Your help is needed to stop AAFCO from banning pet food consumers from the meeting next month.
In early November 2019, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sent an email to numerous pet owners and pet owner advocates stating they would NOT be allowed to attend meetings. This consumer ban is unjust, and detrimental to all pet food consumers.
This particular meeting is significantly important for consumers to attend. We submitted to AAFCO improved ingredient definitions in March 2019. These definitions would give clarity to pet owners to what is actually included in their pet’s food. Existing all inclusive pet food ingredients such as chicken or chicken meal – with our proposed definitions – would be changed to clarify to pet owners (right on the pet food label) exactly what type of chicken is included. We are advocating for clear definitions as example: chicken frames (little to no meat), feed grade chicken meat or USDA inspected and passed chicken meat are just some of the transparent definitions we proposed. Unfortunately (or perhaps coincidentally), our proposed definitions are up for discussion at the January meeting we are banned from. No consumer or consumer advocate will be allowed to attend to defend these desperately needed ingredient definition improvements.
What do you think AAFCO will do with ingredient definitions that provide consumers with transparency with no consumer there to defend them? This meeting must be stopped from happening OR AAFCO must allow pet owners to attend. We need your help to stop this meeting and/or change AAFCO’s mind.
Please click on your State, copy the addresses and content of the email and click send. States not listed do not participate in AAFCO. Some pages include the email addresses of the entire AAFCO Board of Directors (those that Governor and Attorney General email addresses could be located), please copy all the addresses provided. Other pages include the contact form for your state’s Governor and Attorney General. Each page includes a personalized message for your state. It takes just a couple of minutes of your time.
Also feel free to send a Tweet or post on your state government’s Facebook page. And share this page with every pet owner you know. The more pressure we put on all elected officials, the better our chances are to have the consumer voice reinstated at AAFCO next month.
Thanks to all in advance for sending your emails!
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
Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area Click Here
The 2020 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here to learn more.
Ashlee Luke
December 5, 2019 at 7:50 pm
Done!
Abra Karhan
December 5, 2019 at 7:59 pm
My state Wyoming is not listed how can I help who should I contact?
Susan Thixton
December 5, 2019 at 8:11 pm
Wyoming doesn’t participate in AAFCO. But you could contact pet owners in other states and ask them to write. That would help.
Sue Hillerby
December 5, 2019 at 8:09 pm
Is there anything I can do from Canada?
Susan Thixton
December 5, 2019 at 8:15 pm
Actually Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Animal Feed Division participates in AAFCO. You could send a similar email to Canada’s government asking for them not to participate until AAFCO opens the meeting to consumers. Thank you!
readerguest9
December 5, 2019 at 8:19 pm
Thank you for the links. I filled out the form for each one and COPY & PASTED the letter. Always want to help pets and pet parents.
moviezombie
December 5, 2019 at 8:43 pm
Done!
Lesa L Thomas
December 5, 2019 at 8:46 pm
Email sent from California!
TJ
December 5, 2019 at 8:56 pm
Done! Thank you for making this so easy to contact our state officials and expressing our outrage. The plot thickens with a ban to consumers from attending the AAFCO meetings. Just shows they don’t want us to know what they “truly” put in our pets food!
Beth VanDusen
December 5, 2019 at 9:17 pm
Sent!
Jane Eagle
December 5, 2019 at 9:48 pm
Done! From California…I added: The pet food (actually NOT food; it is feed) industry is so chaotic and rife with corruption, endorsed by the FDA ( https://truthaboutpetfood.com/four-years-later-fda-rejection-letter-to-consumers ), who allow these manufacturers to break safety laws regarding pet “food” ingredients, that I no longer trust commercial pet food. I make my own, so I know my companions are eating healthy food. This is a terrible situation!
We the voting taxpayers count on you to do the right thing. Thank you.
Jane Eagle, VOTER
chris
December 5, 2019 at 10:00 pm
Michigan and Montana reps do not care. Have done this before with other issues and always get back the same generic response.
