The Food Safety and Modernization Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 4, 2011, will affect petfood as well as human food as companies work to become compliant with the new rules set forth by the act.

Five areas of the act should be of particular focus to petfood manufacturers and processors:

• Preventive controls: Petfood manufacturers and processors must implement preventive measures and controls versus fixes to quality issues after product has been shipped out.
• Inspection and Compliance: The law now states how often the Food and Drug Administration should inspect petfood manufacturers. In addition, funding to safety and enforcement will increase, as will the field staff that performs inspections.
• Importation: Petfood companies will now be required to verify and document that their foreign suppliers have adequate controls to ensure the safety of their products. Qualified third parties will certify that foreign petfood facilities comply with current US food safety standards and practices.
• Recall Authority: The FDA will have mandatory recall authority for all petfood products.
• Partnerships: The new law discusses the strengthening of existing relationships and the establishment of new partnerships to help achieve public health goals.