AFIA's Pet Food Conference attracts full house

The American Feed Industry Association wrapped up its 12th annual Pet Food Conference on Feb. 12 in conjunction with the International Production & Processing Expo.

The American Feed Industry Association wrapped up its 12th annual Pet Food Conference on Feb. 12 in conjunction with the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Ga. The event brought together approximately 340 industry leaders to discuss everything from regulatory issues to the technical aspects of pet food production to product claims, marketing and nutrition, helping attendees tackle the latest challenges in the evolving marketplace.

“The AFIA Pet Food Conference provides a dynamic opportunity for pet food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers to gain cutting-edge information and network on all aspects of the industry,” said Louise Calderwood, AFIA director of regulatory affairs. “The participants had many questions about global trends, product traceability and pet food diet formulation – all and all it was a great dialogue on issues impacting the pet food sector.”

The AFIA Pet Food Conference, one of three AFIA-sponsored events at IPPE, is an affordable conference designed to inform pet food representatives about the latest industry initiatives and technical and regulatory issues impacting this unique animal food manufacturing sector.

This year’s program included seven expert speakers from associations, private entities and universities, who discussed a variety of topics, including: domestic and global industry trends, a legal perspective of blockchain management of pet food, canine dilated cardiomyopathy, several updates on pet food from the Association of American Feed Control Officials, animal health and more.

One of the highlights of the conference included an overview of policy development and programming in support of service dogs for military veterans.

“Service dogs for veterans are mitigating anxiety and helping them heal. The dogs build confidence in the veterans they serve,” said Robin Ganzert, Ph.D., president and CEO of American Humane. “Let’s save lives on both ends of the leash.”

IPPE is a collaboration of three shows – the International Feed Expo, International Meat Expo and International Poultry Expo – representing the entire chain of protein production and processing. The annual event is sponsored by AFIA, the North American Meat Institute and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association.

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