For over four years, the Pet Food Institute (PFI) has made available its "Handling Salvage & Distressed Pet Food" guide to help everyone comply with the laws governing these pet food products. Under Federal law, to prevent the possible spread of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), all salvaged and distressed pet food products that may contain certain animal proteins must be labeled with the precautionary statement "Do Not Feed to Cattle or Other Ruminants." The recently released Government Accountability Office (GAO) report evaluating the success of the Food and Drug Administration's enforcement of the feed rule points to the importance of full compliance with this provision of the law.

The PFI "Handling Salvage & Distressed Pet Food" guidance brochure is a straight-forward description of all of the information needed to comply with the law. Details are provided on the types of ingredients that salvage and distressed pet food might contain that would require the precautionary label.

"Handling Salvage & Distressed Pet Food" also contains sample pet food product donation letters for giving products to animal shelters, as well as information on pet food labeling requirements from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Salvage and distressed pet food not sold at retail and intended for use in animal feed must be labeled correctly.

According to Duane Ekedahl, PFI's Executive Director, the guide has been instrumental in educating manufacturers, brokers, retailers, farmers and others involved in handling these pet food products. "To date we have distributed over 16,000 copies of this information brochure. PFI wants to make sure everyone who could conceivably handle salvage and distressed pet food is aware of their responsibilities under the law," Ekedahl said. "Because of the discovery of BSE in the US in an imported animal in 2003, it is critical that salvage and distressed pet food always be labeled appropriately," he added.

Copies of PFI's "Handling Salvage & Distressed Pet Food" guide are available free of charge. The guide can also be downloaded from the PFI webpage (Adobe Acrobat is required). Orders can also be placed via email to info@petfoodinstitute.org or by calling PFI at 202-367-1120.

Date: 4/14/05