Canagan launches Light/Senior grain-free dog food variety

Canagan launched a Light/Senior grain-free dog food variety.

British petfood company Canagan has launched a Light/Senior variety of its grain-free dog food, specifically formulated to meet the nutritional needs of older and overweight dogs.
The new food contains a blend of 60 percent meat or fish from both wet and dry sources, 40 percent vegetable products and beneficial botanicals. This formula contains sweet potato in place of grains, which, as a soluble fiber, is easier for dogs to digest. The food also contains compounds to help support joint health.
The Light/Senior variety dog food is available in 2kg, 6kg and 12kg bags. 

Study from FDA warns pet owners to avoid raw petfood diets

A new study from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that compared to other types of petfood tested, raw petfood was more likely to be contaminated with disease-causing bacteria. As a result, FDA is warning pet owners who feed pets a raw diet that they may be at a greater risk for infections from Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.
The warning to pet owners comes after FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) screened more than 1,000 samples of petfood for foodborne illness-causing bacteria in the two-year study. 
The study involved more samplings from 196 commercial raw dog and cat food brands. CVM says it purchased a variety of raw petfood online from different manufacturers and had the products shipped directly to six laboratories for analysis. According to FDA, the raw petfood products were mostly frozen in tube-like packages and made from ground meat or sausage.
Of the samples analyzed, 15 tested positive for Salmonella and 32 tested positive for Listeria.
The study "identified a potential health risk for the pets eating the raw food, and for the owners handling the product," said Dr. Renate Reimschuessel, a researcher at CVM's Office of Research and one of the study's principal investigators.
FDA says the best way for pet owners to prevent infection is to avoid feeding pets a raw diet. More information on the study, including tips for pet owners to prevent infection from foodborne illness, is available on FDA's website.

Facebook group warning pet owners not to buy jerky treats from China

A Facebook group called Animal Parents Against Pet Treats and Food Made in China is warning pet owners about jerky treats from China that are under investigation by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The group is attaching warnings to packages of these treats in stores that read: "Beware! FDA investigates pet treats from CHINA. Thousands of complaints filed. Hundreds of deaths reported."
As of September 24, more than 3,600 dogs and 10 cats have reportedly become ill and 580 of these died from eating jerky treats, most of which came from China, said Linda Tollefson, associate commissioner for FDA's Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine. However, FDA has been unable to isolate a contaminant so a recall for the treats has not been issued. 

AFB International launches Palatants Plus blog

AFB International launched a new blog to help petfood industry professionals stay updated on petfood industry research and developments. 
The blog, Palatants Plus, is designed to share insight into the science of palatability and how it can enhance petfood performance. Current topics include collaborative innovation, palatability testing, electronic nose (e-nose), electronic tongue (e-tongue) and flavor fatigue. New content is added regularly.

De Haan Petfood restarts production at Netherlands facility after explosion

Wet petfood manufacturer De Haan Petfood has successfully restarted production of petfood at its facility in Nieuwkoop, the Netherlands, after an explosion on May 7 caused severe damage to the production line. In recent weeks, the damaged part of the line has been rebuilt and tested, allowing production to begin.
Production was temporarily stopped at the facility following an explosion in one of the retorts, in which under-pressure cans are sterilized. Shortly after, De Haan Petfood relocated part of its production to other petfood manufacturers in the Netherlands and Europe. 

AFIA promotes Richard Sellers to senior vice president

AFIA
Richard Sellers, AFIA senior vice president.

American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) employee Richard Sellers has been promoted to senior vice president from his previous role as vice president of feed regulation and nutrition. The announcement was made at the association's October board meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
"Richard really enjoys working with and helping members," said AFIA chairman, Jeff Cannon. "He gets far and away the most member calls for advice and leadership, fulfilling one of our '4 Promises.' Richard sets the bar for member services."
Sellers has served AFIA for 22 years providing leadership on legislative and regulatory issues as well as serving as the organization's corporate secretary. He leads AFIA's feed legislative and regulatory activities with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and state feed agencies. He also serves as the staff coordinator for the Feed Regulatory Committee, Aquaculture Committee and as a technical advisor to the Nutrition Committee.
"Richard's contributions to AFIA are continuous and significant, and our organization's staff and members appreciate his enthusiasm toward the industry and the challenges it can produce," said AFIA president and CEO, Joel G. Newman. "Richard is my most trusted advisor on many issues, a team player and well deserving of the promotion to senior vice president."
Sellers holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Memphis and master's degree from the University of Arkansas in animal sciences. Previously Sellers served as a feed control official for the state of Texas. He is also a registered professional animal scientist with the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS).  

PLMA 2013 Private Label Trade Show to offer pet care seminar, expanded pavilion

In 2012, the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) introduced a new Pet Care Pavilion to its Private Label Trade Show, and for the 2013 show, PLMA will expand the pavilion and offer a pet care seminar for exhibitors and retail buyers. The seminar will take place from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 17 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, adjacent to the Rosemont Convention Center near Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The seminar will feature a panel of industry experts that includes David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts, Tedd Ellis of Kent Nutrition Group, and Serge Boutet of SB Nutrinnov Consultants, who managed private-label development for Mondou.
The panel will examine the wide range of factors that are driving industry growth, including a convergence of lifestyle trends - from more single men and seniors living alone; to new urban dwellers choosing smaller pet breeds and species; to young couples who choose to put off starting a family by having kids, and become "pet parents" instead. Panelists will also discuss how retailers are leveraging sophisticated marketing knowledge, product development and manufacturing expertise in the service of creating distinctive store brands that will differentiate their offerings for today's consumers.