NAVTA students to raise money for pet fund

Student chapters of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America will be raising money during National Veterinary Technician Week, Oct. 11-17, to help boost the American Animal Hospital Association's Helping Pets Fund.
The fund helps pet owners who are struggling financially and was started in 2005.

Nutro voluntarily recalls petfood

Nutro voluntarily recalled some of its petfoods because of the possibility of plastic pieces being in bags of kibble, according to reports. The three puppy foods affected are: Nutro Natural Choice Chicken, Rice & Oatmeal Puppy in 5 lb. bags, Nutro Ultra Puppy in 4.5 lb. bags and Nutro Ultra Puppy in 30 lb. bags.
The potentially harmful food was sold exclusively in PetSmart and Petco stores with a best by date of September 10, 2010. Stores in the following states were reportedly affected: California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Hawaii and Utah.
A Nutro representative confirmed there is a possibility of plastic pieces being in the food (read press release).

Vick tackles yield petfood donations

Main Line Animal Rescue of Washington, DC, USA, placed an ad in the Washington Post, promising to donate 5 bags of dog food to a local animal shelter each time football player Michael Vick is tackled during the Philadelphia Eagles' match with the Washington Redskins, October 26.
"I think we just need to raise public awareness, and this is a good way to do that. It may be funny. It may be clever. It may not," Bill Smith, founder and CEO of the shelter, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The ad also encourages shelter volunteerism.
Go Redskins!!!!!

Nutro UK to close

In a letter posted on its Web site, Nutro UK, petfood manufacturer, announced it ceased trading Sept. 25 and will close its doors by month’s end.
The reasons listed in the letter are higher prices for ingredients and an adverse exchange rate on its product produced in the EU.

Analytical methods for melamine, triazine analogs

The following methods for detection of melamine/cyanuric acid were developed bythe Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Office of Regulatory Affairs.

GC-MS Screen for the Presence of Melamine, Ammeline, Ammelide and Cyanuric Acid (Version 2.1), May 16, 2007

GC-MS Method for Screening and Confirmation of Melamine and Related Analogs (Version 2), May 7, 2007

The FDA Field laboratories are using LC-MS/MS methods that are capable of determining melamine and cyanuric acid at levels of 0.25 ppm in powdered infant formula and other dairy-containing food products or ingredients. These and a GC/MS method for melamine and its analogues are:

*Melamine Methodology
*Determination of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid Residues in Infant Formula using LC-MS/MS
*Interim Method for Determination of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid Residues in Foods using LC-MS/MS
*GC/MS method for melamine and analogues

For more information, contact:
Jonathan Litzau, Forensic Chemistry Center (FCC), US FDA, +1.513.679.2700, ext. 268
Greg Mercer, Pacific Regional Laboratory – Northwest (PRL-NW), US FDA, +1.425.483.4755
Kevin Mulligan, +1.513.679.2700, ext. 238

PFI GRAS recommendations, speaker lineup

The following is a summary of the Pet Food Institute's (PFI) recommendations on self-affirmed generally recognized as safe ingredients (SA-GRAS). Geoffery Wong of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will present on this topic October 15 at the PFI Annual Industry Meeting.

1. FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) does not have the resources to review ingredients under both SA-GRAS and the Association of American Feed Control Official's (AAFCO) Ingredient Definition Committee (IDC). The firm seeking the approval should determine which way they want to submit.

2. A firm can make a determination that a particular use of a substance is GRAS and go to market. Or, notify FDA of its notification.

3. The scientific standard for a determination of GRAS requires the same quality and quantity of information in a food additive petition.

4. Proceeding with the AAFCO process has a lower data hurdle, in part because these ingredients are ones for which FDA does not have safety concerns.

5. If they notify FDA the result will be: Letter of no questionsLetter stating insufficient basisCVM does not support listing an ingredient that goes through the FDA-SA-GRAS process in the OP.If a state takes action against an ingredient that is the subject of a no questions letter and is listed on the Web site, FDA will not support the state challenge.

6. An ingredient the firm wants listed in the OP must go through the AAFCO-IDC process.

At the PFI Annual Industry Meeting, The Update Session, October 15, at 2 p.m., will feature:

*Ricky Schroeder, manager, Feed & Fertilizer Reg., Texas A&M University (AAFCO Perspectives)
*Bill Burkholder, petfood specialist, FDA, CVM (Current state of petfood regulations)
Geoffery Wong, supervisor, Ingredient Safety Team, FDA, CVM (More information on Self-Affirmed GRAS)

*Kim Young, deputy director, Division of Compliance, FDA, CVM (Reportable Food Registry)

*Kristin Schmitz, senior staff veterinarian, USDA, APHIS, VA, NCIE (Canadian Export Issues)

Castor & Pollux make Inc.'s fast-growing company list

Castor & Pollux Pet Works, based in Clackamas, Oregon, US, was named to Inc. magazine's list of fastest-growing companies again, earning the 615th spot on the 2009 Top 500/5,000 listing.
This year's rankings are based on cumulative growth over five years ending December 2008, with Castor & Pollux revenues growing 465% for the period. This is the third consecutive year the company has been named to the list, moving up from the 665th spot in 2008, and 771st ranking in 2007.
Castor & Pollux Pet Works was among the first petfood companies to comply with US Department of Agriculture National Organic Program regulations that apply to ingredients and packaging of organic human food.