The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), an independent organization that guides state, federal, and international feed regulators on ingredient definitions, labeling standards, and testing standards, recently expressed concern about current federal legislation that would reduce state regulations. did. Oversight and authority to review pet food marketing and labeling.
The Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform Act of 2024 (also known as the PURR Act) aims to create a more streamlined federal regulatory process that prohibits state governments from directly or indirectly establishing or maintaining pet food. It was submitted to Congress in mid-May. Implement or enforce any authority or requirement related to pet food marketing or labeling.
AAFCO is concerned that currently proposed legislation could negatively impact consumer protections, reduce transparency in pet food labels, and jeopardize progress in the safety of pet food products.
“National feed programs are consumers' first line of defense against misleading or mislabeled pet food products,” said Austin Terrell, executive director of AAFCO. “Many state regulators now proactively inspect pet food labels before the product goes on the market to ensure that marketing claims on labels and packaging are accurate and necessary to verify the claims. We know there is scientific data to confirm that. Under the new PURR law, this important layer of consumer protection will be completely eliminated.”
Most U.S. state feed programs conduct premarket reviews of pet food labels to ensure that acceptable marketing claims are substantiated by data and are not false or misleading to consumers. We support the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by providing: The PURR Act allows pet food manufacturers to distribute pet food products that they “proclaim” to be safe without having their ingredients and nutrition labels verified by government authorities before the products are sold and consumed. I will do it.
AAFCO is also concerned about the language currently included in the bill, which states, “Ingredients may be present from time to time,” which requires manufacturers to include “and/or” and “one or more of the following on their packaging.” “including” or other words indicating the following: Pet food may not contain the ingredient. If passed, manufacturers would be able to change or omit ingredients without disclosing the information to consumers.
“Many consumers purchase pet food and treats based on their pet's dietary needs and allergen requirements. Lack of transparency makes it difficult for consumers to know which ingredients their pet is ingesting. You will no longer be able to know exactly what ingredients you may or may not be consuming, which can lead to potential health risks,” Serel added.
Currently, the FDA and state governments are working together under the National Integrated Food Safety System. This allows FDA to leverage the expertise and resources of state feed programs to enhance pet food safety testing and protect consumers from unsafe, deceptive, or misleading advertising and labeling practices. I can.
“There is certainly an opportunity to improve efficiency and bring more innovation to the market, but it must be done in a secure and transparent manner. To truly create a modernized regulatory system, , the involvement of states and those closely involved in the day-to-day monitoring of pet food products is essential,” Serel concluded.
