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The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), an independent organization that guides state, federal and international feed regulators with ingredient definitions, label standards and laboratory standards, recently shared concerns its for the current version of the proposed federal law that would defund the state. oversight and authority to review the marketing or labeling of pet food.
HR7380, the “Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform Act of 2024” or the “PURR Act,” was introduced in Congress on February 15, with the goal of creating a more streamlined federal regulatory process that would prohibit state governments from directly or indirectly establishing, maintaining, enforcing, or enforcing any authority or requirement relating to the marketing or labeling of pet food.
According to an AAFCO press release, the organization is concerned that the proposed legislation, as currently presented, could have negative effects for consumer protection, reduce pet food label transparency, and jeopardize the safety of which promotes pet food products.
“State feed programs are the first line of defense protecting consumers from fraudulent or mislabeled pet food products,” said Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO. “Today, many state regulators proactively inspect pet food labeling before products go on the market to ensure that any marketing claims on the label or packaging are accurate and have the necessary scientific data to prove the statements. Under the new PURR Act, this important layer of consumer protection will be completely lost.”
Most state feed programs in the United States support the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by providing premarket reviews of pet food labels to ensure that permitted marketing claims are substantiated by data and is not false or misleading to the consumer. HR7380 would allow pet food manufacturers to distribute pet food products that “self-proclaimed” as safe without ingredients or nutritional claims being verified by a government authority before the products are available for sale and consumption.
AAFCO also noted that it is concerned with the “ingredients sometimes present” language currently included in HR7380, which states that manufacturers may use words on packaging such as “and/or,” “contains one or more of the following,” or other words indicating that an ingredient may not be in the pet food. If passed, it would allow manufacturers to change or remove ingredients without disclosing this information to consumers.
“Many consumers purchase pet foods and treats based on the dietary needs or allergen requirements of their pets. A lack of transparency will leave consumers not knowing which ingredients what their pets may or may not eat, leading to potential health risks,” Therrell added.
Currently, the FDA and state governments work together under a national integrated food safety system that allows the FDA to use the expertise and resources of state feed programs to strengthen safety inspections. of pet food and protect consumers against unsafe, misleading or deceptive advertising and labeling practices.
“Although there are certain opportunities to improve efficiency and bring more innovation to the market, it must be done in a safe and transparent way. The interaction with the states and those closely involved in the daily -day oversight of pet food products is necessary to truly create a modernized regulatory system,” concluded Therrell.
AAFCO’s concerns come a week after the Pet Food Institute (PFI) announced its support for the proposed bill. The PFI statement can be found here.
