Quarterly NewsletterQ1 2025 |
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A Letter from Our President |
Dear AAFCO Members, |
I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season. I spent mine catching up with friends and family and taking a small break from the office. With the start of a new year, and my last few weeks as AAFCO President, I find myself reflecting on the Association’s many accomplishments over the last year. |
The biggest topic of the past year has been around ingredient approvals. As the Memorandum of Understanding with FDA expired in October 2024, AAFCO convened a task force to assess the Association’s place in feed ingredient reviews and approvals going forward. Kansas State University’s Olathe Innovation Campus (K-State Olathe) submitted a proposal to replace AAFCO’s former Ingredient Definition Request process. After a series of reviews and edits, the task force sent the proposal to the Board of Directors, and it was unanimously approved. In a couple weeks, the full AAFCO membership will have the opportunity to vote on this exciting new proposal during the Midyear Meeting. If you have not yet had the opportunity to review the proposal, I encourage you to do so and if you have any questions please reach out to Austin Therrell or myself. |
The Pet Food Committee continues to put in countless hours on Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM), working on training and outreach for regulators, industry and consumers. AAFCO has also worked closely with our partners at NASDA to educate commissioners and secretaries of agriculture on the importance of adopting the new model regulations, and we continue to communicate with the leaders in each state to ensure adoption. |
Another ambitious project recently undertaken is to update, and ultimately replace, the AAFCO AV Table. The workgroup has completed its initial goal of updating the current AV Table to reflect the most-current variances associated with laboratory analysis. They will consider sources of error associated with laboratory sampling and field sampling. To properly assess these areas, the Proficiency Testing Program Committee has started a Laboratory Sample Preparation Study for the coming year, and the Inspection and Sampling Committee has posted another RFQ to review field sampling procedures. The continued work of both committees will allow AAFCO to move on from the AV Table and replace it with Investigational Allowances. |
AAFCO and its members were involved in many other trainings and projects during the past year. From AITS and BITS to the creation of the AAFCO Technical Assistance Network (AAFCO TAN) to our new SharePoint site for committee work. It’s impossible to go through a year’s worth of work in this message, but it is an opportunity to remind everyone that AAFCO has numerous and diverse opportunities for involvement. If you haven’t made a New Year’s Resolution yet, I suggest making a commitment to be more involved with AAFCO in 2025! |
Our 2025 Midyear Meeting will be held January 21-23, in Little Rock, AR. I hope to see you there so we can continue our open, collaborative discussions and continue to improve the animal feed and pet food programs. |
Thank you all for an extraordinary experience serving as AAFCO President. |
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Sincerely, |
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Joshua Arbaugh President |
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AAFCO’s 2025 Midyear Meeting is just two weeks away! Visit the event page for more information, travel and hotel details, and to register. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with industry peers and discuss key topics.
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| Register Now |
Meeting Materials |
Please take a moment to review the meeting agenda beforehand so you are familiar with the meeting topics and event schedule. |
Can't Attend In-Person? |
If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, we’re offering 10% off virtual registration! Use code AAFCO10 at checkout to apply the discount. |
| Register Virtually |
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AAFCO Membership to Vote on New Ingredient Pathway Proposal |
After a unanimous vote from the AAFCO Board of Directors in December 2024, AAFCO membership will vote on the proposed from K-State Olathe to provide the scientific review for a new animal food ingredient submission pathway. This proposed pathway would replace the former Ingredient Definition Request process that sunsetted last year. |
| View the Proposal |
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Order the 2025 Official Publication |
The 2025 Official Publication, which includes the new Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food, is now available for purchase. |
| Order Now |
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Final Guidance on Animal Food Ingredient Consultation |
FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) recently issued its final guidance on GFI #294: Animal Food Ingredient Consultation (AFIC). The AFIC process will provide an additional way for industry to consult with the FDA regarding animal food ingredients and for the FDA to review the safety of such ingredients. |
| Read More |
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AFRPS Meeting |
March 4-6, 2025 | Nashville, TN Note: This training is for regulators only. |
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Feed Administrators Seminar |
May 6-8, 2025 | Camptyon, KY |
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Advanced Inspector Training Seminar (AITS) |
June 2025 | Savannah, GA |
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2025 Annual Meeting |
August 4-6, 2025 | Omaha, NE |
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We sat down with Incoming AAFCO Board President, Laura Scott. |
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Why did you first get involved with AAFCO? |
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Canada has been a long-time member of AAFCO for both our regulatory and lab activities. I was able to attend a couple of seminars and it was great to meet people who had similar jobs and challenges as me. I started actively participating in AAFCO committees in 2017 when I took over as CFIA’s main contact. For Canada, AAFCO is a great way to stay connected and aligned on issues that cross our borders and to collaborate on tools and knowledge that are beneficial to everyone. |
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How has AAFCO contributed or played a role in your career? |
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Participating in a large organization like AAFCO has been a great way to build my leadership skills and to broaden my knowledge. AAFCO has allowed me to work with a great group of people and more importantly to learn from them. AAFCO members and advisors bring diverse perspectives to issues. This means that some topics have robust discussions which have helped me to learn more about issues and gain a better appreciation for all of the considerations. AAFCO also provides excellent leadership opportunities through committee work and the board. |
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What’s one thing you’d like to say to encourage members to get involved? |
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Just do it! Don’t hesitate to put up your hand to volunteer for a work group or to join a committee. Talk to a committee chair or a committee member and see how you can get involved. The more you put into your time with AAFCO, the more you’ll get out of it. You’ll build connections, develop skills you didn’t know you had and even make great friends.
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What do you hope to see for AAFCO in the next 5 years? |
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I’d like to see AAFCO continue to grow as a trusted leader that safeguards animal and human health. I’d like to see participation from members remain high – collaboration helps ensure that AAFCO is representing our members and supporting their needs so they in turn can do their jobs to help ensure food for animals remains safe. |
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Tell us about the pets or animals in your life. |
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I currently have a calico cat, Tulo, that has full calico attitude and a golden retriever, Striker. In my free time I like to do dog sports, so Striker and I are working towards entering the obedience and agility rings and he’s earned some trick titles already. He’s not yet 2 so we still have some training to do before we’re ready to compete. |
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Make sure your inspectors are ready to hit the field with custom-made inspection probes; safety vests and glasses; shirts, hats and mugs from The AAFCO Depot. Our online e-commerce store has everything you need for new (and experienced) team members.
When you shop The AAFCO Depot, you’re helping AAFCO fund important projects, trainings and scholarships for members to attend workshops. |
| Shop Now |
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Recruit with AAFCO |
AAFCO’s Job Opportunities site is a great resource to recruit top talent in the animal feed and pet food industry. With thousands of website visits each month, we can help get your available positions in front of inspectors, lab technicians, and other management level folks across the country. |
| Submit Your Job Today |
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Current Job Opportunities |
Available positions are currently listed on the AAFCO Job Opportunities site. Please note that these openings are submitted by the hiring organization and are not endorsed by AAFCO. |
| View Job Opportunities |
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