Pet Food Safety: Page 93

Appeals court rules in class-action petfood lawsuit

A 3rd District US Court of Appeals ruled that a US$24 million class-action lawsuit settlement over melamine-contaminated petfood was a "fair, reasonable and adequate" deal, but sent the case back to a New Jersey district court judge for more information. The appeals court sent the case back to New Jersey US District Court Judge Noel Hillman, who originally approved the deal in November 2008, for more information supporting the purchase-claim limit of US$250,000.

Senate unanimously approves food-safety overhaul legislation

The Senate unanimously approved a food-safety overhaul bill that would give the US government greater authority to set and enforce safety standards for farmers and food processors. The legislation would affect nearly all whole and processed foods, including petfood, with the exceptions of meat, poultry and some egg products that are regulated by the US Department of Agriculture.

Kroger recalls select petfoods in 19 states

The Kroger Co. recalled select petfood packages in 19 states due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with aflatoxin, a chemical by-product from fungus that could be harmful to animals. The recall involves select bags of Pet Pride Cat Food, Pet Pride Kitten Food, Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food, Kroger Value Cat Food and Kroger Value Chunk Food.

Food safety legislation rides on US government funding bill

The US House of Representatives has tied major food safety legislation to a government funding bill for the Senate's consideration before Congress concludes its final session of 2010. The legislation would give the Food and Drug Administration the power to order a food recall and increase the frequency of its inspections.

Lobbyists influence FDA's food safety overhaul

More than 221 organizations hired 77 lobbying firms to fight over details in the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act recently passed by the US Senate, according to The Washington Post. Nearly all of Washington, DC,USA's largest lobbying firms registered to lobby on the overhaul, but it was smaller firms that represented clients' interests most often, The Post reported.

Pet Food Recalls

Killing Salmonella in petfood

Petfood processors have become increasingly aware of the need to control Salmonella during production due to the risk of associated pet and human illness. Processors know how problematic this pathogen can be but may not fully understand the scientific dynamics surrounding effective elimination and potential for recontamination during processing based on heat resistance and persistence in low-moisture products such as petfood.

Ideally, validation of targeted process control points can be simulated in a laboratory setting so appropriate Salmonella strains could be used for the evaluation.

Pet Food Market

Something to Chew On: Petfood safety: what’s next

Food safety in the US seems to have taken a big step last month with passage of S. 510, also called the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010, which will also affect regulation of petfood. (Whether the step taken is forward or backward depends on your point of view regarding the bill and, possibly, legislation in general.)

Pet Food Safety

Testing for toxins

Petfood manufacturers and the testing labs hired by them are under increasing pressure to take petfood testing to a new level. How should expectations for petfood testing be raised and enforced in the global ingredients supply chain?

Technology for petfood contaminant testing is changing for the better. Technical advancements are unfolding as government policy-makers devise new frameworks for ensuring petfood safety.

Pet Food Ingredients

Online Extra! Ensuring ingredient freshness

Safe, nutritious, tasty petfood requires careful handling and processing of raw meat ingredients

Couple, company plead guilty in melamine case

Husband and wife Stephen and Sally Miller, along with their company, ChemNutra Inc., pleaded guilty June 16 to distributing a tainted ingredient used to make petfood that reportedly sickened or killed thousands of pets, according to The Associated Press.

New melamine, acid detection system from Bruker

Bruker Daltonics recently released a high-capacity ion trap solution for the detection and quantification of melamine and cyanuric acid in food safety laboratories.

Food safety challenges for 2009

Bill Marler, food safety advocate and managing partner of food-borne illness law firm Marler Clark, asked the food safety community to weigh in on the most pressing food safety challenges for the coming year.

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