CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — The Association of American Feed Controls Officials (AAFCO) and the National Industrial Hemp Council of America (NIHC) will be hosting a webinar on Aug. 9. The webinar, entitled “Why Isn’t Hemp in Animal Feed? A National Discussion on the Overcoming Challenges and Gaining Approval,” will cover hemp and its inclusion in animal feed and pet foods.

The free webinar will cover several hemp topics in relation to animal feed, including regulatory hurdles and other challenges, solutions and best practices. The “Why Isn’t Hemp in Animal Feed” webinar will be divided into three parts:

  • “Scientific Research and Data” will be held from 12:15 to 1:20 pm. EDT
  • “Ingredient Review and Approval” will be held from 1:30 to 2:35 pm. EDT
  • “Interests and Concerns Everyone is Facing” will be held from 2:45 to 3:50 pm. EDT

Each part will feature five panelists who will answer questions and lead the discussions. Panelists include:

  • Charlotte Conway, deputy director of the Division of Animal Food Ingredients at the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM)
  • Massimo Bionar, Ph.D., associate professor of dairy nutrigenomics at Oregon State University
  • Rex Newkirk, Ph.D., of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance
  • Kendall Swanson, Ph.D., professor of Animal Sciences at North Dakota State University
  • Craig Schluttenhofer, Ph.D., research assistant professor of natural products at Central State University
  • Frank Sikora, director of laboratories at the University of Kentucky’s Division of Regulatory Services and member of AAFCO
  • Raj Kasula, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief nutrition officer of Wenger Group and board director of the Hemp Feed Coalition
  • Kathleen May, chair of the D-37 Committee at ASTM International
  • Hunter Buffington, vice president of policy and advocacy at Element6 Dynamics and member of the Government Affairs Committee at NIHC
  • Bill Richmond, chief of the US Domestic Hemp Program at the USDA
  • Erin Bubb, division chief of agronomic and regional services at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and past president of AAFCO
  • Jeremy Powers, strategic advisor for international affairs of 357 Hemp Logistics and member of NIHC
  • Kimberly Guay, Ph.D., associate professor at Tarleton University
  • Leah Wilkinson, vice president of public policy and education at the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA)
  • Dharati Szymanski, Ph.D., assistant director of the Division of Animal and Public Health at the American Veterinary Medical Association

Interest in including hemp in commercial animal feed has significantly gained traction since the passing of the Agricultural Improvement Act, also known as the Farm Bill, in 2018. Though the bill expanded the legal production of hemp, the usage of the ingredient in animal feed and pet food remains under the jurisdiction of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state regulatory organizations. 

In February, AAFCO and 17 other industry and regulatory organizations released an open letter urging for further research in hemp animal feed products.

Register for the “Why Isn’t Hemp in Animal Feed?” webinar.

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