FDA Announces Plans for Development of Animal Food Ingredient Standards
The Food and Drug Administration on March 27 set out its plans (here) to establish standards and definitions for animal food ingredients, as required by the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007. The agency’s Center for Veterinary Medicine will review the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ ingredients list, and publish a proposal to adopt the AAFCO standards and definitions as agency rules for any ingredients that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) or that are approved additives, said FDA. The agency will then review the remaining ingredients on the AAFCO list and make GRAS or additive approval determinations accordingly, it said. If FDA doesn’t find that an animal food ingredient is GRAS or an allowed food additive during the review, manufacturers will have to request approval by submitting a food additive petition in order to continue legally using the ingredient, said the agency.
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FDA doesn't "have a specified date" for the publishing its proposed rule "at this point in time," said an FDA spokeswoman reached for comment on the timetable for the review. "Evaluating definitions and standards for every animal food ingredient is time-consuming and resource intensive," the spokeswoman said. "The agency is working as quickly as possible to ensure thorough and accurate review."