listen to this articleThe 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.
HR7380, the “Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform Act of 2024” or the “PURR Act,” creates a more streamlined federal regulatory process that prohibits state governments from directly or indirectly: It was submitted to Parliament on February 15th for this purpose. Maintain, enforce, or enforce any authority or requirement related to pet food marketing or labeling.
According to an AAFCO press release, AAFCO believes that the currently proposed legislation could adversely impact consumer protections, reduce transparency in pet food labels, and jeopardize the advancement of safe pet food products. He is concerned about this.
“National feed programs are consumers' first line of defense against misleading or mislabeled pet food products,” said Austin Terrell, executive director of AAFCO. Ta. “Many state regulators now actively inspect pet food labels before the product goes on the market to ensure that marketing claims on the label 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: HR7380 allows pet food manufacturers to distribute pet food products that “proclaim” to be safe without having the ingredients and nutrition labeling verified by government authorities before the products are sold and consumed. Become.
AAFCO also notes that it is concerned about the language currently included in HR7380 that reads, “Ingredients may be present from time to time,” stating that manufacturers are required to state on their packaging, “and/or,” “contains one or more of the following: ” may be used. Indicates that the 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, FDA and state governments are collaborating under the National Integrated Food Safety System, which allows FDA to leverage the expertise and resources of state feed programs to strengthen pet food safety inspections and identify unsafe, Protect consumers from deceptive or misleading advertising and labeling practices. .
“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.
AAFCO's concerns come a week after the Pet Food Institute (PFI) announced its support for the bill. PFI's statement can be found here.