Vicky Crawford
December 5, 2019 at 10:15 pm
FYI the PA form for Gov Wolfe has a max word limit. You will need to send two forms and the one for Mr. Shapiro is really hard because you have to select the complaint. “Other” is not an option. I chose the Charitable/non-profit one since the others made no sense
U. Liv
December 5, 2019 at 10:24 pm
DONE and DONE!! Thank you Susan!!!
Veronica
December 5, 2019 at 10:53 pm
Done in NC! Hope it helps. Thanks for all the hard work you put into this. It matters!
Diana Spencer
December 5, 2019 at 11:23 pm
Done in Florida. Thank you.
Kathy Anderson
December 6, 2019 at 2:06 am
North Carolina Done and Done. Thank You so much Susan!
~ Pet Owner ~
December 6, 2019 at 3:50 am
So MUCH work Susan in setting up this format to protest AAFCO’s actions – that I could not resist participating. Therefore letters to both contacts have been sent!! Just an amazing system presented for every single follower to use, so that 100’s of voices can be added to the petition against AAFCO!!
It was virtually fool proof. However TAPF followers should be aware of choosing between “PRO or CON” regarding the issue, and pick the correct option to match the point of the letter. I had to resend my letter to clarify the correct option chosen.
Eve
December 6, 2019 at 4:20 am
What’s about Australian Pet Owners? Aren’t AAFCO regulations used as the standard for Australian Pet Foods? In Australia we have a self-regulatory board called the PIAA Pet Industry Assoc of Australia. “Currently, the pet food industry in Australia is self-regulated. The Australian Standards for the manufacturing and marketing of pet food are voluntary, and published behind a paywall. There is no mandatory recall system for pet food, and no mechanism for consumers to report adverse events.Oct 17, 2018” (theconversation.com)
Also Australian IGA Stores sell pet food from USA with a AAFCO stamp saying quality approved in accordance with AAFCO. Very upsetting I’d imagine the pharmaceutical drugs and agriculture sprays used as different to Australia’s meaning that some are banned here in Australia but allowed to import it in disguise under pet foods? Why is this happening?
I would say is USA Pet Food is in Australia then shouldn’t Australian Pet Owners be added to the list to support the protest?
Diane H.
December 6, 2019 at 5:46 am
Done from Oregon…but I can never trust commercial pet feed again. Homemade is the only food for my kiddos.
Eigen Heald
December 6, 2019 at 8:34 am
How about Maine?
Susan Thixton
December 6, 2019 at 9:46 am
Maine doesn’t currently send any State representatives to AAFCO – so we can’t ask them to not participate.
CK
December 6, 2019 at 10:31 am
Done in Alabama
Marsha
December 6, 2019 at 11:52 am
Done in Florida.
Patricia Williams
December 6, 2019 at 12:24 pm
Sent to governor and attorney general in NC though their websites clearly state they aren’t monitored regularly – so the message may never be read.
Bobbie Gardner
December 6, 2019 at 4:52 pm
Thank you for taking the time to prepare the message and provide all of these contact details. Submitted to both contacts for North Carolina.
jennifer hahn
December 6, 2019 at 5:10 pm
I LOVE YOU SUSAN-YOU AND DR. BECKER ARE MY REAL LIFE HEROS. I FEEL SAFER ON THIS EARTH KNOWING THAT YOU ARE HERE, AND THAT YOU ARE SO BRAVE.
Adriana Rojas
December 6, 2019 at 5:17 pm
Done
Jutta
December 6, 2019 at 5:59 pm
Important to act now. The latest invention is animal feed derived from WOOD! https://arbiom.com/
Sorry, my furry family members are not portable garbage containers.
Dorothy
December 7, 2019 at 5:59 pm
Done! Thanks for making it easy to do this!
Linda Trunell
December 9, 2019 at 5:44 pm
Done and shared Dr. Morgan’s post on FB. Thank you for all that you do for the pets.
Kris
December 11, 2019 at 11:48 pm
Wisconsin, done
Mary White
January 1, 2020 at 11:32 am
When people stop buying manufactured pet “foods”, manufactures will reform.