May 16, 2014

16/05/14: AFIA Names Individuals on FSMA Work Groups as Members of the Year

For the first time in American Feed Industry Association history, the organization named participants of their seven Food Safety Modernization Act work groups as the 2014 Members of the Year. In total, 83 members from 60 member companies were honored during a ceremony at AFIA's Board of Directors meeting this week in Arlington, Va.

The Member of the Year Award is bestowed to an AFIA member who has exhibited amazing support over the year to help the organization achieve its goals and objectives. Since 1985, 33 individuals have received this award.

"AFIA chose to honor the sizable group due to their efforts in assisting the association with the review and preparation of comments of the FSMA proposed regulations," said AFIA President and CEO Joel G. Newman. "FSMA is undoubtedly the largest set of rules to affect our industry in years and we could not have submitted such comprehensive comments to FDA without this group of people."

FSMA is the largest rulemaking effort imposed on the animal food industry since FDA's creation in 1938. The industry also faced one of the shortest comment periods relative to the rule's size and scope. The work groups have diligently provided feedback on proposed rules, reports and guidance documents on FSMA areas including foreign supplier verification; third-party certification; Current Good Manufacturing Practices, hazard identification and preventive controls; and records and registration.

"The Hazard Identification and Preventive Controls Work Group established eight subgroups alone when the animal food rules were proposed in October 2013," said Richard Sellers, AFIA senior vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs. "The group tirelessly waded through 400-plus pages of rules and more than 40 questions provided by FDA in addition to CGMPs (not required by FSMA) in the proposed regulation during very short time constraints. Not one, but this entire group is incredibly deserving of being this year's Member of the Year."

Participants of the work groups will continue to provide feedback on FSMA-related materials as FDA moves forward with the rules. Group members are currently reviewing the proposed rule on "Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food" and are eagerly waiting for FDA to reopen certain sections of the animal food rule.

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.

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