David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.

Trouble brewing for organic petfoods?

A new finding by the US National Organic Program could rule out certifying a complete and balanced petfood as organic

May 16, 2010

The organic petfood market has grown considerably over the past decade. Admittedly, when I first was introduced to the concept, I wasn't convinced that many pet owners would be willing to pay the significantly higher costs associated with organic production compared to its less tangible benefits.

FDA lays out options for new ingredients

How do GRAS notifications compare with the other primary means to allow for use of new ingredients?

April 12, 2010

David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.

As of the time of this writing, initiation of the US Food and Drug Administration 's (FDA) pilot program to accept generally recognized as safe (GRAS) notifications for animal feed and petfood ingredients is still pending. However, in anticipation of the start of the program later in 2010, several presentations on the subject were given at the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) meeting in January. Most interesting is how GRAS notifications compare and contrast with the other primary means to allow for use of new ingredients.

AAFCO votes on specialty foods, more

During its meeting in "sunny" California, AAFCO also considered calorie statements, a wheat gluten definition and other issues

March 26, 2010

David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) "mid-year" meeting was held on January 19-21 in Redondo Beach, California, USA (near Los Angeles). The meeting started with a general session, which for many years has been held only during the summer annual meetings.

Petfood news from FDA

While we're waiting for word on key issues, FDA has recently made some petfood-related announcements

February 19, 2010

David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.

Many in the industry have been eagerly waiting for news from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a variety of petfood-related matters. Despite the lack of news on those issues, FDA has announced several items on its website that affect petfood.

Color my world

FDA proposes new color additive regulations

January 6, 2010

David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.

In November 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a proposal regarding the declaration of color additives on animal feed (including petfood) labels. The proposed amendment to Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Section 501.22 ( Federal Register, Vol. 74, No. 224, pp. 61068-61074 ) would add a subsection (k) to incorporate these labeling changes as mandated by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (NLEA).

Ethoxyquin redux

The most recent public concern is that ethoxyquin may have been incorporated through ingredients

December 1, 2009

David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.

I was with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the early 1990s when the debate regarding the preservative ethoxyquin was at its peak, so I became intimately involved with the issue. The controversy never totally went away, but lately there has been a resurgence of discussion and concern among the pet-owning public, particularly pertaining to the presence of undeclared ethoxyquin in petfood formulations.

What do AAFCO GMPs mean for petfood?

These new regulations will be the first to apply to all animal feeds and petfoods

November 24, 2009

David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.

After years of deliberation, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) passed its Model Good Manufacturing Practice Regulations for Feed and Feed Ingredients at its annual meeting in August. The new regulations will apply to all commercial feeds, including petfoods.

AAFCO marks 100th year, passes new regulations

New model GMP regulations will have the greatest impact on petfood

October 1, 2009

David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.

In August the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) commemorated its 100th anniversary with its annual meeting, held in Washington, DC, USA, the same location as the first meeting in 1909. The meeting included events to mark the milestone, the introduction of a new AAFCO logo and important votes, such as passage of several new model regulations.

What does the Reportable Food Registry mean for petfood?

The mandatory system is intended to help FDA quickly track patterns of adulteration

September 1, 2009

David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.

In August, during the 100th anniversary meeting of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), held in Washington, DC, USA, a topic of imminent importance to the petfood industry came up for discussion: implementation of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Reportable Food Registry.

NASC holds annual meeting

The National Animal Supplement Council is trying to address serious regulatory hurdles

August 1, 2009

David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.

Many in the petfood industry are aware of the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) from its participation at the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) meetings over the past number of years. However, some readers may not be wholly familiar with the organization's goals and strategies as they pertain to pet products.