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Quick AAFCO Update

Here’s a quick update for everyone from AAFCO meetings…

Here’s a quick update for everyone from AAFCO meetings…

We have here on our team – Dr. Jean Hofve, Dr. Judy Morgan, BC Henchen (pet store owner) and myself.

Yesterday was a workshop for companies wishing to introduce new ingredients into pet food/animal feed. During this workshop AAFCO (for the first time ever) allowed consumers to tell the attendees what consumers want from ingredients and pet food labels. I will provide all of my slides of that presentation when I get back home – but, basically the information I shared with them is that consumers WANT INFORMATION. Not marketing, they want information. What was shared with the crowd seemed to be very well received.

Today began the official meeting. In opening session – as typical – everyone stands and introduces themselves. It is always such an honor to stand and say my name and Association for Truth in Pet Food. After introductions the business at hand was to finalize some ingredient definitions. The first two of concern were “Dehydrated Alfalfa” and “Direct Dehydrated Alfalfa”. The legal definition for ‘Dehydrated Alfalfa’ voted on was: “Dehydrated Alfalfa is the aerial portion of the alfalfa plant, reasonably free of other crop plants, weeks and mold, which has been ground and dried by thermal means under controlled conditions. Its source shall consist of either suncured alfalfa hay that has been stored in bales or stacks; or suncured alfalfa hay that has been stored in bales or stacks that has been blended with fresh cut alfalfa.”

This ingredient did not pass – it will go back to the Ingredient Definitions Committee for re-working. My concern which I stated during this session was “it shall be reasonably free of mold”. I asked the committee what does ‘reasonably free of mold’ mean? They didn’t have an answer for me. No one knew or really cared. The ingredient did not pass – but not because of no defining of ‘reasonably free’ – it didn’t pass because it was a ‘mixed’ ingredient (includes dehydrated and fresh alfalfa) and the name didn’t adequately describe the product.

The second alfalfa ingredient – Direct Dehydrated Alfalfa – did pass, even though it also included the statement ‘reasonably free of mold’. I asked the committee – would you like your dinner tonight to be reasonably free of mold? No one responded (but there were audible grumbles).

Another ingredient definition I questioned was ‘Poultry’. The definition that did get approved is: “Poultry is the clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the clean parts of whole carcasses of slaughtered poultry or a combination thereof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, and viscera. If it bears a name descriptive if its kind, it must correspond thereto. If the bone has been removed, the process may be so designated by use of the appropriate feed term. It shall be suitable for use in animal food.”

My concern was ‘it shall be suitable for use in animal food’ – this statement means feed grade. I questioned with this statement in the definition of chicken or turkey (poultry) this seems to exclude human grade chicken or turkey for those pet foods that use human grade ingredients (and made in a human food plant). FDA is who responded assuring us that human grade would still fit under this definition.

During the next session, Dr. Xin Li of FDA did a presentation on FDA’s testing of raw pet food. This segment was about a 45 minute presentation (and I don’t believe there has ever been a presentation at AAFCO for testing of kibble foods for bacteria by FDA – I believe this is a first – will ask for confirmation on that).

Roxanne Stone of Answers Pet Food bravely stood and addressed the crowd asking why USDA allows some bacteria in raw meat and FDA has a zero tolerance for raw meat pet foods. The response was basically raw meat for humans (which is allowed to contain some bacteria) is meant to be cooked. I asked if FDA would release the tonnage amounts of raw pet foods recalled as compared to the tonnage amounts of kibble pet foods all recalled for Salmonella (or other dangerous bacteria) – FDA didn’t know. And by the way – the comparison is night and day. Tons and Tons more kibble pet foods have been recalled for Salmonella than raw pet food.

And Dr. Jean Hofve asked the best question thus far…she asked FDA if perhaps the issue FDA should be focused on is cleaning up meat. That didn’t go over well – no one responded specifically to her question. But – Dr. William Burkholder of FDA did stand and gave a ‘it’s like this’ statement that many foods contain bacteria – and its FDA’s job to protect consumers with all foods that contain bacteria.  What I didn’t get the opportunity to say is…yes, but…the ONLY food that FDA has warned consumers about (regarding the dangers of bacteria) is raw meat pet food.

More meetings this afternoon – full day tomorrow. Will update you more when I can and full details once I return home.

Susan Thixton

 

12 Comments

12 Comments

  1. Cheryl Mallon-Bond

    January 18, 2016 at 1:52 pm

    Susan,
    I am not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but at the top of the page where is rotates the foods that are recent recalls, they are changing at way too fast speed, to the point that you really cannot read it. Just thought you would want to know.

    I hope you will have a chance to make the comment you weren’t previously able to, about the bacteria/endotoxins in dry pet foods.

    This unbelievable “witch hunt” on raw foods, costing us tax-payers & UNBELIEVABLE sum of money, is beyond infuriating. I cannot believe they wasted this amount of funds on this, when millions of pounds of dry food IS the REAL threat for pets world wide! Of course, this was prompted by big pet food! Why else would the FDA make such a poor decision spending our hard earned money on such a frivolous & un-warrented testing procedures. Tell them, that is REALLY what pet food consumers want an answer to!!!! To STOP beating around the bush & answer our questions!

