AFIA’s Sellers Shares Safe Feed/Safe Food Message at FDA-FSIS Meeting
Richard Sellers spoke about feed safety issues and the Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program at a public meeting sponsored by two federal agencies in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 10. The meeting was sponsored jointly by the Food and Drug Administration and the Food Safety and Inspective Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Posted 12/11/09

AFIA Signs Letter Regarding U.S.-Mexico Trucking Matter
The American Feed Industry Association is one of several dozen organizations that recently sent a letter to President Barack Obama regarding Mexico imposing tariffs on certain products the United States exports to that country. The Mexican government’s decision to impose tariffs on the products stems from a U.S. “failure to establish a cross-border trucking program,” according to the letter sent by the Alliance to Keep U.S. Jobs, a group coordinated by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Posted 12/11/09

AFIA Board Discusses Food Safety, Cap-and-Trade Legislation
The fall meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Feed Industry Association occurred in Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. 11-12. AFIA Chairman Brian Rittgers, national sales manager of the dairy business unit of Elanco Animal Health of Greenfield, Ind., presided. Posted 11/25/09

Cost of Classic Thanksgiving Meal Drops Slightly, According to Farm Bureau
An informal price survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $42.91, a $1.70 price decrease from last year’s average of $44.61. The 4-percent drop in the price of a classic Thanksgiving meal was calculated by the American Farm Bureau Federation.  Posted 11/25/09

Recruit, Interview College Students at 2010 Expo
Members of the American Feed Industry Association interested in recruiting new hires and conducting on-site interviews at the International Feed Expo/International Poultry Expo may participate in the College Student Career Program in late January. Posted 11/11/09

A 40 Students Receive HACCP Training by AFIA, KSU
Forty students attended a two-and-a-half-day training course on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points program in early October. The training was offered jointly by Kansas State University and the American Feed Industry Association on the K-State campus. During the course, students learned the logical approach process for developing and implementing a HACCP plan for their companies. Posted 10/14/09

International Feed Expo Offers World of Opportunities
The International Feed Expo, held in conjunction with the International Poultry Expo, is the ideal forum to reach individuals seeking to enhance and grow their businesses while utilizing innovative platforms to reach a wide audience. It is the place to meet and network with executives who make investment decisions in the feed industry. IFE/IPE also hosts top-notch, quality educational programs and workshops. Posted 10/14/09

AFIA’s Production Compliance Committee Keeps Abreast of Diverse Issues
Members of the Production Compliance Committee met at the American Feed Industry Association’s office near Washington, D.C., Sept. 16-17, to cover a wide range of topics. Keith Epperson, AFIA vice president of manufacturing and training, helped keep the meeting flowing; he is the staff liaison to committee members. Posted 10/1/09

EU Adopts New Rules for Animal By-Products
The European Union has repealed its animal by-products regulations, Regulation (EC) 1774/2002, and replaced it with a new animal by-products regulation, Regulation (EC) 4507/2009. The new regulation is aimed at introducing more risk-proportionate rules and clarifying the rules on animal by-products, as well as the interaction of those rules with other EU legislation. Posted 9/1/709

USDA Establishes Dairy Advisory Committee, AFIA Seeks Interested Industry Reps
The Department of Agriculture seeks nominations of individuals to serve on its new Dairy Industry Advisory Committee, a panel whose members will review farm milk price volatility, dairy farmer profitability and provide counsel to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on how USDA can best address the dairy industry’s needs. Posted 9/17/09

AFIA, NGFA Urge EPA to Revamp Proposed Emission Controls for Feed Mills
The American Feed Industry Association and the National Grain and Feed Association joined on Aug. 26 in urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to revamp its proposed regulations that would require many feed manufacturers to implement specified management practices and equipment standards to minimize alleged emissions of chromium compounds and manganese compounds if used within their operations. Posted 9/3/09

Reportable Food Registry Webcast Set For Sept. 22
The Food and Drug Administration announced the Reportable Food Registry’s electronic portal will be open for business as of Sept. 8. The electronic portal is designed to receive reports of “reportable foods,” as required by the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007. Posted 9/3/09

AFIA Leads 20 Ag Groups in Sending Antibiotics Letter to White House
The American Feed Industry Association last week took the lead in arranging for a broad-based group of 20 agricultural organizations to send a letter to a key White House adviser regarding the on-farm use of low-level antibiotics in livestock and poultry. Posted 8/20/09

Details of FDA Commissioner’s New Enforcement Initiative Released
Dr. Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of food and drugs, addressed the Food and Drug Administration’s upcoming push for a faster and more comprehensive enforcement policy at a conference of attorneys in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 6. She said the FDA expects firms to respond to the agency in a timely manner and permits district offices more latitude in issuing warning letters. posted 8/20/09

