Category: food

GLENDALE, WIS. — Machinery manufacturer Ampco Pumps Company reorganized its Ampco Applied Products (AAP) division, creating two sales territories and three new roles as part of a strategic shift focusing on innovation and growth.

AAP, which consists of Ampco’s blending, homogenizer and product unloading equipment lines, will now approach sales with a western region supported by Joe Schulteis and a western region supported by Gowtham Sundar. Additionally, Ampco named Michael Boyd the manager for AAP solutions.

The company said reorganizing its AAP division will allow it to better serve customers, with the new sales roles complementing the work of Ampco regional sales managers. The supplier said its plan will provide increased knowledge and support for its AAP systems.

Boyd’s new managerial responsibilities include new product development, addressing application challenges and creating new growth opportunities in European markets. During his career in mechanical engineering, Boyd has amassed 25-plus years of experience working on mixing and blending solutions. Ampco called him “uniquely qualified” to lead the AAP division.

Schulteis enters his new role after spending eight years with Ampco in engineering roles. The company said his work during that time focused on mixing and blending applications. Schulteis now will work with customers in all states west of and including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana, as well as Canadian provinces west of and including Manitoba.

Sundar worked the previous seven years as an applications engineer at Ampco, working with pumps and applied products. The company said his eastern region includes all states east of and including Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi, and all Canadian provinces east of Ontario.

ATLANTA — The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) announced that Eric Altom, Ph.D., is the winner of the 2025 Friend of Pet Food Award. Charles Starkey, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the North American Renderers Association (NARA), and Jessica Starkey, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Poultry Science at Auburn University, presented Altom with the award during the AFIA Pet Food Conference, held in conjunction with the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta.

Currently the director of innovation for companion animals and technical nutritionist at Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health, Altom has made significant contributions to the pet food industry throughout his career of more than 25 years. In addition to focusing on advancing research in pet nutrition and product development, Altom is also widely recognized for his commitment to mentorship. According to AFIA, he has dedicated his time and professional expertise to guiding students and young professionals, offering support with any professional needs they may have.

Altom is also actively involved in many industry events and initiatives, including the Pet Food Alliance, AFIA Pet Food Conference, Auburn University’s Imaginarium Workshops, Kansas State University’s Kibblecon and more.

“Dr. Altom’s impact on the pet food industry goes beyond his professional achievements,” said Louise Calderwood, AFIA’s director of regulatory affairs. “His active engagement in organizations that advance the industry as a whole and dedication to mentoring the next generation of leaders is exceptional. His efforts to support and inspire future industry professionals reflect his commitment to ensuring the long-term success of our field.”

Prior to his professional career, Altom earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Tennessee Technological University, a master’s degree in nutrition from Clemson University and a doctorate in animal science-nutrition from Auburn University. Altom also received AFIA’s Member of the Year award in 2022.

Originally established in 2019, the AFIA Friend of Pet Food Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions in supporting the growth of the pet food industry. Since its inception, nine people have earned this award, including Angele Thompson, who won the award last year.

Stay up to date on the latest pet food processing industry headlines on our News page. 

MCLEAN, VA. — The Food Production Solutions Association (FPSA) announced the appointment of Chris Lyons as its new president and chief executive officer. Lyons’ addition to the FPSA leadership team is part of the association’s membership evolution to include more food producers alongside original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and industry associates.

“Chris brings the perfect blend of association management experience and strategic vision that FPSA needs as we embrace this next chapter of growth,” said Brian Perkins, chairman of the FPSA board and president of Provisur Technologies Inc. “His track record of strengthening organizations and building collaborative environments aligns perfectly with our mission to create a sustainable future for the food industry.”

Lyons brings years of private, government, and non-profit leadership experience to his new role including tenure as CEO of the Society for Technical Communication and chief operating officer of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy.

FPSA announced a rebrand and name change last March, during its Executive Exchange & Conference. The rebranding gave the organization the opportunity to welcome several new membership categories, including food producers, to encourage cross-sector collaboration.

“I am honored to join FPSA at this transformative moment,” Lyons said. “The association’s expanded mission to create a collaborative environment that brings together manufacturers, suppliers, and food producers presents an exciting opportunity. Together, we will focus on delivering meaningful education, industry engagement, philanthropy, and advocacy that drives innovation and sustainability in the food industry.”

Earlier in his career, Lyons was part of IBM’s Global Services Public Sector Strategic Consulting Practice, where he held various leadership roles focused on business development and client relationships. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Maryland.

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.

BRUSSELS — The Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPHA) announced that the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) recently updated the Terrestrial Animal Health Code at its 91st General Assembly to recognize dry, extruded pet food and heat-treated meat products (including pet food) in hermetically sealed containers as a safe commodity with respect to Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Rift Valley Fever virus (RVF) and African Swine Fever (ASF). This recognition assures countries that dry, extruded pet food can safely be traded regardless of disease outbreak status of the producing country or the country of origin of the raw materials.

