Quarterly NewsletterQ3 2023 |
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A Letter from Our President |
Dear AAFCO Members,
The phrase the “Dog Days of Summer” feels particularly appropriate to kick off this newsletter. AAFCO membership had the milestone Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM) vote at this year’s Annual Meeting and approved the largest update to pet food and specialty pet food packaging in more than 40 years. This vote is the culmination of more than eight years of hard work, research and collaboration between the Pet Food Committee, industry and other stakeholders, and it brings a new level of transparency and consistency that consumers have been asking for.
The new Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food brings a modern label design and updated information to packaging that is easy for consumers to review and understand and will ultimately make our job as regulators more efficient.
We understand the enormous undertaking ahead as states begin the rulemaking process to outline how these regulations will be adopted, and we are committed to working with you to ensure as much of a uniform adoption process as possible. We’ve recommended a six-year enforcement discretion period to allow for this rulemaking process and industry transition to incorporating the new requirements on pet food products. The Pet Food Committee will evaluate this recommendation annually to address any issues and challenges that may arise in the implementation process. We are also putting together a series of trainings and resources for your state’s regulators, industry manufacturers, distributers and retailers – which will be available later this year.
While cooler months will be upon us soon, I encourage you to turn up the heat on your involvement with AAFCO. We saw many new faces at the Annual Meeting in Baltimore, and we’ve got a lot of exciting and important projects ahead that could use your support. I look forward to our association’s continued successes in the month to come, and to see each of you at the Midyear Meeting in January in Chattanooga. |
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Sincerely, |
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Eric Brady President |
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P.S. – In other important news, my wife and I welcomed our daughter, Marli Grace, earlier this summer. She’s already getting involved with AAFCO!
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Visit our website to learn more and watch our video about the new changes from Pet Food Label Modernization. |
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Upcoming Events and Resources |
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2024 Midyear Meeting Registration - NOW OPEN |
Be an early bird and register for the 2024 Midyear Meeting in Chattanooga, TN! |
| Learn More and Register |
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Online Training Courses Are Now Free |
AAFCO offers two online training courses to help feed industry professionals understand the ingredient approval process and what’s needed to substantiate safety and efficacy for a new animal feed ingredient. Both courses are offered online for FREE. |
| Learn More |
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New Lab Methods & Services Trainings |
The Lab Methods & Services Committee (LMSC) has launched on-demand and on-site trainings! A wide range of training resources, webinars, videos and presentations are available on the AAFCO website. LMSC is also offering on-site training with other state laboratories, collaborations with APHL, and working on future collaborations with equipment manufacturers. State laboratories are encouraged to submit this training request form to provide input and request specific training needs. |
| View LMSC Trainings |
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Ingredient Definition Committee Meeting Oct. 27, 2023 Virtual Register
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Watch the 2023 Annual Meeting Recording |
Did you miss the 2023 Annual Meeting in Baltimore? Are there specific meetings or sessions you would like to go back and rewatch? If you attended the meeting then you can use you same login credentials to view. if you did not attend, you can sign-up and get access. |
| Watch Now |
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Job Opportunities Board |
The new job opportunities site is for members and industry partners to share available job openings for added visibility and a larger potential applicant pool for state and federal feed control, regulatory, inspection, and laboratory service positions across the country. |
| Learn More |
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New Common Food Index |
AAFCO has instituted a repository, referred to as the Common Food Index (CFI), which was approved by IDC at the 2023 Annual Meeting. Common Foods are whole or minimally processed fruits, vegetables or seeds that have a history of use in animal foods with little to no safety concerns when used properly. The CFI is a tool to help label reviewers determine if these “undefined” ingredients (i.e. common foods) are acceptable for use in animal foods. The IDC is currently creating a submission portal for the CFI, which will launch later this year.
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| Read More |
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Board of Directors & Member Highlights |
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Welcome Mark LeBlanc Back to the Board |
Mark LeBlanc served as AAFCO board president in 2016 and has returned to the board for an interim period. He is the Indiana State Chemist and Seed Commissioner and has more than 20 years of experience working in various state agriculture regulatory roles in Louisiana and Indiana. |
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2023 E.B. Voorhees Award Recipient: Richard Ten Eyck |
Join us in congratulating Richard Ten Eyck for receiving the 2023 E.B. Voorhees Award for his contributions to AAFCO as past board president and involvement with IDC. This award is named after Dr. E.B. Voorhees who was a leader in recognizing the value of agricultural education. He secured state legislation in New Jersey in 1905 establishing short courses in agriculture, and he went on to become one of the founders of AAFCO in 1909. |
| Congratulate Richard |
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Thank You Outgoing Board Member Hollis Glenn |
Hollis served on the AAFCO board of directors for 3 years. He is currently the Deputy Commissioner of Operations for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. We thank Hollis for his years of service and wish him the best! |
Thank You Life Member Doug Lueders |
We thank Doug Lueders for his longtime commitment and involvement in AAFCO. Doug has served as MBRC committee chair for many years and was board president in 2014. He is retiring from his volunteer duties and will continue to be a life member of AAFCO. |
New Committee Chairs |
Dan King and Jordan Mancini, both from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, are chair and vice chair of the Model Bill and Regulations Committee. Ernie Berkeley from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and Blake Pickett from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries are co-chairs of the Enforcement Issues Committee. Bethany McAnulty, with the Tennessee Deptartment of Agriculture, is a new co-chair of CIOC. |
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From AFIA: New Economic Data on Animal Food Industry
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New research from the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) shows that annually animal food manufacturers generate $267.1 billion in total sales and support 760,000 direct and indirect jobs. The full report, along with advocacy resources, is available through the link below. |
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Q&A with Erin Bubb Erin is the Plant Industry Division Chief for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and former AAFCO president (2021).
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Why did you first get involved with AAFCO? My first meeting with the AAFCO “family” was the Feed Administrators Seminar in 2009. I loved what I saw, and I knew I was all-in. A couple years later, I told my boss that I was going to be president of AAFCO someday, and he sort of just laughed and said, “time will tell.” Fast forward a few years and I got a call from the Nominating Committee asking me if I’d consider participating on the Board of Directors. Of course, I said yes, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.
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How has AAFCO played a role in your career? There is no better opportunity for professional development than to participate in a national association like AAFCO. It reveals leadership qualities in a person that they may never have known they had. AAFCO brought me into this amazing group of fellow animal food regulatory officials. I have learned so much from those that I’ve worked with; I’ve listened to what they’ve had to say; I’ve participated in work groups with more experienced folks; and I’ve created a network of regulatory experts that I can reach out to at any time.
What’s one thing you’d like to say to encourage members to get involved? Just do it! If you want to grow as a professional and as a regulatory official, be a member of a committee, attend the meetings, join the board when asked. You won’t ever regret the education you’ll receive and the network of friends and colleagues you’ll make.
What do you hope to see for AAFCO next 5 years? I want to see AAFCO continue to grow in its role as a trusted leader to help safeguard both animal and human health. I envision AAFCO setting the gold standard for animal food safety and consumer protection.
Read the Q&A with 2022 President, George R. Ferguson, here.
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