Pet Food Safety: Page 89

FDA launches consumer website for recall information

The US Food and Drug Administration launched a website to make it easier for consumers to find information on recalled products, including petfoods, by compiling notices in a searchable tab. FDA's Web page displays information on all recalls since 2009 by date, product brand name, product description, reason for the recall and the organization initiating the recall.

TraceGains to repeat Foreign Supplier Verification Program webinar in April

TraceGains will repeat its Foreign Supplier Verification Program webinar on Wednesday, April 6, with added coverage on section 301 of the Food Safety Modernization Act, and its requirements and impact on business. Joining TraceGains on this webinar will be Jessica Wasserman, president at Wasserman & Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based consultancy focused on the global food, beverage and agriculture sectors.

AFIA files comments on FDA-proposed GRAS petfood rule

The American Feed Industry Association submitted comments to the US Food and Drug Administration regarding FDA’s final rule amending the procedures for substances generally recognized as safe (GRAS). FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine recently started to review GRAS submissions for new animal feed ingredients, while the human food industry has had hundreds reviewed and allowed on the market, according to AFIA.

Universal Pasteurization Co. to host high pressure processing workshop

Universal Pasteurization Co. recently opened in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA, and will hold a day-long workshop here on May 10 to introduce its high pressure processing capabilities. The company says Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman will make an appearance at the workshop to mark the expansion of this home-grown small business, established by the founders of Universal Cold Storage.

FDA schedules March hearing on Food Safety Modernization Act implementation

The US Food and Drug Administration will hold a meeting on March 29, allowing petfood companies to provide input on how the agency implements the Food Safety Modernization Act's import safety provisions. FDA's notice said the agency seeks information on importer verification, the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program, import certifications for food, and third-party accreditation.

Pet Food Ingredients

Nestlé Purina: building on a tradition of trust

When a company has been making petfood for 90 years and has an iconic name and unprecedented trust in the marketplace, you might think it has no new heights to scale. Yet Nestlé Purina PetCare is not content to rest on history or reputation. In November 2010, the company reached a new milestone by earning the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

After 33 years in the petfood industry and with NestlÃ© Purina, president Terry Block, shown here with Bosco, will retire at the end of 2011.

Pet Food Product Database

Perten Instruments AB Syrup Module for DA 7200

New food safety law impact on imports discussed at Global Food Safety Conference

US Food and Drug Administration Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael Taylor focused on the new food safety law's impact on imports at the Global Food Safety Conference in London. "All of you in this room acutely understand the major disruptions to our economies and to international trade that occur in the wake of major foodborne illness outbreaks and product recalls," said Taylor at the Global Food Safety Initiative-produced event.

European Food Safety Authority issues guidance on petfood additives

The European Food Safety Authority Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed, FEEDAP, published a guidance for assessing additives in petfood. FEEDAP's opinion, "Guidance on the assessment of additives intended to be used in pets and other non food-producing animals," was published February 1 by EFSA Journal.

Hesco receives 'A' grade on British Retail Consortium audit

Hesco Inc. earned a Certification Grade of “A” at their Hastings, Nebraska, USA, facility during their recent third-party British Retail Consortium audit recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative. Under the GFSI scheme, food producers and manufacturers are benchmarked against food safety requirements by independent licensed auditors.

New US food safety bill means changes for importers

The US Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act, signed into law on Jan. 4, will have a significant impact on food importers, who will need to focus on things like foreign supplier verification programs, certifications and inspections to comply with the new rules. Regulations will require each importer to have a program to ensure that food produced outside the US is subject to procedures that provide the same level of public health protection as is required of producers in the US.

Preservative TBHQ may present hazards in petfood

Tertiary butylhydroquinone, TBHQ, is a chemical preservative used in food and petfood to delay the onset of rancidness and greatly extend the storage life of foods. According to an article by Shona Botes on NaturalNews.com, the Food and Drug Administration allows amounts of up to 0.02% of the total oils in food to be TBHQ, but consuming high doses (between 1 and 4 grams) can cause nausea, delirium, collapse, tinnitus and vomiting.

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