  2. Jude from Maine

    January 18, 2016 at 2:00 pm

    Excellent!

  3. Anthony Hepton

    January 18, 2016 at 6:36 pm

    Susan, Thanks for the progress report, all wait eagerly for more, Tony.

  4. Debra Reynolds

    January 19, 2016 at 12:12 am

    Thanks for caring and all you do to help

  5. Tracy Benson

    January 19, 2016 at 1:31 pm

    I am so grateful for the information!! Thank you so much…

    My concerns are regarding kibble and how to ensure that I am truly getting the highest quality. I am a caregiver and I simply can’t afford the time or the money to spend on raw food or cooking food for my 2 dogs. BUT, I do use the canned food you recommend this year which is Milligan’s Stew and even though it is very pricy, I use as much as possible and mix with my kibble which is Wild Calling Bison. I have a 60lb greyhound and a 15lb Bijon (both rescues).

  6. Joy Gaston

    January 19, 2016 at 3:26 pm

    Thanks to all of you. Is your team the only people standing up for pet food consumers? Are there any other allies?

    • Marie

      January 21, 2016 at 3:48 pm

      Hi Joy,
      Yes, there’s Mollie with Poisoned Pets, but she couldn’t make this meeting (horrible back pain). I remember about 10 people in the prior meeting. God bless them all!

    • Susan Thixton

      January 21, 2016 at 4:13 pm

      Sorry Joy – got busy and forgot to respond (thank you Marie). Marie is right, last meeting we had several more consumer advocates and we hope to have them back with us at the next meeting. We have many allies – some are working quietly in the background. But for meetings – Mollie Morrissette has been to several meetings and she is an adviser but as Marie shared, she’s had some health challenges to deal with. Another that so wanted to be there is Nina Wolf – she is a former independent pet store owner who is now in Germany. Dr. Karen Becker and Rodney Habib were at the last meeting too, but with their schedules they could not make this meeting. They are both hopeful to be at the next one. There were only four of us at this one – and only one small pet food manufacturer there (who is always there) Answers Pet Food. I know more people want to go and help, the unfortunate thing is these meetings are VERY expensive to attend. The hotel alone was more than $600 this time, meeting $450, AAFCO book $125. Add in airfare and meals and this is a very expensive thing to do two times a year.

      • Joy Gaston

        January 21, 2016 at 5:36 pm

        Thank you Susan and Marie. I will make a donation to TAPF and will buy your 2016 list. I hope you can find some meals that are almost mold-free. Just ask for the mold-free menu.

        Thanks again,
        Joy

  7. Dr. Amy

    January 19, 2016 at 6:00 pm

    Susan, I “choked” on that “reasonably free of mold” statement myself! How much mold does it take to make m dog sick? UGH!

    As far as zero tolerance: I don’t think the reasoning that human food is meant to be cooked makes sense here because dog food/cat food is not meant to be eaten by people! Also, many people eat their food rare or RAW. Yes, even meat such as beef. And as I said on FB, it never made sense to me to have zero tolerance of all Salmonella when there are thousands of strains and not all are pathogenic for people (or pets). I also wonder (and have asked FDA but they did not answer) if they actually CULTURE out the samples before they condemn a food. For example Answers Pet Food uses competitive inhibition (probiotics and beneficial microorganisms) and unfavorable environments (like kombucha) to prevent bacterial growth. I am not saying I want to see zero tolerance in our food or a “sterile” food supply, that would be a big mistake. But how about some more reasonable regulations for animal feed? Safe food handling is what is needed. Not zero tolerance. And yes, if someone refuses to follow safe food handling, they *might* be putting themselves at risk IF there is a pathogenic to humans Salmonella species present and thriving but when do people become responsible for their own actions or lack there of? Not sure I am making sense but the whole issue annoys me. It is not governments job to be a parent.

  8. Marie

    January 21, 2016 at 3:57 pm

    Hi Susan and Dr. Amy,
    Gawd! I choked too on the “reasonably free of mold” statement. Any mold is disgusting, and I’m glad they at least grumbled as their answer. I agree about government. They are WAY too much in our business and NOT doing the jobs they’re paid to do by our tax dollars. I feel they are so huge that eventually (and hopefully) government will topple of its own weight. The laws that matter are already written in our hearts. This is not to say pet food (all food/ingested products) does not need to be regulated, but since govt. isn’t doing it anyway, who needs ’em! I’d love to see all food prepared as if it’s going to be fed to the most dearly loved being in the food preparer’s life.

  9. Marie

    January 21, 2016 at 4:00 pm

    Holy Cow Susan! Yes! Dr. Holve’s cleaning up the meat is HUGE! And when I think of cleaning it up, I also think of humane treatment. We can’t really have clean meat without it.

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