The Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPFA) is pleased to share that the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) recently updated the Terrestrial Animal Health Code at their 91st General Assembly to recognize dry, extruded pet food and heat-treated meat products (including pet food) in a 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). The WOAH Terrestrial Code is a comprehensive set of guidelines and standards aimed at ensuring the health and welfare of terrestrial animals. It provides a framework for countries to develop and implement effective animal health policies and practices and to facilitate safe international trade in animals and animal products, ensuring that health risks are minimized and that countries can protect their animal populations.

The 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 is the result of a thorough scientific evaluation and review of data which showed the processing of extruded dry pet food results in the production of a safe commodity with respect to ASF, RVF and FMD. WOAH had previously recognized heat- treated meat products (including pet food) in hermetically sealed containers with a F0 value of 3 or above as a safe commodity with respect to both ASF, RVF and FMD. With the updates to the Terrestrial Code, both extruded dry pet food and heat- treated wet pet food meeting the conditions specified are not considered a biosecurity risk for trade.

GAPFA works cooperatively with WOAH through their Memorandum of Understanding. GAPFA first announced a memorandum of understanding with WOAH (formerly OIE) in 2017, in which the organizations agreed to partner on relevant activities related to setting international standards in pet food safety. The global association maintains strategic partnerships with multiple organizations that share the common goals of promoting pet food safety and nutrition, pet wellbeing and the human-animal bond.

ASF, RVF and FMD join High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) as diseases that both dry, extruded pet food, and heat-treated meat products (including pet food) in a hermetically sealed container are deemed safe commodities regardless of producing country disease status. This pet food can be traded internationally irrespective of the disease status of the exporting country. This means that even if an exporting country has cases of infection with HPAI, ASF, RVF or FMD, pet food meeting the standards in the Terrestrial Code can be traded safely.

“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”, stated Loretta Hunter, GAPFA President.

About GAPFA

The Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPFA) is a non-profit association of pet food manufacturers, established in Belgium in 2014. GAPFA’s mission is to support the health and wellbeing of dogs and cats and to promote the benefits of living with them, by providing a forum to address industry consensus on key issues of mutual interest. The Alliance works to promote adherence to food safety and nutritional standards enabling manufacturers to deliver wholesome, healthy and nutritious prepared pet foods; to promote the feeding of prepared pet food to support the health and wellbeing of pets; and to develop and disseminate educational resources which highlight and enhance the benefits of human pet interaction. For further information, please visit www.gapfa.org.

ENDS/ issued by GAPFA