PET Food Processing - December 2022 - 14

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years
years from inception to formulation. We don't want to
shortchange the system to a point that we're not creating
safe or nutritious pet food, but technology and innovation
is absolutely faster than the United States and
state government, and that will be our limiting factor in
the future. "
On Oct. 18, the US Food and Drug Administration
held a listening session to hear opinions on updating
the Center for Veterinary Medicine's (CVM) Program
Policy and Procedures Manual Guide 1240.3605. The
American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) shared its
position at the session, claiming that animal food ingredients
that address animal wellness, food safety and
production efficiency should be regulated as feed, not
drugs. The current policy of regulating these ingredients
as animal drugs is far more costly and lengthy and
is interfering with new product innovation in the pet
food marketplace.
" Updates to the policy would allow companies who
manufacture animal food ingredients to appropriately
market their ingredients, " said Louise Calderwood, director
of regulatory affairs, AFIA, Arlington, Va. " In the
pet food sector, we know there are ingredients that have
positive impacts on cognition, mobility and mood for
our pets. As pets are living longer and longer, the cognitive
and mobility issues are becoming more and more
important to consumers. Bringing these ingredients to
market in the United States is absolutely essential for the
many benefits they will afford our pets.
" As the claims issue gets resolved, we're going to see
such a breakthrough on the innovation side, " she added.
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" I'm very excited for the opportunities for the animal
food ingredients to support our animals, so they can
continue to be our active healthy companions. "
Aside from the regulatory hurdles that currently exist,
the CVM is also underfunded and understaffed,
Brooks said.
" It's been challenging for the CVM to be able to recruit
and retain talent, " she noted. " That's one of our
biggest challenges - making sure that the CVM is well
funded in order to be able to hire the experts needed to
get the work done. "
Anyone in the manufacturing industry knows, labor
shortages aren't reserved to the regulatory side of the
industry. Pet food processing plants have been feeling
labor pains for the past five years, and likely longer,
with the COVID pandemic exacerbating the challenge
even more.
" There are no pet food plants out there that are running
as efficiently as they'd like to, because there is a definite
workforce shortage, " said Tom Barrett, partner and
vice president of business development and purchasing,
Barrett Petfood Innovations, Brainerd, Minn. " I hear
from other manufacturers all the time - where are the
workers? Nobody wants to work. "
But some don't see the labor shortage as being as simple
as a shortage of workers.
" I think there is a labor shortage, but I don't think the
shortage itself is completely driven by a lack of labor, "
Kuenzi said. " I think some of it is a case of people simply
not wanting to do certain jobs anymore. "
St. Louis-based Purina PetCare has a manufacturing
network consisting of 22 facilities in 15 states. A processing
operation of that size takes a large workforce
that needs to be trained and retained in order to maintain
productivity.
" We work to develop and solidify relationships with
trade and tech schools to showcase modern manufacturing
as a viable and rewarding career path, " said Joe
Toscano, vice president of trade and industry development
for Purina. " These partnerships center around helping
students better understand and embrace digital operations
and technology that is a critical, yet sometimes
unexpected, element of today's manufacturing careers.
Hiring and retaining top talent in our factories starts with
helping potential associates envision themselves at Purina
and embrace our culture and values, and then offering viable
paths to development and career growth. "
Digital operations, technology and automated systems
are the future of pet food processing. Artificial intelligence
will also be more common on the manufacturing
floor, Kuenzi said.
" A lot of the things that we thought would never be
done by computers or machines are starting to be done
14 PET FOOD PROCESSING | December 2022 | www.petfoodprocessing.net
Source: CRB, " Horizons: Pet Food " 2022
http://www.petfoodprocessing.net
PET Food Processing - December 2022

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