Pet Food Regulations

AAFCO Mid-Year Meeting: Pet food ingredient updates

The Ingredient Definitions Committee covered a lot of ground during the virtual meeting held in January.

April 6, 2021

AAFCO's Ingredient Definitions Committee covered a lot of ground during the virtual meeting held in January, including discussions on black soldier fly larvae, hemp and "human grade."

Ensuring FSMA/FDA compliance during a pandemic

COVID-19 has led to technological growth in food safety compliance options.

March 8, 2021

Lindsay Beaton

COVID-19 has led to technological growth in food safety compliance options, particularly with regards to audits and FSMA growth.

UK pet food exports to EU face Brexit challenges

The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, United Kingdom pet food industry organization, “raised alarm bells” about the difficulty of exporting pet food to the European Union following Brexit.

March 1, 2021

Tim Wall

To ensure continuity of trade between the U.K. and EU, in general terms, UK pet food producers who export to the EU or are planning must adapt to changes.

AAFCO holds ‘Mid-Year’ Meeting, labeling topics discussed

Labeling modernization updates and the definition of ‘labeling’ were both covered.

February 26, 2021

David A. Dzanis, DVM, PhD, DACVN

Labeling modernization updates and the definition of ‘labeling’ were both covered, among other food-related topics, at the AAFCO Mid-Year Meeting held in January 2021.

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Confusion over GMO corn in US pet food exports to Mexico

A decree ends importation of genetically modified corn to Mexico by 2024. However, exactly what this means for the pet food industry is uncertain. Meanwhile, landraces are losing ground to varieties developed outside corn’s Mexican homeland.

January 22, 2021

Tim Wall

A decree ends genetically modified corn imports to Mexico by 2024. However, exactly what this means for the pet food industry is uncertain. Meanwhile, landraces are losing ground to varieties developed outside corn’s crib in Mexico.

Toxicologist, vet catch dog food toxin after early deaths

Sikes recognition of symptoms and Evans’ analysis may have caught the aflatoxin-contaminated dog food early, potentially saving lives.

January 19, 2021

Tim Wall

During the stress of the pandemic and political unrest in the U.S., pet food companies, government regulators, diagnostics laboratories and other need to work together and remain vigilant to other threats.

The legal ‘gray area’ of CBD in pet products

Continued regulatory complications make using CBD in pet products a challenging prospect on multiple levels.

December 14, 2020

Lindsay Beaton

Regulatory complications to using CBD in pet products continue to be a challenge for use in pet food and treat products, according to experts.

More AAFCO musings: IDC discusses pet food vitamin issues

MSBC’s status in pet food and the changing of vitamin names on pet food labels required special attention after the 2020 Annual Meeting.

December 14, 2020

David A. Dzanis, DVM, PhD, DACVN

MSBC’s status in pet food and the changing of vitamin names on pet food labels required special attention from the Ingredient Definitions Committee after AAFCO's 2020 Annual Meeting.

Not all meat meals in pet food are created equal

November 9, 2020

Ryan Yamka

It’s important to know AAFCO pet food ingredient definitions and nuances; otherwise inaccurate conclusions can result, such as with the DCM investigation.

FDA’s curious ‘inflection point’ on DCM (not an update!)

November 5, 2020

Debbie Phillips-Donaldson

After near silence on the DCM and grain-free pet food investigation and no real updates for a year, FDA has issued statements that raise more questions.