Senate Committee approves US food safety bill

A Senate Committee recently unanimously approved a revamped set of US food safety laws, which, under the FDA, also impact petfood.
The bill is expected to be on the Senate floor sometime next year, according to reports.
The committee approved the legislation with just a few changes:
*Authorizing the federal government to fund increasing states' food safety capabilities
*Whistleblower protections
*Requiring the government to consider organic standards
The House earlier approved the same bill, which would increase FDA regulatory powers, such as allowing it to order a food recall.

DuPont now accepting entries for packaging awards

DuPont Packaging announced the call for entries in the 22nd DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation.
Entries will be evaluated for excellence in packaging innovation, sustainability and cost /waste reduction.
Entry forms and guidelines are available at www.packaging.dupont.com.
The deadline for entries is Feb. 12, 2010.

Firm fined £100,000 for employee death

UK petfood company Butcher's Pet Care Ltd. was fined £100,000 (US$168,300) for the death of an employee due to the company’s breach of health and safety regulations, according to the BBC.
John O'Connor, 38, from Rugby, Warwickshire, was crushed to death in 2003 when he climbed into a palletizing machine to clear a blockage.
The machine should have had a system to prevent anyone gaining access until the power was shut off, according to health and safety regulations.

Menu Foods sees positive third quarter

Menu Foods Income Fund announced results for the third quarter that ended September 30, including EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of CA$7.4 million (US$7.07 million), a 93% increase over the same quarter last year.
"Our strong third quarter performance continues the trend begun in the first quarter of 2009 and marks the first time since 2006 that Menu has had three consecutive profitable quarters," stated Paul Henderson, president and CEO of Menu Foods GenPar Ltd.
The petfood company also generated almost CA$10 million (US$9.55 million) in cash from operations and was able to reduce its bank indebtedness by CA$8.5 million (US$8.12 million) and finance CA$1.5 million (US$1.43 million) of capital expenditures undertaken during the third quarter.

Canidae helps launch petfood bank

Canidae Pet Foods has donated USD$125,000 worth of petfood to the Pongo Fund, allowing the fund to open what it says is the nation's largest petfood bank on November 8.
The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank, located in Portland, Oregon, USA, provides a two-week supply of free petfood to those in need, along with nutritional information and tips for safely transitioning their dogs to an all-natural, premium diet.
"Our first day was exceptional, a perfectly joyful opportunity to help the community," said Larry Chusid, founder of the Pongo Fund. "Our goal is to be able to provide 8 tons of free premium petfood every month."

New pet shop proof of pet humanization

The popularity of Pussy & Pooch – a combination health spa, boutique and sushi bar for pets – is the latest proof that pet owners are willing to spend more money to pamper their pets despite the economy as they continue to humanize them.
The multifaceted store, which recently opened in Long Beach, California, USA, sells mostly organic petfood, both prepackaged and at the raw food bar, pet toys and supplies and has seen a steady stream of customers so far, according to the Press-Telegram.
"It's not frivolous, it's not fancy; it's all about the health of the animal," said Janene Zakrajsek, co-owner and operator of the store.

Alba Proteins fined for explosion, worker injuries

Alba Proteins Penrith Ltd., a petfood manufacturing company, was fined £20,000 (US$33,700) after three workers were injured by an offal cooker explosion at a plant in Cumbria, England, according to Safety Media.
Workers were trying to clear a blockage in the industrial cooker in August 2007 when steam and offal exploded through the inspection hatches.
“Alba Proteins should have carried out a formal risk assessment so that it was able to offer employees guidance on how to deal with blockages safely. Instead, no training was provided and workers were put in danger as a result,” said Steven Smith, head of operations for the Health and Safety Executive, which prosecuted the company.

Pantries join forces to collect petfood

The Pikes Peak Pet Pantry announced teaming up with the Northland Pet Pantry in Missouri, USA, and Central Florida Animal Pantry to hold the first ever Pet Pantry Partners’ “Furr-ever Home” National Pet Food Drive, starting November 21 through January 1.
All of the organizations involved hope to gather at least 5,000 pounds each, or 15,000 or more combined pounds of dog and cat food, as well as food for other pets, to help local families keep their pets.
The pantries also hope to bring national awareness to the importance of petfood assistance.

Mars starts with the pet

A passion for pets and ‘petcentric’ mindset drive all new products and initiatives for Mars Petcare US. Read the full article in Petfood Industry magazine.

New products, new strategies

Research & development conducted on the Internet for new petfood product launches is driving growth and ingenuity. Read the full article.

Reducing costs in wet petfood production

Savings can often be achieved by optimizing usage of gels and thickeners. Read the full article.

Victam Asia 2010 coincides with other feed, petfood events

Victam Asia, to be held March 3-5, 2010, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand, will host at least 150 international feed manufacturing companies. The pet industry trade show will be accompanied by three additional events, including Petfood Industry’s Petfood Forum Asia.
FIAAP Asia and Grapas Asia, will also be part of Victam Asia 2010.
“Objectives for this event are to enhance the level of productivity and potential in trading pertaining to feed industry,” said Henk van de Bunt, general manager for Victam International, in a news article.

A dietary treatment for osteoarthritis

Gelatin hydrolysate can alleviate symptoms of this canine joint disease. Read the full article.

Petco promotes organic petfood via e-mail

Petco’s marketing approach now includes monthly e-mail messages about its products and services, including information about organic petfood and coupons for the products.
Petco followed up the e-mail marketing campaign by hosting in-store nutrition seminars to educate customers on the benefits of an organic pet diet, according to an article from DMNews.

