Panel including experts from government and industry announced by Pet Food Institute

April 12, 2007 — /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — WASHINGTON, DC — The Pet Food Institute (PFI), which represents pet food manufacturers, today announced the formation of the National Pet Food Commission, composed of nationally-recognized veterinarians, toxicologists, state and federal regulators and nutritionists, to further strengthen industry procedures and safeguards in light of recent pet food recalls.

The industry-government partnership will have two main goals:

• To investigate the cause of the current pet food recall.
• To recommend steps the industry and government should take to further build on safety and quality standards already in place.

Information on the National Pet Food Commission’s charge and a complete list of commissioners is available at http://www.petfoodreport.com/. At the conclusion of its work, the National Pet Food Commission will issue a report outlining its findings and offering its recommendations to the industry and regulators.

PFI President Duane Ekedahl announced formation of the National Pet Food Commission today during his testimony before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies.

“The pet food industry has been working diligently with the Food and Drug Administration, which has led the investigation to understand the cause of this incident since we learned of the first recall,” Ekedahl said. “As part of this continuing effort, the Commission will augment the FDA’s work and make recommendations so that consumers continue to be confident in the food they feed their pets.

“The people who make pet food are pet lovers and owners themselves,” Ekedahl noted. “They understand the concerns consumers have about pet food products and feel a special responsibility to address this issue.”

Ekedahl was joined at the hearing by Dr. Angele Thompson—an expert in nutritional biochemistry and a member of the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition—who will chair the National Pet Food Commission.

“It is a distinct privilege to offer what I can to such an important topic at this critical time,” said Dr. Thompson. “It is imperative that we study this problem from all sides and apply lessons learned to further build on industry procedures and safeguards.”

Dr. Thompson said the commission will have its first meeting in the coming days.

Since 1958, the Pet Food Institute has been the voice of U.S. pet food manufacturers. PFI is the industry’s public education and media relations resource, representative before the U.S. Congress and state and federal agencies, organizer of seminars and educational programs, and liaison with other organizations. PFI represents the manufacturers of 97 percent of all dog and cat food produced in the United States.

Source: The Pet Food Institute

Contact:
Kurt Gallagher of The Pet Food Institute
202-367-1120
[email protected]
http://www.petfoodreport.com/