The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is taking its annual meeting virtual in 2020 due to COVID-19. The meeting that was originally scheduled to occur in Baltimore, Md., will be virtual Aug. 5 to Aug. 7. The new virtual conference will consist of half-day sessions and a digital format that allows for broader participation from state and federal animal feed and pet food officials, according to AAFCO.

The meeting will include an update on the effect of COVID-19 from Timothy Schell, director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance with the US Food and Drug Administration’s (USDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). The three-day event will also include discussions from a range of committees, including the ingredient definitions, pet food and laboratory services committees. Participants who register for full access ($350 for industry members) will be able to join each committee meeting by webcast, submit questions and engage through chat features.

Full-registration participants will also have access to an on-demand library of committee discussions and programming after the conclusion of the 2020 AAFCO Annual Meeting.

The committee discussions will also be available in listen-only mode through complimentary access on a first-come, first-served basis. No registration is needed for the listen-only mode. The phone number for the listen-only access is included on each committee agenda. Committee agendas are available on the AAFCO annual meeting web page.

Those interested in registering for this virtual event can do so through the AAFCO website. The deadline to register is Aug. 3.

Read more about pet food and treat industry events.