International Safe Feed/Safe Food nears launch

The international version of the Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program is nearing implementation, according to the American Feed Industry Association, the creator and sponsor of the third-party-verified program that has run in the US since 2004 and has certified more than 350 livestock feed and ingredient facilities.
Representatives of the European Feed Additives and Premixtures Association, also known as FEFANA, recently met with AFIA in Arlington, Virginia, USA, to discuss details of the international version of the program.
The establishment of the International Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program was designed to help facilitate US trade with European feed and ingredient customers by providing a tool to illustrate compliance with the European Union’s feed hygiene regulation, Regulation (EC) 183/2005, which requires certification from the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) system.

FDA issues alert on two treats

The US Food and Drug Administration issued a health alert to advise consumers not to use Pig Ears and Beef Hooves pet treats manufactured by Pet Carousel Inc. due to possible Salmonella contamination.
The products were distributed nationwide to petfood and retail chain stores.
One of the stores, PetSmart, reacted with its own voluntary recall of two Beef Hoof products manufactured by Pet Carousel.
The company recalled products include Dentley's Bulk Cattle Hoof and Dentley's 10 Pack Beef Hooves purchased between October 2 and November 3, 2010.

Tyson plans to reopen pet treat plant

Tyson Foods announced plans to reopen its pet treat production plant in Independence, Iowa, USA, in 2010 after the Iowa Economic Development Board approved incentives to reopen the plant.
The company closed the plant in 2006, but spokesman Dave Hogberg told The Associated Press that the pet treats market has seen consistent growth annually and is expected to continue to expand.

Eukanuba showcases prebiotic line

Eukanuba, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, showed off its prebiotic line of petfoods at the 2009 Meet The Breeds Convention at the Jacob Javits Center in New York, USA.
"Prebiotics feed the good bugs in the intestine system," said Eukanuba's Jason Taylor.
Taylor said the petfood is good for both dogs and cats, and is not breed specific.

Fresh from the farm

Locally grown, natural ingredients and ‘made in the USA’ labeling ease consumers’ residual recall worries. Read the full article.

Bravo! publishes raw food how-to booklet

Bravo! published "Bravo! Beginnings: Raw Diets for Cats," an 18-page informational booklet on feeding raw written specifically for cat owners.
The company published the feline-specific follow-up to its "Bravo! Beginnings" series to address the nutritional needs of cats and the process for transitioning cats to a raw diet.
“Since education is a key part of our process, we felt we needed a booklet that would address more specifically the nutritional needs of cats and the significance a raw diet can have on their health and well-being,” said David Bogner, Bravo! owner and co-founder.

Pet nutritionist to discuss homemade petfood

Pet nutritionist Hilary Watson will speak at two events in November about pet nutrition and homemade dog food.
Watson says dog food should include protein, fat, 11 vitamins and 12 minerals, balanced properly. Her book, Complete & Balanced 101 Healthy Home-made Meals for Dogs, covers tested recipes for pet owners seeking an alternative to store brands. (See another presentation from Kathryn E. Michel on unconventional diets.)
November events:
Watson will speak at the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association seminar, Wednesday, November 4, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Harbourview in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. For more information, call Wendy Regular at +1.877.909.2242, ext. 119.
Watson will also speak to dog breeders and owners about petfood manufacturing, ingredients and quality assurance, Thursday, November 5, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Harbourview in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. Register online.

Pet industry trade show reports strong traffic

The 43rd Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show and Educational Conference, held in October in Rosemont, Illinois, USA, drew more than 8,800 registered buyers from almost 2,600 companies.
There were 728 exhibitors occupying 1,187 booths, including 144 first-time exhibitors.
“We noticed buying was up significantly from the last couple of shows,” said trade show director Colette Fairchild. “Exhibitors reported steady sales throughout the weekend. The pet industry seems to have weathered the recession better than many others.”

Holistic petfood brand adds more functional ingredients

Holistic Select from WellPet now offers recipes with Select Actives, functional ingredients found in nature.
The food follows the company's philosophy of preventing health problems in pets before they start. Select Actives are a combination of enzymes, probiotics, live micro-organisms, botanicals and phytonutrients. The recipes are for cats and dogs through all life stages.

Wysong widens recall due to mold

Wysong expanded the recall of its extruded dog foods manufactured in June, July and August of 2009 with lot numbers Maintenance 090817, Senior 090811 and Synorgon 090629.
Those lots join five others recalled earlier (Maintenance 090617, 090624, 090706, and 090720 and Senior 090623).
The company attributed the mold to unusually high heat and humidity during the summer in combination with a malfunctioning moisture checking device, according to its Web site.
Wysong reported its foods were tested for mycotoxins and came back negative.

PFI elects Bob Kelly as chairman

The Pet Food Institute (PFI) announced the election of Bob Kelly as its new chairman of the board. Kelly, president of Bil-Jac Foods Inc., was elected by the board of directors at PFI’s 52nd Annual Industry Meeting on October 15. Prior to election as chairman, Kelly served as vice chairman of PFI.
“I am honored that my colleagues in the petfood industry elected me chairman of PFI,” said Kelly. “I look forward to a productive tenure as I serve as chairman of PFI, a great organization that represents an industry dedicated to ensuring that our pet cats and dogs live long healthy lives.”
Other officers elected at the PFI meeting include Dan Rajczak, senior vice president of P&G Pet Care, as vice chairman; Rick Shields, executive vice president for technical services of Menu Foods, as treasurer; and Neil Thompson, president and chief executive officer of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, as secretary.