“This recognition of extruded, dry and retorted wet pet food as a safe commodity with respect to African Swine Fever, Foot and Mouth Disease, and Rift Valley Fever is a major milestone in assuring that this pet food can continue to be safely traded regardless of the disease outbreak status of a producing country,” said Loretta Hunter, president of GAPFA.

This recognition is the result of a scientific evaluation and review of data which showed the processing of extruded dry pet food as safe with respect to ASF, RVF and FMD. Previously, WOAH had recognized heat-treated meat products in hermetically sealed containers with a F0 value of 3 or above as a safe commodity as well. With these updates to the Terrestrial Code, both extruded dry and heat-treated wet pet food that meet the specified conditions are not considered a biosecurity risk for trade.

The WOAH Terrestrial Code is a set of guidelines and standards aimed at ensuring the health and welfare of terrestrial animals, meaning animals that live primarily on land. The code provides a framework for countries to develop and implement effective animal health policies and practices, as well as facilitate safe international trade in animals and animal products, ensuring that health risks are minimized.

ASF, RVF and FMD have now joined Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) as diseases that both dry, extruded and heat-treated pet food are deemed safe commodities, regardless of producing country disease status. This means that even if an exporting country has cases of infection with any of those diseases, pet food meeting the standards in the Terrestrial Code can be traded safely.

Read more about pet food safety on our Operations page.

WASHINGTON — The Pet Food Institute (PFI) announced its support for the reintroduction of the Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform Act (PURR Act) that would “modernize” and “streamline” the way pet food is regulated.

Under the proposed bill  ̶  H.R.597   ̶  the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would have regulatory authority over the labeling and ingredient review process for dog and cat food and treats, replacing the current state-by-state approach used for ingredient and label approval. According to PFI, the current approval process is “outdated and inconsistent.” 

“Dog and cat owners not only want to ensure the same high-quality pet foods they trust to nourish their beloved dogs and cats but expect the products to reflect the latest in nutritional science and ingredient innovation,” said Dana Brooks, president and chief executive officer of PFI. “To continue delivering on that commitment, we are supporting federal legislation that would replace the current inefficient patchwork approach between states and the federal government with consistent national standards that are predictable, clearly defined, and encourage innovation and speed to market.” 

The bipartisan legislation, called the PURR Act of 2025, was introduced on Jan. 21 by Representatives Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Derek Schmidt (R-Kan.), Josh Harder (D-Calif.), David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Adrian Smith (R-Neb.). It was first introduced by Representative Jake LaTurner (R-Kan.) in February 2024 as the PURR Act of 2024 with 18 total co-sponsors.

“With nearly 66% of US households owning a pet, it’s important that the owners receive the best quality food to keep their pet healthy,” Womack said. “Unfortunately, pet food manufacturers are forced to deal with a nearly 100-year-old, costly and confusing dual regulatory system, making it difficult for them to invest in new and improved products. My legislation would cut red tape and streamline the system by granting sole authority to the FDA to regulate the labeling and marketing of pet food. By removing the current state-by-state regulatory patchwork and modernizing the system, pet food makers can provide nutritious food for our beloved pets.”

According to PFI, the proposed legislation would allow centralized federal regulatory oversight by the FDA and eliminate “inconsistent” state interpretations and decisions impacting ingredient and pet food label approvals. In order to improve consumers’ access to safe products, the legislation calls for clearly defined performance measures for the FDA, including new ingredient review and approval timelines, overseen by the US Congress.

“Outdated, overbearing and unnecessarily complicated regulations have stifled production and ingenuity across all American industries, including pet food,” Schmidt said. “The archaic regulations currently in place have meant pet food producers in Kansas and across the country spend more time worrying about meeting mismatched guidelines and less time innovating new products; fortunately, the PURR Act provides a solution. 

“By instituting uniform, streamlined pet food standards, we’ll be empowering businesses to succeed while ensuring that American pet owners have access to quality and nutritious food for their pets,” he added. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with my colleagues and look forward to helping move it through Congress and voting for it on the House floor.”

Under the new legislation, State Departments of Agriculture and other state officials would still participate in quality inspections and product registrations, but label reviews would be entirely under the FDA’s domain. According to PFI, the law would result in a modernized pet food regulatory framework more like how human foods are regulated. “As someone who’s fostered multiple dogs with my wife Pam, I know how important it is to trust the food we’re putting in their bowls,” Harder said. “This bill ensures that no matter where you’re buying pet food, it meets the same high standard for nutrition and quality. It’s good for our pets and good for businesses trying to navigate outdated red tape.”

