The Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) announced that Gary Huddleston, the American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs, is one of its top 10 instructors in the country for Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) training for animal food.
The alliance recognized Huddleston at its annual conference, this week in Bethesda, Md. The award is given to Huddleston due to the number of participants he trained (instructor-led) and for FSPCA Preventive Controls for Animal Food certificates issued between Aug. 15, 2024, and Aug. 15, 2025. This year, the alliance also recognized Huddleston for training 1,000 or more participants, cumulatively in the four FSPCA training curricula, with FSPCA certificates issued.
“This award and milestone signify AFIA’s deep commitment in ensuring the safety of the animal food supply,” said Leah Wilkinson, AFIA’s chief policy officer, “Gary’s excellent ability to share his knowledge and experience with manufacturers so that they can create and manage robust animal food safety plans is crucial in today’s world where animal food safety is paramount, and regulations impacting feed and pet food manufacturers are constantly evolving. We applaud Gary for his dedication and a job well done.”
PCQI training is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills needed to develop and implement animal food safety plans in compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The AFIA hosts PCQI training annually and upon request for members looking to customize their training.
“It means a lot to me that our members trust me and the AFIA as the best way for their employees to learn how they can help their facility comply with the FSMA animal food regulations and prepare for inspections,” said Huddleston. “By having employees properly trained, it ensures the safety of their animal food products and plays a vital role in protecting the health of consumers, while building multiple layers of defense against potential hazards.”
The AFIA encourages facility quality and regulatory employees and any other manufacturing employees seeking to understand more about FSMA animal food rules to complete this course.
Huddleston will teach a PCQI refresher course from Dec. 9-10 in Nashville, Tenn., which interested individuals can register for now at afia.org/events. The AFIA plans to host a full-course training in summer 2026.
Editorial Note: To obtain a high-resolution image to use for editorial purposes, contact Marisa Halbstein, AFIA’s marketing and program development specialist.
