Help Us Stop Deceptive Labeling in Pet Products
The National Bison Association needs your help in correcting the existing pet food labeling loopholes that allows companies to deceive their customers into believing that the water buffalo in their products is actually North American bison.
The growing demand for bison ingredients in pet products is adding important value to the carcass price paid to producers and is vital in helping us “market the whole animal.” However, several companies are using water buffalo, and are simply labeling the ingredient as buffalo. One company uses water buffalo as their primary ingredient, then adds three percent bison and markets their product as “Made with Roasted Bison.”
The Ingredients Definition Committee of the American Association of Feed Control Officials will be discussing this issue at the AAFCO annual meeting July 30 – Aug. 1. The model regulations established by AAFCO serve as the basis for state and federal regulators in enforcing pet food products.
Listed below is the contact information for all of the members of the AAFCO Ingredients Definition Committee. If one or more of those officials are from your state, please contact them immediately.
Here’s what to include:
- One sentence introducing yourself and your leadership position in the bison business.
- A short statement noting that the pet food industry is increasingly seeking bison ingredients for their treats and food products.
- Because of the tight supply of bison ingredients, some companies are using water buffalo, and simply listing it as “buffalo.”
- In the United States, the overwhelming majority of citizens interpret the word “buffalo” to mean bison.
- Pet food ingredient definitions should assure that the pet food customer is not subject to labeling terms that are deceptive or misleading.
Here is the full list of Committee members:
CALIFORNIA
Kent Kitade
PO Box 22101
Sacramento, CA 95822-0101
United States
916-207-0928 (Phone)
kentkitade@gmail.com
IDAHO
Nathan Price
Ag. Progrm Specialist
Idaho State Department of Agriculture
PO Box 790
Boise, ID 83701
United States
(208) 332-8624 (Phone)
Nathan.Price@ISDA.idaho.gov
INDIANA
Brett Groves
Chief Inspector/Auditor
Office of Indiana State Chemist
175 S University St
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2063
United States
(765) 494-1552 (Phone)
(765) 494-4331 (FAX)
grovesb@purdue.edu
www.isco.purdue.edu
KANSAS
Ken Bowers
Public Service Ad II
Kansas Department of Agricultural
Dairy and Seed Safety
1320 Research Park Dr.
Manhattan, KS 66502
United States
(785) 564-6685 (Phone)
(785) 862-2460 (FAX)
ken.bowers@ks.gov
www.ksda.gov
KENTUCKY
Alan Harrison
Director, Feed and Milk Programs
University of Kentucky
Division of Regulatory Services
Room 103, Regulatory Services Building
Lexington, KY 40546-0275
United States
(859) 257-5887 (Phone)
alan.harrison@uky.edu
LOUISIANNA
Mark LeBlanc
Director, Ag Chemistry
LSU AgCenter/LDAF
Department of Ag. Chemistry
Room 102 Ag. Chemistry Building
LSU Highland Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70803-0001
United States
(225) 342-5812 (Phone)
(225) 237-5559 (FAX)
mark_l@ldaf.state.la.us
www.ldaf.state.la.us
MINNESOTA
Brett Boswell**
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Dairy and Food Inspection Division
625 Robert Street North
Saint Paul, MN 55155-2538
United States
(651) 201-6212 (Phone)
brett.boswell@state.mn.us
** Brett is chairing the discussion group on this issue. Any communication to him should thank him for his work to bring this to the attention of AAFCO.
Dan King
Compliance Officer
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Dairy and Food Inspection Division
625 Robert Street North
Saint Paul, MN 55155-2538
United States
(651) 201-6003 (Phone)
(651) 201-6119 (FAX)
