Pet Food Regulations: Page 52

Release of regulations for Food Safety Modernization Act delayed

The US Food and Drug Administration’s release of proposed regulations to implement the cornerstone of the Food Safety Modernization Act has been delayed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, which is still in the review stage. The Food and Drug Administration had hoped to release four separate sets of proposed regulations on January 4, the one-year anniversary of the Food Safety Modernization Act's signing into law.

Brand Insights

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AFIA creates petfood manufacturing facility certification program

The American Feed Industry Association recently announced new third-party facility certification programs designed specifically for manufacturing petfood and petfood ingredients. The Pet Food Manufacturing Facility Certification Program and the Pet Food Ingredient Facility Certification Program were developed by the association's petfood and quality committees with input from third-party food safety experts.

Pet Food Market

No surprise: FDA misses important FSMA deadlines

January 4 -- a year after the Food Safety Modernization Act was signed into legislation -- was the date several of its key provisions were to take effect. According to FDAImports.com, the Food and Drug Administration has failed to finalize these provisions by the deadline.

Pet Food Recalls

Mycotoxins: the threat within the supply chain

With the recent recall of a series of dog food lines, pet owners across the country have had more on their minds than what to get their Great Danes or Labrador Retrievers this past holiday season. In the last month of 2011, three major recalls of well-known petfood brands were made due to aflatoxin levels that were detected above the acceptable limit.

Aflatoxin is not new to our industry and seems to remain a constant threat to the petfood bowl.

FDA misses deadline for key Food Safety Modernization Act provisions

January 2012 marks the one-year anniversary of President Obama signing into law the Food Safety Modernization Act, which aims to prevent petfood recalls and ensure a safe petfood supply.One of the key implementation dates from the Act was January 4, after which date the following significant steps were to have been taken by the US Food and Drug Administration: guidance for very small business exemptions from HARPC requirements;guidance related to intentional adulteration of food and mitigation strategies; “National Agriculture and Food Defense Strategy” issued to Congress and public; study concerning unique identification numbers for food facilities and brokers; designation of “high-risk foods” for which additional recordkeeping would be required; designation of five “Food Safety Centers of Excellence” to respond to outbreaks; grocery store recall posting requirements; and regulations for a Foreign Supplier Verification Program.

Pet Food Ingredients

Petfood innovation: marketing vs. regulatory

While the marketing, R&D and regulatory departments within a petfood company share a common goal—to contribute to the success of the company—the respective functions of the first two departments compared to the last often appear diametrically opposed. In a competitive marketplace, the need to distinguish your products from others is a major key to success.

To stand out and appeal to consumers, petfood products need to be formulated with innovative ingredients and those innovations communicated on the packaging, while still complying with accepted regulatory precepts.

Pet owner unhappy with melamine-tainted petfood lawsuit settlement

A woman whose cat died from eating tainted petfood is unhappy with the settlement pet owners received compared to the compensation lawyers received in a class-action lawsuit related to the 2007 melamine-tainted petfood imported from China, NBC reported. Kathy Forcier's cat, who died from eating "Special Kitty" food purchased at Walmart, was one of as many as 50,000 dogs and cats sickened or killed by the 2007 melamine-tainted petfood incident, in which as many as 150 Menu Foods petfood brands were recalled.

Chinese petfood found to be mislabeled by Taipei city officials

The Taipei City Government yesterday ordered four petfood products to be taken off store shelves because of incorrect labeling, according to the Taipei Times. City officials inspected 140 petfood products, of which four were found to be falsely labeled.

North Dakota seeks petfood manufacturer comments on feed law

The Agriculture Department of North Dakota, USA, has scheduled public meetings around the state in January 2012 to gather comments and suggestions regarding the state's regulation of animal feed. Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says the department is reviewing its feed regulation program to determine if it meets the needs of today's industry, and welcomes comment from anyone from animal feed manufacturers to petfood manufacturers and retailers.

Canadian petfood producer works to lower production facility smell

Canadian petfood manufacturer Champion Petfoods is working to reduce the smell from its plant in Morinville, Alberta, after local residents complained about the odors from the plant, the St. Albert Gazette reported. According to president, Frank Burdzy, the company’s October air quality tests suggested the plant was operating at 50 odor units per cubic meter, a 15% to 20% reduction from the level in April.

Recent aflatoxin petfood recalls may increase safety regulations

A series of recent recalls in the US for high aflatoxin levels in petfood is increasing the pressure to tighten government food safety rules in proposals that are currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration, according to a report from Reuters. The act, signed into law this year, focuses on preventing petfood contamination, starting with petfood ingredients, rather than just responding to contamination.

FDA forms Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance

The US Food and Drug Administration and the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute for Food Safety and Health created the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance to develop training courses and materials on preventing contamination for both human and animal food, including petfood, during production. The materials to be developed by the alliance will help industry members, particularly small- and medium-size manufacturers, comply with new preventive control rules of the FSMA.

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