WATT Global Media announces Petfood Industry Knowledge Center

WATT Global Media has announced the launch of a new online training and continuing education resource for the global petfood industry, called Petfood Industry Knowledge Center. The center contains a selection of free courses and recorded conference sessions for petfood industry professionals, and will be accessible from within PetfoodIndustry.com.

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These exclusive conference session presentations are organized into categories based on topic for quick and easy navigation, according to WATT. Topics include New and Functional Healthy Ingredients, Nutrition and Petfood, Food Safety and Quality, Advances in Palatability and Petfood Marketing.
The online learning courses are self-directed to take at the user’s desired pace with a goal of providing a deeper knowledge of pet nutrition. Course subjects are provided in a series of modules, and include Building Blocks of Animal Nutrition, Feeding Management During Growth of Dogs and Cats, and more.
“Our new Knowledge Center is targeted at the entire petfood supply chain and connected to our commitment of providing new, high-quality educational resources," said WATT President/CEO Greg Watt. "The content’s direct association with the Petfood Industry brand will help our readers and event attendees immediately recognize the Petfood Industry Knowledge Center as a resource they can trust for their continuing professional education needs.”
For more information, please visit: http://www.petfoodindustry.com/petfoodKnowledgeCenter.html.

Kansas State names Greg Aldrich head of new pet food production program

Kansas State University is expanding its Feed Science and Management program to include pet food production. Greg Aldrich, PhD, was appointed research associate professor and pet food program coordinator by Dick Maier, head of the university's Grain Science and Industry department. 
Initially, Aldrich will be responsible for establishing an interdisciplinary petfood research program. He will provide guidance on course development and work with university and allied industry members to assimilate support for broader program development. 
“Bringing Greg on board is the next step to expanding the reach of our Feed Science and Management program,” Maier said. “We hope to leverage his background and personal interest in Kansas State to help guide the program through its beginning years.”
Aldrich is a graduate of Kansas State (BS Agriculture, 1984) and an industry consultant from Topeka, Kansas, USA. He writes the "Ingredient Issues" column in Petfood Industry.
“Many of the parts for a great petfood research and teaching program are already here at Kansas State,” Aldrich said. “I look forward to establishing a vibrant research program and to helping establish Kansas State as the leader in this vital and growing area of our economy.” 
Ernie Minton, associate director of research for Kansas State Research and Extension, said that “adding pet food research expands the opportunities for adding value to agricultural products from Kansas and extends the scope of research in the biosafety level two feed safety research center being built as part of the new O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Innovation Center.” 
For more information about the program and specific course offerings, call +1.785.532.4051 or go to www.grains.ksu.edu.

'Petfood Industry' launches Kindle Fire app

A new app for the Kindle Fire provides mobile access to Petfood Industry issues, articles, news and products.

A new app provides mobile access to Petfood Industry issues, articles, news and products for users of the Kindle Fire, joining apps for iPhones, iPads and Android smartphones.
Like the existing apps, the new Kindle Fire app allows users to explore Petfood Industry content via a library of monthly issues, and within each issue, in a navigator mode to peruse individual articles. The app also includes feeds for the latest news and products from www.petfoodindustry.com and allows users to save and share articles.
The Kindle Fire app is available in the Amazon Appstore. Users of Apple devices can find the Petfood Industry app in iTunes, while Android smartphone owners can find it in Google Play. To access the magazine on another mobile device, bookmark www.petfoodindustry-digital.com on your mobile web browser.

Food Safety Validation team presented on safety of low-moisture pet foods

Members of a food safety validation team met at the 2012 edition of the Global Food Safety Initiative's Global Food Safety Conference, February 14-17, in Orlando, Florida, USA, to give a presentation on food safety of low-moisture foods, including pet food.
The Food Safety Validation team presented to the GFSI board, including representatives from Yum! Brands, Walmart, petfood manufacturer Cargill, Danone, Kroger, COFCO Corp. (China), Tyson Foods and others. Steve Akins of Petfood Industry magazine began the presentation with an overview of the team and its members, made up of representatives from Extru-Tech Inc., Del Monte Foods, Food Safety Validation LLC and Petfood Industry magazine.
Norm Schmitt of Extru-Tech presented the team’s goals and how they align with those of the GFSI. These goals are to reduce food safety risk and build on the competency of workers responsible for ensuring food safety, with a focus on low-moisture foods including petfood and pet treats that are manufactured using extrusion and baking and drying processes. Schmitt said the team aims to enhance existing food safety programs, increase food safety awareness across the food industry, reduce the number of recalls and strengthen consumer trust.
David Anderson of Del Monte Foods provided a description of the team’s extrusion equipment enhancements and plant layout and safety changes. Anderson and Schmitt also spoke about the team’s upcoming milestones, such as planned May 2012 extrusion thermal process validation testing on an Extru-Tech production machine.
Finally, Frank Yiannas, GFSI board vice chairman and Walmart’s vice president of food safety and health, encouraged retailer promotion of low-moisture food safety, including in the fast-growing petfood market, through universal adoption of the GFSI standards and a common validation approach. 

Petfood Industry releases Android smartphone App

A new Android app joins Petfood Industry's already offered iPhone and iPad apps, allowing users access to latest issues on the go.

Android smartphone users can now receive one-touch mobile access to Petfood Industry with a full-featured App, which joins the iPhone and iPad Apps already offered.
The Android App allows users to read current and past magazine issues, browse the latest news headlines, view petfood product information and more. Search for “Petfood Industry” in the Android Market.
Need on-the-go access from another mobile platform? You can view digital editions of Petfood Industry on the portable device of your choice. Download the App from iTunes for your favorite Apple device or bookmark www.petfoodindustry-digital.com on your mobile web browser now.

Go mobile with Petfood Industry

Petfood Industry’s new iPhone and iPad App gives a new definition to a digital magazine. The App, which can be downloaded free from Apple’s App Store, gives readers full access to the magazine, interactive features, and news and product feeds from Petfood Industry.

The App is more than a simple page viewer. The reader can chose between seeing thumbnails of a page, a full page or enlarged text versions of stories. It also allows viewers to link directly to more features, advertising information, and videos, as well as access to RSS feeds from PetfoodIndustry.com. The App also gives readers the ability to easily bookmark stories, share stories with colleagues, and to search current and past issues.

The App can be downloaded here or by searching for “Petfood” in the Apple App Store.

Works on most Smartphones

We’ve also launched an enhanced Mobile Web Reader that gives readers many of these same features on other mobile devices, such as the Droid or Blackberry, by simply pointing the device’s browser to www.petfoodindustry-digital.com.

With the App and Mobile Web Reader, readers now have access to all digital editions on any portable device they choose. Readers can now use the digital editions of the magazine from anywhere on their mobile devices.

Virtual PFF, Petfood Industry and Petfood-Connection.com all on Facebook

Although the internet provides easy access to more up-to-date, global information than ever before, it can often be a lengthy process of logins and passwords, multiple tabs and windows on your task bar, and link after confusing link. That's why we've made Facebook a one-stop-shop for everything petfood, so you can get the information and news you need without the hassle. 

Check out our event page for Virtual Petfood Forum and RSVP, while checking out our promotional video and posting a comment on our wall. Then, head over to our brand new Petfood Industry page, become a fan and get caught up with the industry with our daily updates from blogs, articles, videos and podcasts. Finally, go to our Petfood-Connection.com fan page and join a discussion, post an opinion on a blog thread or start a group.

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.