AFB International donates to Illinois, USA, shelter through 'Points 4 Pets'

Pet food ingredient supplier AFB International's "Points 4 Pets" program recently donated money to an Illinois, USA, animal shelter during WATT Publishing Company's PetFood Forum event.
The “Points 4 Pets” donation program uses a basketball pop-a-shot game to determine a donation amount. Every hour during an AFB exhibit, the single high score from the visitors for that hour equals the dollar amount that will be be donated to a no-kill, non-profit animal shelter near the event that AFB participated in.
AFB participated in WATT Publishing Company’s event, PetFood Forum 2011, on April 12-13, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois, USA. AFB chose to make its donation from the event to the Naperville Area Humane Society, which received US$658. The donation was matched by the foundation of AFB’s parent company, Ensign-Bickford Industries Inc., for a total donation of US$1,316.

See videos from Petfood Forum 2011 and Petfood Workshop: Safety First

Don't forget to bookmark this Petfood Forum video page, as it will be updated live from the event! Check back here for the latest information and knowledge from leading pet food industry experts in the fields of packaging, marketing, safety, nutrition, manufacturing and retailing.

Trouw's noble rescue cause 
Kim Emig, Lesley Burkett, Karen Cusik and Chuck Hayden, VP of companion animal division, talk about Trouw's charitable efforts with the Greater Chicago Cavalier Rescue.

Petfood brand perceptions online  
Melissa Brookshire, director of North River Enterprises, discusses where consumers are getting their perceptions of petfood and how companies can take control of their brand.

Dr. Tim's take on petfood 
Dr. Timothy Hunt kicked off Petfood Forum this year by sharing his experiences and lessons from mushing in and serving as a veterinarian for the Iditarod.

Kemin celebrates 50th anniversary at Petfood Forum 
Bob Shamblin, senior sales manager for Kemin Nutrisurance, celebrate's his company's 50th anniversary by highlighting their line of palability enhancers.

Companion animal nutrition at Tyson 
Jerry Felts of Tyson gives us the scoop on companion animal nutrition.

Innovative packaging at CEI 
Robb Schaefer, executive VP of flexible packaging at CEI, explains the latest in pet food packaging innovations.

Poster presentation: Flavors for an enhanced feeding experience 
Doug Gledhill, senior scientist for AFB International, explains his innovative research on palatants that enhance the feeding experience for both the owner and pet.

Poster presentation: E-nose and E-tongue technology 
Bola Oladipupo, D. A., analytical chemistry manager and team lead for AFB International, explains her research of flavor development and quality using E-nose/E-tongue technology.

Sustainable DHA-Gold from Martek Biosciences 
Chris, Flynn and Todd tell us how their sustainable DHA-Gold pet food supplement is made and how it can benefit dog's health.

Petfood Forum vital for DSM 
Jeff Alex of DSM explains why Petfood Forum is a great place for petfood professionals to do business.

Protein quality in different sources 
Dr. Trevor Faber discusses methods to determine protein quality among different sources for petfood.

Glanbia introduces new feed ingredients 
Greg Griffin from Glanbia Nutritionals introduces new functional feed ingredients.

Next generation of packaging from Exopack 
Dave Long with Exopack discusses the next generation of their packaging line.

New 3-in-1 sealer from Fischbein 
Gordon Penman of Fischbein Company reviews their new 3-in-1 sealer.

Danisco has a new look 
Sarah Hines of Danisco unveils their new booth at Petfood Forum 2011.

Drying Technology reviews moisture controls 
Roger Douglas with Drying Technology, Inc. discusses moisture controls and new systems available.

Petfood Enterprise Technologies  
Sharon of Petfood Enterprise Technologies highights pet health and new technology.

Bemis showcases innovations in packaging 
Tom Bellmore and Katie Perez of Bemis Flexible Packaging talk about innovations in packaging.

Premium Ingrediens flavor trends 
Donnie Moran of Premium Ingredients International discusses flavor and palatability trends.

Keep up-to-date with the petfood industry all year long on Twitter, Facebook, Petfood-Connection.com and YouTube.

Hydro-Thermal to present 'Does process heating fit into the sustainability triangle?' at Petfood Forum

Hydro-Thermal Business Development Engineer Dave Degelau will be speaking on the topic, "Does process heating fit into the sustainability triangle?" at the 2011 Petfood Forum.
The presentation is on Tuesday, April 12, at 4:00 p.m. The Petfood Forum runs from April 11 through 13 at the Renaissance Schaumburg in Schaumburg, IL.

Petfood Forum, AMI form promotional partnership for 2011 events

American Meat Institute formed a promotional partnership between the 2011 Petfood Forum and the 2011 AMI Expo.
Petfood Forum will take place April 11-13, at the Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois, USA. For more information about Petfood Forum, visit www.petfoodindustry.com/petfoodforum.aspx.
“With the close proximity of both events, and some overlap with suppliers and attendees, this partnership is a great opportunity to encourage our mutual members and participants to stretch their travel dollar by visiting both events during one trip to Illinois,” said Anne Halal, AMI vice president of convention and exposition services.
The 2011 AMI Expo will be held April 13-16, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, USA. For more information and to register, visit http://www.amiexpo.com/.

