Safety & Quality: Page 138

Pet Food Regulations

FDA to communicate more clearly?

While many petfood companies have been preoccupied with concern about the ramifications of the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act and the Food Safety Modernization Act on their businesses, another piece of legislation appears to have gone largely unnoticed.

Certain statements and correspondence from the US Food and Drug Administration require some interpretation.

Eurofins to host Environmental Monitoring Workshop for petfood manufacturers

Eurofins will host an Environmental Monitoring Workshop for petfood and feed manufacturers on Tuesday, November 8, at the Hyatt O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois, USA. The workshop will cover ways to mitigate environmental risks like pathogens through improving environmental monitoring systems.

AP finds US government food counter-terrorism programs have failed

An Associated Press analysis found that the government has spent more than US$3.4 billion on food counter-terrorism over the past decade, but key programs have been slowed in the government. A Senate subcommittee recently held a hearing to examine a congressional watchdog's new report that reveals federal setbacks in protecting cattle and crops since September 11, 2001.

Institute of Food Technologists leads pilot food traceability programs

The Institute of Food Technologists will lead two pilot programs for the US Food and Drug Administration designed to test and study various food product tracing systems. The purpose of the pilots is to identify methods to rapidly and effectively trace food products throughout the supply chain, so that products can be quickly identified and removed from the marketplace during a food-related outbreak to minimize the number of consumers affected.

EtQ to present GFSI compliance, quality management system webinar

Software provider EtQ will present a webinar, “GFSI Compliance and the Integrated Quality Management System,” on Monday, September 19 at 1 p.m. EDT. This webinar will be led by EtQ’s Tom Barlow, and will look into the challenges faced when creating a holistic solution through the integration and consolidation of business systems.

NASC launches raw material supplier quality assurance program

National Animal Supplement Council initiated a third-party quality assurance program specifically for raw material suppliers and contract manufacturers. As an extension of the organization’s current NASC Quality Seal Program for finished products in the animal health supplement industry, raw material suppliers and contract manufacturers can now apply for a NASC Quality Supply Chain Partner Seal.

FDA may get US$50 million for food safety from US Senate

The US Food and Drug Administration may receive additional funding when the 2012 fiscal year starts October 1, 2011, as the Senate Appropriations Committee considers a bill that sets the organization's spending limit, according to reports. The report says the Senate's version of the budget bill would allocate approximately US$350 million more than the appropriations bill passed in the House in June.

Pet Food Safety

AIB International plans petfood manufacturers safety course in November

AIB International will hold a Food Safety and Sanitation for Petfood Manufacturers course, November 8-10, at the company's Manhattan, Kansas, USA, facilities. The petfood safety course allows participants to gain an understanding of legal requirements as a result of the Food Safety Modernization Act and Reportable Food Registry; recognize prerequisites necessary to comply with Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines; develop and implement HACCP food safety programs; identify and evaluate control methods for pests; recognize types of foreign material contamination, and equipment and methods for control of such contaminants; and identify microbiological issues relevant to a petfood facility.

Market Trends and Reports

Preview: Virtual Petfood Forum 2011

If you need to know more about petfood safety, especially how the new Food Safety Modernization Act will affect petfood regulations, be sure to sign up for Virtual Petfood Forum 2011, taking place live online, Wednesday, October 26, 2011. Under the new FSMA law, petfood will fall under much of the same regulations and scrutiny as human foods.

Pet Food Regulations

DSHEA revisited for pet supplements?

In a presentation at the annual meeting of the National Animal Supplement Council a few months ago, a representative of the US Food and Drug Administration made a very interesting comment. He said that in FDA’s attempt to find “legal homes” for the plethora of unapproved ingredients currently on the market, one possibility is for FDA to reconsider the applicability of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) for products intended for animal consumption.

Pet Food Ingredients

Controversy threatens GRAS process for petfood ingredients

A single thread of controversy entangled nearly every committee discussion during the annual Association of American Feed Control Officials meeting in August 2011. That thread was the impending change in the way the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine will oversee the safety of ingredients in petfoods and other animal feeds from now on—and how that change could severely inhibit the industry’s ability to demonstrate the acceptability of its ingredients to state regulators.

A thread of controversy centers on the impending change in the way the Food and Drug Administrationâ€™s Center for Veterinary Medicine will oversee the safety of ingredients in petfoods and other animal feeds from now on.

Former FDA member challenges FSMA petfood regulations

According to Benjamin England, founder and CEO of FDAImports.com, food importers and foreign manufacturers are in for a surprise starting October 1, when a provision of the Food Safety Modernization Act becomes effective requiring the US Food and Drug Administration collect a fee for costs associated with re-inspection of imported food shipments. England is currently launching a coalition of interested manufacturers and food importers to challenge FDA’s broad interpretation of this FSMA provision.

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