Sales of pet foods in the U.S. have increased 68% in the past 13 years and now exceed $20 billion annually. In the same period, there have been several outbreaks linked to Salmonella in dry pet foods and pet treats.  In the past year alone, there were seven recalls of pet food products due to potential Salmonella contamination.  In that context, the recent FSMA Proposed Rule for Preventive Controls for Animal Food will soon put increasing pressure on the industry to demonstrate that systems and processes are in place for prevention and control of potential microbial hazards. Although the pet food industry already is implementing protocols and practices for ensuring product safety, the vast majority of food safety research being published and presented at conferences (including IAFP Annual Meetings) addresses processing of human foods, with little attention to special challenges associated with pet and animal foods. These include delivering a complete nutritional profile in a single product, managing animal-derived ingredients in a low-moisture manufacturing environment, preventing cross-contamination, and selecting and validating optimal critical controls. Consequently, this symposium will focus on the scientific, technical, and practical aspects of implementing such systems.  The speakers will review current knowledge and the state-of-practice related to cGMPs and pathogen reduction, present new data on a novel application of competitive microflora in pet food manufacturing facilities, and end with a case study on pathogen reduction in pet food products. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of the fundamentals and challenges associated with implementing pathogen controls in pet food manufacturing systems.

Presentations