I’m VERY happy to announce that Mr. B.C. Henschen will assume my former role as consumer advocate at AAFCO. Consumers will be in very good hands.
As readers here know, AAFCO removed me as consumer representative to the Pet Food Committee and the Ingredient Definitions Committee a few weeks ago. AAFCO removed me personally, but allowed our consumer association (Association for Truth in Pet Food) to appoint another consumer representative as advisor to committees. And I’m very happy to tell consumers that Mr. B.C. Henschen has agreed to take over my advisory position at AAFCO.
BC comes into this role with some very significant experience. BC and his wife Kathie own a pet food store in a small town in Indiana. He understands the significance of ‘food’ for pets and has worked for years educating his customers to the difference between feed and food, understanding ingredients, labels and so much more. In August of 2015, BC attended his first AAFCO meeting and has continued to attend meetings ever since. He’s been part of our meetings with FDA in the past. And BC was also part of our group who went to Washington D.C. to attend Pet Night on Capitol Hill a couple of months ago.
His daily work for years has been for consumers. Now he will be working for consumers on a national basis as Association for Truth in Pet Food advisor to the AAFCO Pet Food Committee and the Ingredient Definitions Committee. He’s smart, professional, and very dedicated. He will represent you well – I’m confident.
From the January 2017 AAFCO meeting…here’s a picture of ‘our’ guy…
Please know that I will continue to represent consumers at AAFCO, I will continue to attend every meeting and be as loud of a voice as I was in the past. AAFCO cannot stop me from attending and cannot stop me from voicing the concerns of consumers. BC will take over my role as AAFCO advisor, and I’ll still be at AAFCO on behalf of all consumers.
If you are not a member of Association for Truth in Pet Food (our consumer association), please consider becoming a member. The Association is how we hold a voice as advisor at AAFCO. And the Association now needs to send two people to expensive AAFCO meetings…we need your support.
My sincere thank you to BC. I know without doubt consumers are in good hands with you.
The next AAFCO meeting is January 22, 2018 in Anaheim, CA. BC and I both will be there fighting for pet food consumer rights.
Also – Dr. Jean Hofve and Mollie Morrissette are consumer representative advisors to AAFCO’s Pet Food Committee and Ingredient Definitions Committee. We are all there on behalf of consumers.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
Become a member of our pet food consumer Association. Association for Truth in Pet Food is a a stakeholder organization representing the voice of pet food consumers at AAFCO and with FDA. Your membership helps representatives attend meetings and voice consumer concerns with regulatory authorities. Click Here to learn more.
What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients? Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘rest of the story’ on over 5,000 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Click Here to preview Petsumer Report. www.PetsumerReport.com
The 2018 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here to learn more.
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Cooking pet food made easy, Dinner PAWsible
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Mary
December 10, 2017 at 2:42 pm
I’m sure I speak for many, but I trust whomever you choose to represent the consumer and their pets!
E.S.
December 10, 2017 at 2:45 pm
Susan, Can you send out a reminder reminding us to email that county that wants to serve vegan dog food to shelter dogs?
Thanks for all you do. I’ll be sure to become a member of the consumer organization that you just mentioned.
Susan Thixton
December 10, 2017 at 3:16 pm
Here is the link to that post with all the email addresses. The vote will take place in 2 days – December 12. https://truthaboutpetfood.com/los-angeles-shelter-dogs-to-go-vegan/
E.S.
December 10, 2017 at 4:06 pm
Let me rephrase that. I meant it would help us if you posted a reminder on your page, like a new post. not just post it in the comments as not everyone reads the comments.
I don’t know how you do it. I couldn’t be in such a hostile situation like you are at the AAFCO Association meetings. But I’m glad you do it. And death threats? That’s scary!
Susan Thixton
December 10, 2017 at 4:09 pm
There isn’t enough time for a reminder post – sorry.
Kathryn
December 10, 2017 at 3:39 pm
Welcome Aboard BC! We know you’ll be a strong advocate for ‘our cause’ !
Mollie Morrissette
December 11, 2017 at 7:05 pm
I would like to personally extend a warm, fuzzy, welcome to B.C. for taking over Susan’s advisory role at AAFCO! He now joins Dr. Jean Hofve and myself as consumer advisors to AAFCO.
We were sorry to lose Susan, who was consumer’s most vocal and uncompromising voice. But anyone that knows Susan can rest assured, just because Susan won’t be “at the table,” doesn’t mean she her indomitable spirit will be quashed.
B.C.’s in for a mountain of work at AAFCO – hundreds of hours of unpaid work – that the public has little, if any, interest or awareness of. But the rewards, although not monetary, offer a deeper, more meaningful reward. Which is, that somehow we might be be making a difference, however small, to the consumer and their companion animals.
As B.C. will soon find, working with food regulations is a thankless job – one that requires great patience, endurance and a remarkable ability to recall and recite law from memory.
Consumer advocates like Susan, Jean – and now B.C. – truly deserve our respect and honor, for without them the atmosphere at AAFCO would revert the climate it always has operated under for decades – where industry would hold center stage as the only stakeholder group with representation. Now, with our small, but mighty team, consumers are represented.
This is a historic occasion, consumers have been given the opportunity to have a voice at AAFCO.
So, with that, I welcome you B.C.!