Pet Food Manufacturing Facility Certification Program Certificates Issued
Eurofins Scientific Inc., (ESI), an independent third-party auditor, has issued the first three Pet Food Manufacturing Facility Certification Program certificates, according to an announcement made by the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA).
An announcement was made in late January, 2012, by the AFIA that the voluntary third-party certification program is now available for manufacturers of pet food and ingredients for pet food.
This voluntary, third-party facility certification program was designed for companies that manufacture pet food or pet food ingredients. AFIA’s pet food and quality committees garnered input from third-party food safety experts to develop The Pet Food Manufacturing Facility Certification Program (PFMFCP) and the Pet Food Ingredient Facility Certification Program (PFIFCP).
Joel G. Newman, AFIA’s president and CEO, stated, “AFIA sees these programs as a model for the entire pet food industry. The third-party audit follows principles laid out in both the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practices as well as the basic principles of HACCP.”
Certificates were issued to The Nutro Company’s locations in Kansas City, Missouri; Victorville, California; and Lebanon, Tennessee facilities by ESI.
The certifying body for PFMF and PFIF Certification Programs is ESI. The certification programs build on AFIA’s 2004 launch of the domestic Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program. AFIA is located in Arlington, Virginia, and is considered the world’s largest organization for the United States animal feed industry and its suppliers as it pertains to the business, regulatory, and legislative interests.
For a facility to get certified by the Safe Feed/Safe Food program, materials must be completed and submitted to AFIA, at which point the information is given to the Facility Certification Institute (FCI). The FCI attempts to schedule an inspection within 30 days’ time.
For more information about the certification programs, visit www.safefeedsafefood.org.
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