The reintroduction of the PURR Act follows significant regulatory changes in the animal feed and pet food market. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recently approved a new regulatory pathway for animal food ingredients, following the expiration of its partnership with the FDA in October. Meanwhile, the FDA released its new interim process for Animal Food Ingredient Consultations, which offers a different path from AAFCO.

For more regulatory news affecting the pet food market, visit our Regulatory page.

NEW YORK — Leaders of top performers in the consumer products (CP) industry are shifting focus this year to innovation investment, portfolio changes, enhancing consumer demand and finding efficiencies.

Deloitte Consultancy surveyed 250 global CP executives from food and beverage and other industries for its 2025 Consumer Products Outlook, which described the survey respondents as senior decision-makers at companies with more than $500 million in revenue – and most above $5 billion.

Top performers, or 100 of the top CP companies whose performance metrics Deloitte analyzed, stood out in three priority areas: product portfolio and mix, demand generation, and transformative efficiency.

“In 2025, companies will likely be addressing product portfolio and mix to entice the consumer, as well as investing in a broader set of demand-generation capabilities,” according to the report. “Businesses are also expected to create transformative efficiency to produce savings that help fund those investments.”

The findings reflect recent developments in the broader economic environment, said Ed Johnson, principal, retail and consumer products, Deloitte Consulting. He said as inflation and changing consumer preferences impacted the CP industry, they sparked varying responses, including reduced marketing spend, increased prices and challenges to innovation.

“I think, in the last three years, the emphasis was on catching up with inflation and the need to show other cost improvements to offset the fact that inflation couldn’t be fully passed on,” Johnson said.

The actions led to a decrease in marketing and pressure on price.

“It was in the news every day how high inflation was, so it created a bit of an excuse,” he added.

Johnson called innovation “an age-old problem” for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and one made more difficult as consumer preferences increasingly diverge. He said a recent National Retail Federation presentation focused on the rapid rise of billion-dollar brands in the 1980s and 1990s but how lately there’s been no such increase.

“It’s gotten harder and harder to have brands that resonate with the haves and the have-nots,” Johnson said. “Because of prices and socioeconomic, political and religious beliefs, all these things have made the US consumer more diverse, which has made it harder and harder to make a box of cereal grow to be a billion-dollar product.”

When CP companies do innovate in 2025, they plan to focus on truly novel products rather than minor enhancements or changes to existing ones, Deloitte found. Johnson said many of his clients are working from concept to something ready to be discussed with retailers in the next quarter or so.

“A lot of their innovation pipeline is focused on truly new products rather than on the next flavor of soda,” he said.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools can unlock valuable analytics for CP companies looking to innovate, Johnson said.

“With AI, (companies) can use consumer preference data to test products with digital twins and test the rate of sale, and that’s really powerful,” he said. “The second thing companies can do with AI that was never previously possible was simulate the manufacturing of the product itself.

“So in the same way the first large language models were looking at chemicals and pharmaceuticals to test how a medicine can be used, CPGs can test for taste and shelf stability and whether a baked good will rise. That’s really new in the last year. It’s not easy and it’s not cheap, but it’s easier and much cheaper than before.”

Deloitte found 62% of surveyed food and beverage executives planned to use precision analytics to identify new brands and growth opportunities this year, and it expects such tools will be used more profitably to derisk innovation investments.

On the mergers and acquisitions front, the report said there could be increasing activity in 2025 after a couple years of decreased levels. Johnson said lowering interest rates and costs of acquisition will be key, although the impetus behind acquiring or divesting companies seems to be shifting away from “bolt-on” acquisitions and those designed to facilitate entry into a high-growth category or market.

Instead, the outlook found companies are looking for strong brands to drive growth and M&A deals to accelerate digital transformation.

“I think (this trend) is more now around creating more focus in their portfolios and eventually filling unmet needs, whether brands or price points or attributes around consumer desires in a category, other than trying to acquire those capabilities,” Johnson said.

When it comes to efficiency and business simplification, 96% of executives surveyed told Deloitte they plan to prioritize improving productivity in 2025, and 82% said their company would be investing more in this area.

Cost-reduction remains on the CP agenda, the report said, with 64% of executives indicating their company will focus more in 2025 on lowering costs than in previous years. However, it pointed out there are risks to this approach.

“In this instance, companies should be careful of short-termism — cutting so much today that they sacrifice future performance,” the outlook said.

Johnson described Deloitte as optimistic about the outlook for the CP industry and particularly the growth companies can achieve if they take advantage of what’s been put in front of them. In his view, the advantages include the explosion in data and the ability to market in a different way to smaller pockets of consumers, and to make better decisions on which market campaigns to run, which products to innovate and how to get the best out of their employees.

“We think this will be a good year for the sector,” he said.

ATLANTA — Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) announced a new brand name and identity, with the food safety solution and sanitation provider rebranding as Fortrex.

