare voluntarily recalled Advance Dermocare in March. ( ABC News: Andrew Burch )

In the United States, regulators can investigate customer complaints and enforce recalls, but often those powers don't need to be exercised.

More than 20 pet foods had been pulled from shelves in the US in this year alone, most by the manufacturers.

Salmonella and listeria contamination are key problems.

In Australia's self-regulated industry, there have been two voluntary recalls in two years. One was Advance Dermocare.

Last year Best Feline Friend was recalled by manufacturer Weruva after a number of cats suffered neurological and gastrointestinal problems after eating the food.

The company said tests showed some batches were deficient in thiamine, a necessary vitamin for cats.