PROPOSED PET FOOD REGULATION.

The call by the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) for a change to the regulatory oversight of animal feed ingredients, without clear resolution on which ingredients will need additional information and on the feed ingredient approval process as a whole, has led to confusion and uncertainty within the pet food and animal feed industries, stifling innovation and growth for new feed products. Within the last seven years, it has become apparent that the relationship between CVM and the states’ Association of Federal Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has been evolving and changing, especially in regard to the evaluation and approval of new feed ingredients. Historically, there have been three routes to animal feed ingredient approval: submit a food additive petition (FAP) to CVM, determine that the ingredient is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) or submit a petition under the AAFCO ingredient definition process (the ingredient is then published and recognized in the AAFCO Official Publication, or OP). This information is vital for pets and pet lovers,get more details @ pet food news.