Daniel.King@state.mn.us
MISSOURI
Stan Cook
Program Administrator
Missouri Department of Agriculture
Bureau of Feed, Seed, & Treated Timber
Plant Industries Division
115 Constitution Dr.
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0630
United States
(573) 751-5501 (Phone)
(573) 751-5500 (FAX)
stan.cook@mda.mo.gov
http://mda.mo.gov
Jacob Fleig
Program Coordinator
Missouri Department of Agriculture
Bureau of Feed and Seed
Plant Industries Division
P.O. Box 630
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0630
United States
573-526-4677 (Phone)
jacob.fleig@mda.mo.gov
MONTANA
Bob Church
Field Operations Manager
Montana Department of Agriculture
PO Box 200201
Helena, MT 59620-0201
United States
(406) 444-5410 (Phone)
(406) 444-9466 (FAX)
bchurch@mt.gov
NEBRASKA
Steve Gramlich
Program Manager
Nebraska Department of Agriculture
Po Box 94787
Lincoln, NE 68509-4787
United States
(402) 471-6845 (Phone)
(402) 471-6892 (FAX)
steve.gramlich@nebraska.gov
NORTH CAROLINA
George Ferguson
Feed Administrator
North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
Food & Drug Protection Division
NC Animal Feed Program
1070 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1070
United States
(919) 733-7366 (Phone)
george.ferguson@ncagr.gov
NORTH DAKOTA
Dave Phillips
Feed Specialist
North Dakota Department of Agriculture
600 E Boulevard Ave Dept 602
Livestock Development Division
Bismarck, ND 58505-0020
United States
(701) 328-1501 (Phone)
(701) 328-4567 (FAX)
davephillips@nd.gov
www.nd.gov/ndda
OREGON
Richard Ten Eyck**
Feed Safety Specialist
Oregon Department of Agriculture
635 Capitol St NE Ste 100
Feed Program
Salem, OR 97301-2568
United States
503-986-4691 (Phone)
330-247-2872 (FAX)
rteneyck@oda.state.or.us
http://www.oregon.gov/oda/ahid/index.shtml
** Richard is chair of the Ingredients Definitions Committee.
PENNSYLVANIA
Erin Bubb
Chief, Division of Agronomic & Regional Services
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Division of Agronomic and Regional Svc
Bureau of Plant Industry
2301 N Cameron St
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408
United States
(717) 772-5215 (Phone)
(717) 783-3275 (FAX)
ebubb@pa.gov
www.agriculture.state.pa.us
David Dressler
Agronomic Program Specialist
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Division of Agronomic and Regional Svc
Bureau of Plant Industry
2301 N. Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408
United States
(717) 772-5216 (Phone)
davdressle@pa.govDavid Dressler
Harrisburg, PA
TEXAS
James Embry
Office of the Texas State Chemist
PO Box 3160
Texas A&M University System
College Station, TX 77841-3160
United States
(936) 245-9949 (Phone)
jae@otsc.tamu.edu
WASHINGTON
Ali Kashani
Program Manager
Washington State Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Consumer Svcs. Division
P.O. Box 42560
Olympia, WA 98504-2589
United States
(360) 902-2028 (Phone)
(360) 902-2078 (FAX)
akashani@agr.wa.gov
www.agr.wa.gov
Canadian Members
Jennifer Kormos
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
Ottawa, ON Canada
(613) 773-7535 (Phone)
(613) 773-7565 (FAX)
Jennifer.Kormos@inspection.gc.ca
Laura Scott
Coordinator, Regulatory Development for Animal Feed Division
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Policy and Programs Branch
59 Camelot Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A 0Y9
Canada
613-773-7527 (Phone)
laura.scott@inspection.gc.ca
FDA Committee Members
Mika Alewynse
Team Leader
FDA/Office of Foods (OF)/Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)
7519 Standish Place, HFV-228
Nutrition and Labeling Team
CVM/OSC/DAF
Rockville, MD 20855-2792
United States
240 402 5843 (Phone)
(240) 453-6882 (FAX)
mika.alewynse@fda.hhs.gov
Charlotte Conway
Animal Scientist
FDA
7519 Standish Place, HFV 228
Derwood, MD 20855-7707
United States
(240) 402-6768 (Phone)
(240) 453-6882 (FAX)
charlotte.conway@fda.hhs.gov
Shannon Jordre
Consumer Safety Officer
FDA/Office of Foods (OF)/Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)
7519 Standish Pl
Cvm/Osc/Dc, Hfv-232
Rockville, MD 20855-2792
United States
240-402-5607 (Phone)
(240) 276-9241 (FAX)
shannon.jordre@fda.hhs.gov
Becky Muir
FDA/Office of Foods (OF)/Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)
7519 Standish Pl
Rockville, MD 20855-2792
United States
240-276-8693 (Phone)
becky.muir@fda.hhs.gov