The new name is meant to better represent the company’s identity as the first line of defense against harmful contaminants in the food supply. The “X” in Fortrex’s new logo was designed to indicate the elimination of contaminants.

“At Fortrex, we are the first line of defense for our customers, driven by consumer safety, customer service and compliance,” said Tim Mulhere, chief executive officer of Fortrex. “Our refreshed identity is more than just a new look — it’s a bold step forward for our company that better reflects our evolution, our unwavering commitment to our customers, employees and our core values. With Fortrex, our customers can expect a renewed focus on service excellence with an increased dedication to innovation.”

Fortrex is a primary partner for large and small processing plants across North America. The company noted that Safe Foods, a division of PSSI Food Safety Solutions, will continue under the Fortrex brand.

The rebranding follows the company’s relocation of its headquarters to Atlanta, where Fortrex is able to travel to existing customers with greater efficiency.

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — Today, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) membership voted on a new regulatory pathway for animal food ingredients, approving Kansas State University Olathe Innovation Campus’s (K-State Olathe) proposal. Through the pathway, the university will provide scientific review for new ingredient submissions for use in pet food and animal feed. 

The new pathway replaces AAFCO’s Memorandum of Understanding with the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which expired in October. 

“AAFCO’s partnership with K-State Olathe begins a new era of innovation and proficiency for the animal feed industry,” said Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO. “This new pathway will offer a regulatory review process that is straightforward and comprehensive to bring ingredients to market safely and more efficiently than our previous process with FDA.”

The new pathway, which was originally proposed by K-State Olathe in October, will be led by Haley Larson, Ph.D., assistant professor of animal health at K-State Olathe. It will also include a scientific review panel of subject-matter experts from various universities throughout the United States, as well as independent consultants to ensure full representation of all animal species. The panel will examine potential ingredient submissions from the animal nutrition industry and provide recommendations to AAFCO membership for final approval. 

Once approved, new ingredients will then be included in AAFCO’s Official Publication, which is currently the most comprehensive list of approved feed ingredients and is recognized by state and international regulatory agencies. 

“We’re honored to partner with AAFCO and apply our scientific and technical expertise to ensuring the safety and quality of animal food ingredients,” said Ben Wolfe, dean and chief executive officer of K-State Olathe. “We look forward to working closely with AAFCO to implement this transformative approach and foster a regulatory environment that benefits producers, consumers and the broader community.”

Additionally, the new pathway is intended to complement the FDA’s current GRAS (generally recognized as safe) process and offer the animal feed and pet food industries another option to bring new products to the market. Since the FDA has developed its own processes, AAFCO and K-State Olathe have developed procedures to ensure ingredients are not submitted through multiple channels. 

“We understand the animal feed industry has much to consider when introducing a new proposed ingredient,” Therrell said, “We’re committed to a collaborative process that is safe, scientific and streamlined to meet the industry’s demand for new ingredients while upholding AAFCO’s unwavering standards for animal and human health.”

For more regulatory news affecting the pet food market, visit our Regulatory page.

SILVER SPRING, MD. — Following rising concerns about highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in pets, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced that pet food manufacturers using uncooked or unpasteurized ingredients derived from poultry or cattle are now required to reexamine their food safety plans to include HPAI, specifically the H5N1 virus strain, as a known or foreseeable hazard. 

Currently, the administration is tackling cases of H5N1 in both domestic and wild felines in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington that have consumed contaminated food. Additionally, the virus has been detected in raw pet food formulas from Morasch Meats and Monarch Raw Pet Food, leading to various cats contracting the virus. 

According to the FDA, H5N1 can now be transmitted to cats and dogs if they consume products from infected poultry or cattle, like unpasteurized milk and raw meat, that have not undergone a processing step such as pasteurizing, cooking or canning. The virus poses particularly dangerous to cats, with many experiencing severe illness or death. Dogs are also able to contract the virus, however, they usually exhibit mild signs and low mortality compared to cats. To date, no dogs in the United States have contracted HPAI. 

With this top of mind, the FDA is imploring pet food manufacturers covered by the Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls for Animal Food (PCAF) using such raw products to implement food safety plans that consider HPAI. 

“Manufacturers that implement a preventive control for the H5N1 hazard as a result of their reanalysis will be taking an important step toward protecting cat and dog health and helping to prevent spread of H5N1,” the administration shared. “Addressing H5N1 will require a concerted effort across sectors, including by government, businesses and consumers.”

To help mitigate HPAI in pet food, the FDA recommends that processors seek ingredients from flocks and herds that are healthy, use processing methods such as heat treatment to inactivate the virus, and implement controls throughout the supply chain to ensure ingredients do not come from HPAI-infected animals. 

Read more on from the FDA on this issue. 

For more regulatory news affecting the pet food market, visit our Regulatory page.