House Approves Food, Feed Safety Bill After Shaky Start
The House of Representatives approved a comprehensive food safety bill, H.R. 2749, by a 283-142 margin last week, but only after failing to gain approval during earlier, expedited floor action. Posted 8/8/09

AFIA’s Ingredient Approval, Definition Committee Issues Letter of Concern to AAFCO
The American Feed Industry Association’s new Ingredient Approval and Definition Committee has assembled an informal group of members to draft and send a letter to the Association of American Feed Control Officials regarding the impending Generally Recognized As Safe, or GRAS, notification process. Officials with the Food and Drug Administration have stated the agency expects to release this new process for feed ingredients this year and open a pilot program. Posted 7/23/09

NCBA Members Learn About Safe Feed/Safe Food Program
Joel G. Newman, president and CEO of the American Feed Industry Association, shared information about the Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program with members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association at a special event in Denver, Colo., last week. Posted 7/23/09

Newman Participates in Food Safety Working Group as First Report is Released
An initial report released by President Barack Obama’s Food Safety Working Group on July 7 recommends a new approach to food safety based on three core principles, according to Joel G. Newman, American Feed Industry Association president and CEO. Newman was invited to participate in the working group on behalf of the livestock feed and pet food industry. Posted 7/9/09

AFIA’s Newman Participates in Codex Feed Task Force Meetings
Joel Newman, president and CEO of the American Feed Industry Association, was the United States feed industry representative at the Codex Alimentarius Feed Task Force meeting in Rome the first week of July. Newman attended as part of the U.S. delegation. Posted 7/9/09

AFIA Submits Comments Regarding Harmful Speculative Activity to CFTC
The American Feed Industry Association last week submitted comments to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that document the significant effect that index funds and swaps have had on the price volatility of agricultural and energy commodities. AFIA believes the volatility of 2008, in particular, is partly the result of the current exemption of index funds and swaps from speculative position limits. Posted 6/25/09

AFIA, FEFANA Finalize Details of International Safe Feed/Safe Food
Hammering out the details of the pending International Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program was an important aspect of a recent trip to Brussels by two members of the American Feed Industry Association staff. Posted 6/25/09

AFIA Board Approves Formation of Ingredient Approval and Definition Committee
The American Feed Industry Association Board of Directors recently approved a proposal by the Microbial, Enzyme and Forage Technology Committee to transition it to a committee that addresses ingredient approval and definitions. Posted 6/12/09

AFIA Promotes Safe Feed/Safe Food at World Pork Expo
Richard Sellers and Keith Epperson, vice presidents of the American Feed Industry Association, promoted the Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa, June 3-5, 2009. Posted 6/12/09

International Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program Moves Forward
The American Feed Industry Association earlier this year signed an historic agreement with the European Union Feed Additives and Premixtures Association, or FEFANA, in Atlanta, Ga. The agreement paves the way for auditors of FEFANA’s European Feed Additives PreMixtures-Quality System, or FAMI-QS, to train and certify auditors of AFIA’s Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program to the FAMI-QS program. Posted 5/29/09

AFIA Board of Directors Express Concerns to Congress During Spring Meeting, Fly-In
More than 40 members of the American Feed Industry Association’s Board of Directors met to discuss issues of mutual concern and make their concerns known to their legislators during a spring meeting and congressional fly-in this week.  Posted 5/15/09

AFIA Invited to Address FDA Public Meeting on May 1
Richard Sellers, American Feed Industry Association vice president of feed regulation and nutrition, will make comments at the Food and Drug Administration’s first public meeting on economically motivated adulteration on May 1. Sellers was the sole feed-industry representative invited to make a presentation at the all-day meeting. Posted 5/1/09

AFIA Participates in FDA Food Safety Meeting
Improving food safety was the focus of a meeting hosted by Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, on April 27. The American Feed Industry Association’s Joel Newman represented members at the event which also was attended by representatives of more than a dozen interest groups with a stake in food safety. FDA officials are planning a related public meeting on food safety in early May. Posted 5/1/09

AFIA Membership Directory Updates Due May 1
The American Feed Industry Association is updating its membership roster in advance of publishing the Centennial edition of the 2009-2010 Membership Directory and Buyer’s Guide. The information AFIA currently has on file about your company was sent to the official contact and marketing contact within the last few weeks. Please note changes in personnel, titles, addresses and other contact information and return them to us for updating by May 1, 2009. Posted 4/17/09

AFIA Presents Webinar on OSHA Compliance
Keeping employees safe and knowing your company’s rights and obligations were the focus of a webinar about preparing for inspections by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on April 15. The webinar was sponsored by the American Feed Industry Association. Posted 4/17/09

Successful Safe Feed/Safe Food Webinar Held March 26; Copies Available
There were more than 85 participants in AFIA’s live webinar covering its Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program on March 26, 2009. Posted 4/2/09

