Quarterly NewsletterQ1 2026 |
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A Letter from Our President |
Dear AAFCO Members, |
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday. I'm writing this as we approach the Mid-Year meeting in New Orleans, where I'll be passing the gavel to Dan King to take over his Presidency for 2026. |
This has been a busy year for AAFCO, and I appreciate the hard work that so many have put into making things a success. The enthusiasm, commitment, and dedication of our members are what allow us to continue to make progress as an organization. Thank you to our advisors as well for their work and advice on many of the projects that we have going on. |
I'd like to celebrate some of our work and successes this past year:
The new Scientific Review of Ingredient Submissions (SRIS) program officially launched, has recruited reviewers and is now accepting submissions. The AAFCO Official Publication is now in the second year of our subscription-based model, which includes electronic access to all the previous versions of the OP, as well as pet food and feed labelling guides. It continues to include the Online Database of Ingredients (ODI) that allows you to quickly search to see if an ingredient is approved and where it can be found. It also allows you to upload ingredient lists to check all at once. We are excited to introduce AAFCO's Virtual Assistant - AVA, powered by SWARM. AVA is our new AI tool to help you find information faster across AAFCO publications. It's live and ready for use for all digital publication subscribers. Simply login to the electronic OP to begin using it. We have continued to work on responses to legislative proposals and staying connected with our colleagues at NASDA to ensure the message of the importance of the work that is done at the state level is being shared. The Pet Food Committee hosted a number of successful Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM) outreach sessions this past year and PFLM continues to be implemented across states. We had a successful strategic planning meeting in the fall. You can see the four goals and their associated objectives on the website. These will help to drive our priorities over the next four years. There are many other projects that the committees are working on -- thank you for all your continued dedication and work! |
Finally, I want to highlight one of the greatest accomplishments for AAFCO -- the support we bring to each other. Answering questions, sharing resources, providing advice and lessons learned allow you to help each other, which makes everyone's state and program stronger. |
As I step into the past-President role, Josh Arbaugh will be departing the board. I'd like to thank Josh for his service on the board. We'll miss his commitment, advice, humor, and leadership. I'll leave you with welcoming Dan King into his role as AAFCO's 2026 President. I know we're in good hands, and I'm excited to see what the next year will bring. |
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Sincerely, |
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Laura Scott President |
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The 2026 Midyear Meeting is Next Week! |
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We look forward to seeing those of you attending AAFCO's 2026 Midyear Meeting in New Orleans next week. Please review the event agenda and business meeting agenda prior to the meeting so you can maximize participation and make informed decisions.
Trainings & Events:SRIS Introductory Workshop January 19, 2026 | 1:00-5:00 PM Free to attend | In-person & Virtual options
AAFCO 101 Lunch & Learn January 20, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM Free to attend | In-person Ideal for first-time attendees and anyone who wants a refresher on AAFCO and ways to get involved.
President's Welcome Reception January 20, 2026 | 6:30-8:30 PM Riverview (41st Floor) Drinks and light bites. All attendees welcome.
AAFCO Investigations Workshop January 22, 2026 | 1:00-5:00 PM $250 Registration Fee | In-person & Virtual options
Bonus for Midyear Registrants: All Midyear Meeting registrants receive a complimentary 2-week trial of the AAFCO Digital Publication Package, including digital access to the 2026 Official Publication. |
| Visit Event Page |
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The 2026 Official Publication is Now Available |
The AAFCO Digital Publication Package is now live with the 2026 Official Publication (OP). If you already have a subscription, the 2026 OP is now available in your account.
If you don't subscribe yet, now is a good time to start. The Digital Publication Package is a one-year subscription that bundles three essential AAFCO publications into one easy-to-access digital format.