Walmart VP to speak at Petfood Forum 2011

Frank Yiannis, VP of food safety for Walmart, will provide the closing keynote address for Petfood Forum 2011 on Wednesday, April 13, during lunch. Yiannis will discuss the Global Food Safety Initiative and why Walmart is a committed, active member.
GFSI, a consortium of retailers and food companies from around the world, was launched in 2000 to foster continuous improvement in food safety management systems to ensure confidence in the delivery of food to consumers. Yiannis will explain GFSI's objectives, his work with behavior-based food safety and how petfood companies can adopt these principles.
Yiannis joined Walmart in 2008 and is responsible for oversight of food safety and other public health functions for all Walmart, Neighborhood Markets and Sam's Club stores, as well as regulatory compliance issues and training and education of employees and suppliers. Prior to joining the retailer, he served as director of safety and health for Walt Disney World Co. Yiannis is the author of Food Safety Culture: Creating a Behavior-Based Food Safety Management System (Spring Scientific). He earned a bachelor's degree in microbiology from the University of Central Florida and a master's in public health from the University of South Florida.

Petfood Forum 2011 preview

Dr. Tim Hunt, who has mushed in and served as a veterinarian for the Iditarod, will give the opening keynote for Petfood Forum 2011.

To stay ahead of the competition and grow your business, you need to arm yourself with knowledge and key contacts. There’s no better way to increase both than by attending Petfood Forum 2011 and Petfood Workshop: Safety First.
Petfood Forum, scheduled for April 11-13, is expanding this year with a new, larger venue—the Renaissance Schaumburg (about 10 miles west of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport)—and three content tracks: nutrition, marketing/packaging/regulatory and safety/processing. Experts from the petfood, veterinary, retail and marketing industries will share their insights and tips to help you improve your job and business performance.
Walmart's VP of food safety, Frank Yiannis, will be the closing keynote speaker—a new session this year. Timothy A. Hunt, DVM, kicks off the conference with the opening keynote about his experiences and lessons from mushing in and serving as a veterinarian for the Iditarod.
Find the full list of speakers and their topics here (click on the Speakers & Topics tab). Click on the Schedule tab to see when the conference sessions, as well as meals and receptions, are scheduled.
You’ll also enjoy as many networking opportunities as ever with new and familiar industry peers as well as leading suppliers in the new exhibit hall—now part of a full convention center. (For more information on exhibiting and registered exhibitors, click here, then on the Exhibitors tab.)
Petfood Workshop: Safety First follows on April 13-14, also at the Renaissance Schaumburg. This interactive, hands-on seminar will help you understand and prepare for the new US food safety regulations by bringing you face-to-face with experts on:

• Best practices from the human food world on dealing with the new food safety law;
• Navigating the quickly changing regulatory landscape;
• How to prepare for—and survive—an FDA inspection;
• Creating and improving a HACCP program;
• Testing and controlling for toxins and pathogens; and
• An “ask the experts” panel so you can get all your safety questions answered.

The full line-up of speakers and schedule for Petfood Workshop are available here.

Register online! 
Register by February 15 to save up to 15%. If you register for both Petfood Forum and Petfood Workshop, you'll save even more. (To register by email or mail, download a registration form here.)

Hotel and travel information 
Please make your hotel reservations directly with the Renaissance Schaumburg. Click here or call +1.800.468.3571. Be sure to mention you're with Petfood Forum or Petfood Workshop (or Watt) to receive a special room rate. Don't delay; rooms are going fast!
For transportation to and from Chicago's airports, Petfood Forum/Workshop 2011 has arranged discounts or special pricing with specific transportation companies. For further information, please visit here and click on the Hotel & Travel tab, email   OutreachRegistration@niu.edu   or call +1.815.753.7922. We recommend that you make your transportation arrangements before you arrive in Chicago. 

Iditarod veterinarian to keynote Petfood Forum 2011

Learn about the thrill of the Iditarod from Timothy A. Hunt, DVM, during Petfood Forum on April 12, 2011. Dr. Hunt has not only worked the legendary race as a veterinarian but has run it himself. Dr. Hunt operates a small-animal veterinary practice in Marquette, Michigan, and is an avid musher who has competed in numerous events throughout North America and Europe. In 2005, he launched his own line of dog food—Dr. Tim’s Pet Food—due of the lack of high-quality feeds on the market for the hard-working Alaskan Husky and has since introduced additional formulations.
Petfood Forum 2011 will take place April 11-13 at a new venue, the Renaissance Schaumburg (about 10 miles from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport). It will be followed April 13-14 by Petfood Workshop: Safety First.
Registration for both events is now available with savings of 15%
If you register by February 15 and an additional discount off Petfood Workshop registration if you also register for Petfood Forum.