The Voice of the
Pet Food Industry
Save the date for the 2012 Feed and Pet Food Joint Conference
October 9-11, 2012
Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch
St. Louis, Mo.
More information will be coming soon on this important event for the pet food and feed industries. In the meantime, please sign our guestbook so we can let you know when registration is open.
Best Practices for Proper Handling of Pet Food
Members of the Pet Food Institute encourage pet owners to follow proven sanitary practices and proper handling procedures for pet food and treats. Among them are keeping food bowls clean and dry, plus separating food bowls from water bowls. While pet foods and treats are produced to ensure microbial safety, pet owners should avoid cross contamination between pet food and human food, just as they should avoid cross contamination between the foods they eat themselves. Pet owners should wash their hands prior to eating and after handling pet treats and toys, especially those that have been chewed by a pet.
Welcome to the Pet Food Institute Web Site
Today, a majority of US households have at least one pet cat or dog. In 2011 there were 65.9 million pet dogs and nearly 79.7 million pet cats*. These pets are more than just animals sharing our homes; they are members of the family. As the number of pet dogs and cats in the United States has increased, so too have the efforts of the Pet Food Institute (PFI) and the pet food industry.
The first commercially prepared pet food was a dog biscuit introduced in England about 1860. Since then, pet foods have expanded to include canned, dry and semi-moist foods to meet a wide variety of nutritional needs. Pet owners today have a tremendous choice of products to choose from but all pet foods have one thing in common: decades of effort and research have gone into each and every commercially produced pet food product in the United States to ensure it provides the proper nutrition for your pet dog or cat.
Since 1958, PFI has served as the voice of the US pet food industry, an industry that is committed to providing consumers and their pets with products that meet the complex nutritional requirements of our companion animals. Visit the About PFI section to learn more about PFI and its programs.
* Source: Euromonitor International
PFI Monitor Fall 2011 issue
The Fall 2011 issue of the PFI Monitor is now out.
Features articles include:
- AAFCO, A colorful history
- Surge in emerging market demand key to strong global growth in pet food
- Op-Ed: New challenges make industry coordination even more important
- Pet food industry turns out for second PFI-NGFA Joint Conference
- Myth Buster: Pet food is highly regulated, contrary to common misunderstandings
- Tools for mycotoxin awareness
- Pets Are Wonderful: Keeping our companion animals healthy
Read the latest issue online or sign up to receive your own copy in the mail.
PFI Monitor Spring 2011 issue
Read the Spring 2011 issue of the PFI Monitor.
Features articles include:
- World Record: Food input costs on the rise
- New food safety law to prompt epic change
- Second PFI-NGFA Joint Conference set for Kansas City
- PFI, PIJAC named to Maryland spay/neuter task force
- Busting the allergy myth
Salvage and Distressed Pet Food Handling Guide
Outlines responsibility of manufacturers, distributors, retails and other operations that handle or may handle salvage or distressed pet food. [Read Now...]
How Pet Food Is Made
Ever wonder how pet food is made? Check out the Consumers section of this site for an overview of several common techniques used to make pet food.
Export Promotion
Since 1993 PFI has sponsored export promotion activities by participating in USDA's Market Access Program. For more information on PFI's program visit our Export Promotion page or the USDA web site at www.fas.usda.gov
© 2006-2012 Pet Food Institute