Safety & Quality: Page 124

Boots & Barkley Beef Bully Sticks treats recalled for Salmonella

Kasel Associated Industries is recalling Boots & Barkley 5-inch American Beef Bully Sticks because the pet treats may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled American Beef Bully Sticks were distributed through Target retail stores in the US from April through September.

Pet Food Market

Social web PR starts with senior management

An organization's reputation is largely derived from senior management. They personify the company as much as they represent it, especially during times of corporate crisis like the thorn in every petfood manufacturer's side: recalls.

GFSI recognizes BRC food safety standards

The Global Food Safety Initiative board of directors announced that the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 6 and BRC/IoP Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials Issue 4 have been benchmarked by GFSI and achieved recognition against the GFSI Guidance Document Sixth Edition. BRC has been recognized against the following scopes:

NBE releases bulk material handling system video commentaries

National Bulk Equipment Inc., in cooperation with Tom Krueger, council-certified microbial consultant and president of Summit Laboratory, have released a series of six online video commentaries. Each video commentary presents the principles of sanitary-specific design and construction for bulk material handling equipment, as well as tips for attaining optimal compliance contribution from sanitary bulk material handling systems.

FDA Annual Report criticized for omitting status of regulations

In August, the US Food and Drug Administration submitted its second Annual Report on Food Facilities, Food Imports and FDA Foreign Offices, as required by the Food Safety Modernization Act, which details the progress FDA has made in protecting petfood and food safety. However, organizations criticize FDA because the Report does not include the status of some regulations the Food Safety Modernization Act required to be publicized, including:

Pet Food Market

Forcing FDA's hand on new food safety regulations

It's not just people in the petfood industry who are getting antsy about when the US Food and Drug Administration will finally issue pending regulations in accordance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The human food industry has definitely noticed the delay, and now two organizations are trying to force FDA's hand.

Market Trends and Reports

FDA releases guidelines on therapeutic petfood labeling, distribution

The US Food and Drug Administration recently released draft guidelines on how it plans to regulate compliance with federal requirements for the labeling and distribution of therapeutic dog and cat foods. The guides will serve to enforce the animal drug provisions of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, according to FDA.

Breeder's Choice recalls adult dog food formula for Salmonella

Breeder’s Choice Pet Food is recalling a single manufacturing batch of Breeder’s Choice AvoDerm Natural Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Adult Dog Formula due to possible Salmonella contamination. Dog food products affected by the recall are 26-pound bags of AvoDerm Natural Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Adult Dog Food Formula, marked with product code 1000065074, UPC code 0 5290702043 8, and "Best Before" dates of August 28, 29 and 30, 2013.

Senator leads initiative for FDA petfood product advisories

In the wake of recent US Food and Drug Administration investigations into dog illnesses linked to jerky treats imported from China, Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, USA, is leading a new initiative to reform the way consumers are notified when FDA issues a product advisory. Currently, FDA's website is the only place where product advisories are listed, which puts those consumers without access to the Internet or computers at risk as they are less likely to receive an online warning.

American Animal Hospital Association discourages raw diets

The American Animal Hospital Association has joined the American Veterinary Medical Association in discouraging the feeding of raw petfood diets to dogs and cats. According to a statement on its website, the American Animal Hospital Association “does not advocate or endorse feeding pets any raw or dehydrated nonsterilized foods, including treats that are of animal origin.”

AVMA approves policy discouraging raw petfood diets

Following an earlier recommendation to pet owners, the American Veterinary Medical Association has approved a policy that discourages feeding raw animal-source protein diets to cats or dogs, unless the petfood has undergone a process that eliminates pathogens. The new policy on raw petfood states that cooking and pasteurization are the “traditional” methods for eliminating pathogens in dog and cat food, but recognizes that safety methods such as irradiation are “being developed and implemented.”

Pet Food Regulations

Big petfood changes to come at next AAFCO meeting?

From calories on petfood labels to potential changes to proof of nutritional adequacy to carbohydrate guarantees, the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) annual meeting, August 3–6 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, included a number of petfood-related items in various stages of review and approval.

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