Pet Food Safety: Page 92

FDA announces new strategic plan for fighting antimicrobial resistance

The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine has announced a new National Antimicrobial Monitoring System Strategic Plan, "dedicated to the protection of human and animal health through integrated monitoring of antimicrobial resistance among enteric bacteria." NARMS has four strategic goals: to develop, implement and optimize a shared database; to make sampling more representative and more applicable to trend analysis; to strengthen collaborative research; and to support international activities that promote food safety.

Food Safety and Modernization Act affects petfood industry

The Food Safety and Modernization Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama on Jan. 4, 2011, will affect petfood as well as human food as companies work to become compliant with the new rules set forth by the act. Five areas of the act should be of particular focus to petfood manufacturers and processors.

Walmart VP to speak at Petfood Forum 2011

Frank Yiannis, VP of food safety for Walmart, will provide the closing keynote address for Petfood Forum 2011 on Wednesday, April 13, during lunch. Yiannis will discuss the Global Food Safety Initiative and why Walmart is a committed, active member.

Pet Food Safety

Petfood Forum 2011 preview

To stay ahead of the competition and grow your business, you need to arm yourself with knowledge and key contacts. There’s no better way to increase both than by attending Petfood Forum 2011 and Petfood Workshop: Safety First.

Dr. Hunt raced with 16 dogs, including Spots, More Spots and lead dog, Husky.

North American virus kills crickets raised for pet reptiles

A cricket paralysis virus killed millions of crickets that were raised to feed pet reptiles and zoo animals across North America, putting some producers out of business and limiting cricket supplies, according to seattlepi.com. The virus swept through European cricket farms in 2002; however, this virus was not discovered in the US and Canada until 2009, in the house cricket species, Acheta domesticus.

Eurofins responds to changes in US food safety legislation

Eurofins commented on the recently passed, US Food Safety Modernization Act, with praise of the bill's increased regulation as well as an offering of the company's services to help food processors and petfood manufacturers comply with the changes. The main highlights and implications of the bill in the petfood industry include mandatory risk prevention plans for all handlers and processors of food; required updates to the Foodborne Contaminant list every two years; mandatory measures for traceability, sanitation and testing performed by accredited laboratories; more animal feed products required to meet food safety standards; and foreign supplier verification programs required for US food importers.

Pet Food Safety

Developing a HACCP plan for petfood

The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010, recently passed by the US Congress, will require that food producers—including petfood processors—create written, risk-based hazard control programs. HACCP, or hazard analysis and critical control points, is a widely accepted method employed within many food safety management systems.

HACCP, or hazard analysis and critical control points, is a widely accepted method employed within many food safety management systems.

Obama to sign legislation for improved US food safety regulation

President Barack Obama is expected to sign this week a US$1.4 billion overhaul of the US food safety system, which gives the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to increase inspections at food processing plants and forces companies, including petfood manufacturers, to recall tainted products. Congress passed the bill in December 2010, in response to a series of outbreaks of E. coli and Salmonella contamination.

High level of toxins in corn grains blamed for Kroger petfood recall

Tennessee Department of Agriculture and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators found elevated levels of the toxic substance aflatoxin in some corn grains to blame for the Kroger Co. petfood recall in late December 2010. "We took finished samples and grain samples that were stored and used to make petfood," said Tom Womack, spokesman for the Tennessee, USA, Department of Agriculture.

AFIA commends FDA on Compliance Policy Guide for Salmonella in petfood

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) filed comments on December 31, 2010, supporting the US Food and Drug Administration’s updated Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) Sec. 690.800 on Salmonella in animal feed, including petfood. FDA created CPGs to direct its field staff who regulate compliance policies for animal feed or feed ingredients contaminated with Salmonella as well as products that come into direct contact with humans, such as petfood.

FDA seeks comment on establishment of network for tracking petfood diseases

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking comment on issues related to a proposed Pet Event Tracking Network (PETNet) for detection of petfood-related illnesses. FDA is seeking public comments on the paperwork and regulatory burdens associated with the proposed establishment of PETNet, which would be "a system for sharing information between FDA, other Federal agencies, and the States about food-borne illness outbreaks in companion animals," according to FDA.

AFIA commends Congress on enacting landmark food safety legislation

The American Feed Industry Association is commending Congress for its diligence in enacting the sweeping changes in FDA oversight of American food safety in more than 70 years. The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010 carries several firewalls to ensure human food regulations are not inappropriately applied to animal feed and petfoods and gives FDA first-time mandatory recall authority, but with administrative protections for regulated industry.

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