We know you are facing challenges hiring and retaining quality labor - the American Feed Industry Association can help!
The AFIA provides educational resources for members to learn about the feed industry and feed safety.
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) animal food rule requires facilities to train “qualified individuals” who manufacture, process, pack or hold animal food to ensure those employees are qualified to perform their assigned duties. This 15 minute training video, offered in English, Spanish and French, provides information on animal food safety, including the importance of employee health and personal hygiene.
The AFIA Pet Food Committee developed this educational document for members, providing suggested recommendations for minimizing potential contamination of pet food products and ingredients. The Pet Food Safety Practices were written to promote safe pet foods and products at all pet food and ingredient facilities.
Five times per year, the AFIA and Kansas State University offer a six-week online course that provides participants with an in-depth understanding of feed manufacturing, covering topics such as: the process flow from particle size reduction to batching and mixing, conditioning and pelleting, boilers, post-pellet systems, packaging and load out and maintenance.
The AFIA offers select content from its well-respected AFIA/KSU 500, “Fundamentals of Feed Manufacturing,” online course available in smaller segments online and on-demand. Employees are able sign up for and take any of the available courses at a time that best fits their schedules. The modules include narrated presentations and knowledge checks.
This 20-hour course provides the “standardized curriculum,” which is recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as adequate for PCQI training, as required by FSMA. The AFIA offers this course annually to a limited number of students interested in obtaining their PCQI certification.
The AFIA can also conduct private trainings, please contactGary Huddleston, AFIA's director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs, or Paul Davis, Ph.D., AFIA's director of quality, animal food safety and education, for more information.
The Feed Manufacturing Technology is a must-have resource for everyone involved in the production and manufacture of food for livestock, poultry, aquaculture, horses and pets. This comprehensive resource is a great reference for everyday operations as it covers topics such as employee safety and health, materials handling and storage, sanitation and pest management and quality assurance. It also includes detailed information on planning new facilities or remodeling existing facilities.
For assistance logging into the member website to view these resources, contact Erica Burson, AFIA's membership and database specialist.