We are excited to introduce AAFCO's Virtual Assistant (AVA), powered by SWARM, this year, a new AI tool available to all digital publication subscribers to help you find information faster across AAFCO publications. |
| Access Digital Package |
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AAFCO's Virtual Assistant (AVA) Is Live |
AVA, powered by SWARM, is now up and running and is available through the electronic OP. AVA can help you navigate AAFCO publications and find information faster. A short video tutorial is also available in the Feed BIN to walk you through how to use AVA. |
| Access AVA |
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New 3-Year Cooperative Agreement with NASDA |
AAFCO and NASDA have renewed a 3-year cooperative agreement to support long-term improvements to the national animal food safety system. The partnership will strengthen interagency collaboration, help states enhance regulatory and surveillance protection programs, and advance implementation and ongoing improvement of the Animal Food Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS). We look forward to continuing this work with state agriculture leaders across the country. |
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Midyear Meeting |
Jan 20-22, 2026 | New Orleans, LA Learn More |
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Feed Administrator's Seminar |
April 20-24, 2026 | Westbrook, CT Learn More |
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PetFood Forum |
April 27-29, 2026 | Kansas City, MO Learn More |
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2026 Annual Meeting |
August 26-28, 2026 | San Diego, CA Details Coming Soon |
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We sat down with Dan King, Commercial Feed Regulatory Payment Administrator of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and incoming AAFCO Board President. |
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Why did you first get involved with AAFCO? |
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I attended my first AAFCO meeting in August 2011 in Austin, TX. It was at that meeting that I was encouraged to join a committee. I wanted to lend some experience from my time as a state regulator as well as in industry, so I started down the AAFCO path with the Enforcement Issues Committee. |
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How has AAFCO contributed or played a role in your career? |
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AAFCO has allowed me to be better at my job by meeting with and drawing from the experiences of other members. Personal connections across a terrific group of federal and state officials, as well as industry experts, has helped my understanding of the feed and pet food industry on a national and international level. I can leverage other's experiences to enhance food safety and uniformity in my state. |
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What's one thing you'd like to say to encourage members to get involved? |
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I would encourage anyone who has an interest in getting involved with AAFCO to do so. You do not have to be an expert, just merely have an interest and willingness to participate and learn. |
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What do you hope to see for AAFCO in the next 5 years? |
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I would like to see AAFCO continue to improve the uniformity of feed laws across the country. With Pet Food Label Modernization being implemented and becoming standard across the country soon, I'm hoping it will be easier for consumers to understand what they're feeding to their pets. I'm excited that AAFCO has launched the Scientific Review of Ingredient Submissions (SRIS) in partnership with Kansas State-Olathe. I hope to see this process become a universally trusted way for industry to bring new ingredients to market while maintaining scientific food safety oversight. |
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Tell us about the pets or animals in your life. |
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I have a small farm and raise beef cattle, a few pigs, a couple chickens, 6 barn cats and my aging dog. |
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Anything else you'd like to add? |
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I am truly honored to be the AAFCO President and look forward to a great year of meetings, discussions, and collaboration. |
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We sat down with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to learn about their feed program. |
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Tell us a little about your state's feed program? |
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The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) Feed, Seed, and Fertilizer Program is part of New Mexico State University and is staffed by 11 full-time employees and two student employees. Inspectors cover feed, seed, and fertilizer inspections while office staff focus on specific program areas, but the team is cross-trained to ensure seamless service to the public .
New Mexico has few in-state feed manufacturers, so much of its feed comes from other states, meaning interstate coordination is key. Under the New Mexico Commercial Feed Act, commercial feed (including pet food and specialty pet food) must be registered annually, and NMDA conducts routine sampling to verify label guarantees and product compliance. |
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What's something you're most proud of that your program and/or state agency has done? |
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NMDA recently partnered with the Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center to host an Agriculture Preparedness Training focused on improving New Mexico's readiness for agricultural emergencies. The hands-on training brought together law enforcement, emergency responders, veterinarians, agricultural professionals, and producers to strengthen coordination and response.
NMDA Feed Program staff participated by highlighting the role of feed inspectors and how animal feed is investigated when contamination or other concerns are suspected, helping build partnerships that support public health, animal health, and New Mexico agriculture. |
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How is your program involved in AAFCO? |
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NMDA has records showing participation with AAFCO since 1953 and continue to do so today. Several staff are members on AAFCO committee's as well as Committee Co-Chair for Current Issues and Outreach Committee. |
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How has your state begun adopting PFLM? |
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We plan to begin rule-making this summer with adoption before the end of 2026. |
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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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Looking to get involved? |
Contact aafco@aafco.org if you're interested in getting involved.
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