NEWS 110 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2026 Jerry May, vice president of government and trade affairs at Freshpet, received the 2026 Friend of Pet Food Award from the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA). A leader in pet food nutrition, innovation and regulatory affairs, May received the award during the AFIA Pet Food Conference, held in conjunction with the International Production and Processing Expo. “Jerry’s influence on the pet food industry is both profound and enduring,” said Constance Cullman, AFIA’s President and CEO. “For more than three decades, he has helped shape science-based regulations, advance innovations that improve pet health and mentor countless professionals who now lead our industry. His commitment to collaboration, sound science and animal wellbeing exemplifies the spirit of this award.” May has spent more than 35 years shaping the global pet food industry through leadership roles with multinational companies focused on nutrition, research and development and regulatory affairs. Throughout his career, May has been instrumental in gaining approval for science-based health claims and defending innovations supporting skin and coat health, mobility, cognitive development and healthy aging of millions of dogs and cats. In recent years, May’s regulatory leadership expanded into the growing “fresh” pet food segment, where he helped overcome domestic and international regulatory and export barriers. He also collaborated with industry partners, trade associations and government agencies to strengthen global regulatory alignment and expand U.S. pet food exports. Read more>> AFIA honors Jerry May with 2026 Friend of Pet Food Award One of the global leaders in heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling solutions, Alfa Laval partnered with GA Petfoods to support the production of premium pet food. Based in Lancashire, UK, the family-owned pet food manufacturer supplies private-label pet food to hundreds of partners across the world, cultivating its recipes to offer industry-leading levels of fresh meat and fish content within its products. Originally partnering with Alfa Laval over a decade ago, the ongoing collaboration sees GA Petfoods harness Alfa Laval’s separation and heat transfer technologies to support efficient processing and higher fresh meat inclusion. “What we’re doing at GA Petfoods is driven by increasingly conscious pet owners across the world. Many are no longer content with an off-the-shelf, dry-rendered kibble that’s lacking in flavour and nutritional value. Pet owners are now demanding the same standards for their companions’ food as they are for their own, which means higher fresh meat inclusion,” said Scott Morley, Head of Design at GA Petfoods. “This is something that we have been pushing the boundaries of for many years, and Alfa Laval’s kit has been central to taking this as far as we possibly can to extract every drop of value from our feedstocks.” Read more>> Alfa Laval and GA Petfoods strengthen partnership in premium kibble production
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