A new event for the pet food industry will benefit both newcomers and seasoned professionals alike and offer an overview of two of the most essential areas of dry pet food: production and safety. The event, Petfood Essentials, will take place on April 27, 2020, the day prior to the commencement of Petfood Forum.

The event will benefit pet food professionals looking to brush up on their skills as well as those looking to establish networking connections in an intimate and focused educational setting.

"Petfood Essentials is designed to help people newer to the pet food industry, or those who want to learn about other areas outside of their own functions, gain a strong foundation in the core elements and stages of dry pet food production and safety,” said  Debbie Phillips-Donaldson, editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry.

Interactive educational sessions

Starting with ingredients, then moving to dry kibble processing to packaging and stages in between, top industry experts will help attendees understand the key steps and functions of each stage of product development and production — plus the all-important aspects of quality, safety and testing.

Each session will provide an interactive, informal environment for learning what professionals need to know about pet food production and safety. Plus, attendees will be able to network with other pet food professionals and interact with leading industry suppliers offering products and services in each of the following topic areas.

• Ingredient selection and sourcing, Serge Boutet, agrologist and animal nutrition expert, SB Nutrinnov Consultants
   
• Batching, mixing, grinding and milling, Charles Stark, Ph.D., associate professor of feed technology, Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University
   
• Preconditioning and extrusion, Ron Tribelhorn, food process engineer, former section head for Procter & Gamble/Iams Pet Food Co.
   
• Coating, cooling and drying, Griffiths G. Atungulu, Ph.D., associate professor and agricultural/food engineer, Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
   
• Packaging, William (Scott) Whiteside, Ph.D., Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences Department, Clemson University
   
• Quality, safety and other testing, Michele Sayles, Ph.D., executive director of food safety and quality, Diamond Pet Food

Space is limited for this workshop, so reserve your place today. Visit the Petfood Essentials website to learn more about the event and to register.