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A pet food warning: a new study shows people can get some pretty dangerous infections from it. Even feeding your pet in the kitchen can put your family at risk.

"You're dealing with an animal product. Most of the food is cooked and that will destroy the salmonella, but if anything is added after the cooking process, like a flavoring, then that can increase the chance of a salmonella contamination," says veterinarian Ashley Hughes.

In fact, in the last two months alone, the Food and Drug Administration has reported dozens of pet food recalls, most of which were due to possible salmonella contamination.

And since October 2011, a total of 15 people have been affected by salmonella linked to dog food, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Five of those people were hospitalized.

"If the food were contaminated and you were to touch it and not wash your hands and get it into your system, then yes, you could contract it," says Hughes.

Most of us feed our dogs or cats right in our own kitchen, from the kitchen counter, with the utensils etc. Hughes was asked if that shouldn't be done.

"There was a recent study that came out that found that people who fed their dogs or cats in their kitchen were four times more likely to contract a bacterial infection from their food."

So your first line of defense: don't feed your pet in the kitchen, and use specific utensils just for pet food.

Some think that because commercial pet foods contain bacteria, why not make your own. Veterinarians warn against it.