FDA Updates VFD Guidance; Clearly Defines Veterinarians’ Responsibilities
The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) recently issued an updated Guidance for Industry #120: Veterinary Feed Directive Regulation Questions and Answers. The Veterinary Feed Directive, or VFD, was created in the Animal Drug Availability Act of 1996. This law created a new type of drug product for use in feed other than over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription drugs (Rx). AFIA led a coalition to create this new category to prevent the movement by CVM to make all animal drug-containing feed become Rx-type medicated feed. This would have resulted in serious distribution issues for medicated feed. Posted 4/2/09

Senior CVM Official Provides FDA Insight into the Future of Feed Regulation
Speaking at the American Feed Industry Association’s Spring Forum and Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference last week, Dr. Dan McChesney, the director of surveillance and compliance at the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, provided a snapshot of projects under way at the CVM. He spent considerable time on CVM’s approach to risk management through the center’s Animal Feed Safety System. Posted 3/20/09

AFIA Supports Effort to Spur Trade Negotiations with Asia
The American Feed Industry Association and a coalition of manufacturing, agricultural and services interests sent a letter to President Barack Obama to express support of U.S. participation in the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership negotiations. The U.S. currently is not party to negotiations expected to begin this spring. The coalition believes participating in them would further U.S. trading opportunities in Asia and the Pacific Rim. Posted 3/20/09

AFIA Sends Letter to Durbin Commending His Food-Safety Leadership
Joel Newman, president of the American Feed Industry Association, sent a letter to Deputy Majority Leader and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to commend him for his leadership with the recent introduction of a food and feed safety bill, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009. AFIA worked with Durbin for nearly two years to craft this and other pieces of legislation.  Posted 3/6/09

PISC Early-Bird Registration Extended
The 2009 Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference early-bird registration period has been extended by a week to Wed., Feb. 25. The conference will be at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Destin, Fla., March 11-13. The hotel room-block has been filled, but the hotel is still accepting reservations based on availability. Call the hotel directly at (800) 320-8115 and mention group code 21W9EZ. Posted 2/19/09

AFIA Provides Comments on Commodity Speculator Legislation

AFIA provided comments to the House Committee on Agriculture in strong support of their Derivatives Markets Transparency & Accountability Act of 2009 legislation, and requesting two important modifications. This legislation is being developed to prevent the re-occurrence of the extreme Index Speculator funds effect on commodity markets that we experienced in 2008. AFIA also recognized and thanked the committee for incorporating several of our recommendations made in our letter to the Committee on July 16, 2008. Posted 2/6/09

EPA Delays Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency this week extended the compliance date for the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure regulations and will reopen the rulemaking for additional public comment. The new effective date, April 4, 2009, is the result of an Office of Management and Budget memo to agency heads that requires the review of all pending Bush administration rulemakings by the new Obama administration; this is standard practice for incoming administrations. The EPA published the SPCC rule extension in the Federal Register on Feb. 3, 2009. Posted 2/6/09

Updates From The 2009 Expo
The International Feed Expo-International Poultry Expo is under way in Atlanta this week. This information-packed event is the place to be for thousands of people who make it their business to learn the latest in feed-industry products, technology and services. The Pet Food Regulatory and Technical Conference and the Animal Agriculture Environmental Sustainability Summit wrapped up earlier today. AFIA's International Educational Forum still lies ahead and offers attendees additional opportunities to learn and meet peers. Learn more about the events and issues on the minds of Expo attendees by visiting www.ife09.org and www.ipe09.org. Posted 1/28/09

AAFCO Finishes Review of Draft Model GMP Regulations
At the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ mid-year meeting in Tucson, Ariz., on Jan. 21, the AAFCO Model Bill and Regulations Committee finished formatting and editing the Draft Model Good Manufacturing Practices Regulations for Feed and Feed Ingredients and sent the final draft to the AAFCO Board of Directors with a recommendation to send it to the membership for a vote. If the AAFCO Board agrees with the recommendation, the AAFCO membership could vote on the final product at its centennial annual meeting in August in Washington, D.C. Posted 1/23/09

2009 PISC Early-Bird and Hotel Cut-off Date Nears
The 2009 Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference will be held at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Destin, Fla., March 11-13. To receive the discounted hotel rate, please make your reservations prior to Feb. 7. Posted 1/23/09

Russian Imports of U.S. Feed, Feed Additives Likely Stopped
The Russian Federation has notified the Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service that it will discontinue issuing import permits for all U.S. livestock feed and livestock feed ingredients, effective Jan. 1, 2009. Posted 1/9/09

AFIA Responds to Article in The Washington Post
An article published in The Washington Post on Jan. 3, 2009, prompted AFIA President Joel G. Newman’s response in a letter to the editor this week. The article (“Old MacDonald Wouldn’t Recognize This Farm” by Jenna Johnson) about a rural Maryland man’s efforts to continue raising livestock in challenging circumstances, appeared on Page B1 of the newspaper. Posted 1/9/09