Commission Releases Recommendations For Pet Food Safety

The National Pet Food Commission, which was founded by the Pet Food Institute at the height of the recall that embroiled more than 100 brands of pet food last spring, recently outlined its recommendations,  which will be presented to the Food and Drug Administration, the Association of American Feed Control Officials, veterinarians and the pet food industry as a whole.

The commission “was comprised of recognized authorities in nutrition, toxicology, veterinary medicine and quality control,” according to the Washington, D.C.-based Pet Food Institute. The two groups are in the process of developing a plan to implement these recommendations, which can be found below.

The recommendations are split into two categories: one specifically designed as an action plan for the Pet Food Institute and a second set aimed at pet food manufacturers.

List of recommendations as they appear on the Pet Food Institute’s website:

National Pet Food Commission Recommendations

Recommendations to Pet Food Institute

1. Develop a model product safety/quality assurance program, based upon industry
   best practices, that addresses ingredient sourcing (domestic and international)
   and receiving; product manufacturing and co-manufacturing; labeling;
   transportation; and distribution of commercial pet food.
   .
2. Utilizing existing, or develop additional, contractual trading rules governing the
   purchase and sale of ingredients when procuring raw materials used in the
   manufacture of commercial pet food. Utilize, to the degree practical, existing
   industry trading rules, such as those promulgated by the National Grain and
   Feed Association (NGFA), as a starting point.
   .
3. Expand existing educational and training initiatives concerning ingredient
   procurement, with an emphasis on developing a risk-based approach for
   ingredients sourced from all suppliers, both international and domestic. Such
   education should include, but not be limited to the role and responsibilities of
   brokers; as well as the role and reliability of certificates of analysis (COAs) as
   indicators of ingredient safety, quality and wholesomeness.
   .
4. Explore mechanisms to communicate identities of recalled products to
   consumers via various methods in addition to the Internet.
   .
5. Work with retailers and FDA-CVM to develop more efficient methods to remove
   recalled pet food products from sale.
   .
6. Develop a model emergency response plan for the commercial pet food industry.
   Offer risk communication education and training to PFI membership, and where
   possible, to non-member companies.
   .
7. Provide education on the CARVER+Shock method for vulnerability assessments
   that has been adopted by the federal government for the food industry. The
   CARVER+ Shock method includes a software tool to help evaluate seven
   attributes of vulnerability to attack.
   .
8. Volunteer to host a vulnerability assessment exercise regarding the Strategic
   Partnership Agroterrorism Initiative for the commercial pet food industry, in
   cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FDA, U.S.
   Department of Agriculture and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
   .
9. Approach colleges of veterinary medicine, animal/veterinary science departments
   and appropriate professional and trade associations to provide basic knowledge
   of the pet food industry.
   .
10. Establish ongoing communication links with colleges of veterinary medicine,
    animal/veterinary science departments and appropriate professional and trade
    associations regarding pet food, ingredient and other issues of mutual interest.

Recommendations to Pet Food Manufacturers:

1. Update existing (or for new companies, develop) company specific quality
   assurance programs to incorporate best practices for product safety, including,
   as appropriate, those developed by PFI to address ingredient sourcing and
   receiving; product manufacturing and co-manufacturing; labeling; transportation;
   and distribution of commercial pet food.
   .
2. Reevaluate current sampling and testing protocols using risk-based analysis to
   evaluate ingredients and finished pet food in an effort to detect adulterants and/or
   contaminants that may adversely affect product safety using existing and
   emerging technologies.
   .
3. Assure that individual lot and date codes appear on all finished products to
   facilitate product traceability and recalls. Although the vast majority of companies
   do this already, this is a point of special emphasis related to traceability.
   .
4. Participate regularly in PFI, AAFCO and FDA educational programs and
   regulatory processes.
   .
5. Establish ongoing communication links with colleges of veterinary medicine,
   animal/veterinary science departments and appropriate professional and trade
   associations regarding pet food, ingredient and other issues of mutual interest. 

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