The August 2017 AAFCO annual meeting will be held in Bellevue (Seattle area) Washington. More than 60% of our members are from the West Coast – will you be there?
Among topics to be discussed are updates to pet food labeling. Additionally, after the regular meeting, a pet food labeling workshop will be conducted – this workshop sold out months ago. Ironically, the pet food labeling workshop information will not contain any of the updated labeling changes as these changes have not yet been accepted by AAFCO and the FDA. Furthermore, the AAFCO official publication contains all of the information that is to be discussed at the pet food workshop. Therefore, it’s not necessary to feel like you’re missing something if you are not going to be at the labeling workshop.
Other matters of interest may include the Ingredient Definition Committee that will further discuss hemp guidelines, as well as receive updates from working groups including the direct fed microbial (DFM) working group. Interestingly, the DFM work group has not met since the last AAFCO meeting. (One wonders if this is intentional.) Chances are good there won’t be much new. Perhaps a member of the audience can encourage more action in the next six months.
However, there is a definite reason to attend the AAFCO meeting. Not only is it an opportunity to see how things work, in case you’ve never attended a meeting before, but it’s also an opportunity to meet with other members of Next Gen PFMA. For those in attendance, if you chose, come join us on Friday August 11 at Scotty Brown’s right after the Pet Food Committee meeting is concluded (530 or so).
For those who cannot attend either due to the average cost of $3000 for attending the meeting, or conflicting schedules with regional trade shows, don’t worry, as a member of Next Gen PFMA, you will get all the behind-the-scenes scoop.
Will you attend the AAFCO meeting in August 2017?
