Meat and Poultry Industry NewsRegulations

AFIA's Board of Directors advocates for animal food issues and welcomes new leadership

AFIA board approves seven nominated individuals as additions to AFIA’s Executive Committee.

American Feed Industry Association

The American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) Board of Directors recently wrapped up its annual spring meeting in Arlington, Va., where they heard from federal officials, advocated for key policy priorities impacting the animal food industry on Capitol Hill and conducted other official business, including installing new board leadership and directors.

At the board briefing, the directors heard from Tracey Forfa, J.D., director for the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, and Tim Schell, Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Office of Surveillance and Compliance, on the regulatory process for approving new animal food ingredients, especially those with non-nutritive benefits (e.g., reduced food safety pathogens or emissions), agency resources and more.

“We have pushed very hard to recognize that there are a lot of novel feed ingredients coming down – that is the future,” said Forfa. “We recognize that, and so we have been really working very hard to figure out how to make the process for reviewing those keep up with the times.”

Forfa said regulating products in 2023 with authorities based in the 1930s is a challenge that CVM’s lawyers have been working to figure out. In addition, the CVM has been working to bring technical experts on board to help the agency keep pace or stay slightly ahead of innovations in the regulated industries.

The board also heard from Daniel Whitley, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, on two public-private partnership programs that promote agricultural products abroad — the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program.

“The programs have not had an infusion of increased funding – ever. They are still at the same [levels] they were at decades ago,” Whitley said. “The problem is our competitors see how well we’re doing with promoting our products, so now they are starting to do it. But they are starting to invest and spend more money than what we have.”

Later, the board directors met with U.S. Senate and House offices, where they lobbied for a legislative amendment to regulating novel animal food additives at the FDA as feed ingredients instead of drugs, $5 million in increased funding for the CVM, and key Farm Bill trade and conservation programs that can help the industry remain globally competitive and sustainable in the future.

During the official business meeting, the AFIA Board of Directors recognized outgoing board chair Mike Gauss, president of Kent Nutrition Group Inc., for his leadership over the past year and installed Carlos Gonzalez, Ph.D., worldwide director of regulatory affairs for Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc., as its new chair, effective through the end of AFIA’s fiscal year April 30, 2024. Gauss now transitions into one year of service as chair of the Institute for Feed Education and Research’s (IFEEDER) Board of Trustees.

“I have worked with staff and members of this organization since the early 2000s when I began my regulatory career and am blown away by the work that you do[,]” Gonzalez said. “I am humbled that you have put your trust in me as Board chair over the next year.”

The AFIA Board also voted to accept the nomination of Leigh Ann Sayen, CEO of The Petersen Co., to become chair-elect of the organization for the 2024–25 AFIA fiscal year.

“The future for AFIA is very bright with the phenomenal staff and incoming leadership of Carlos and Leigh Ann,” said Gauss. “They both have diverse backgrounds and amazing skills that will benefit the association, industry and our members greatly.”

The board also confirmed the appointments of the following individuals to serve three-year terms: