David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.Dr. Dzanis is a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and CEO of Regulatory Discretion Inc. He is also the author of Petfood Industry magazine's monthly column, "Petfood Insights."From the Author - Page 8Pet Food RegulationsAAFCO holds annual meeting in FloridaThe Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) held its annual meeting August 13-15 in St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA. Perhaps the biggest announcement at the meeting was the introduction of an online version of the AAFCO Official Publication.Pet Food Labeling‘Made in USA’ claims: What’s required for petfood products?To appeal to the concerns of many petfood purchasers in the US, the claim "Made in USA" or similar verbiage, often accompanied by a depiction of the American flag, is not uncommon on petfood labels these days. Neither the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has any regulations or expressed policies regarding use of the claim.NutritionFDA to investigate Salmonella in petfoodAs the moderator for the sessions on petfood safety at the 2013 Petfood Forum, I can say without fear of contradiction that Salmonella control was a very hot topic. Multiple speakers addressed the subject, and the information conveyed to the manufacturers in the audience was indeed timely.Market Trends and ReportsCalorie content declarations on petfood labels: What’s the best method?As previously reported, recent amendments to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food will require calorie content statements on all dog and cat food labels within the next few years (the exact time frame for compliance is still to be determined). There currently are two AAFCO-accepted methods upon which to determine and report metabolizable energy (ME).NutritionAAFCO updates dog and cat feeding trial protocolsAs discussed in last month's column, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Pet Food Committee accepted recommendations from the expert panel (with minor amendments) for revision to the AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles at its January 2013 meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. At the same meeting, the committee also accepted recommended revisions to the dog and cat feeding trial protocols, which may be used as an alternative means to substantiate the nutritional adequacy of "complete and balanced" petfoods.NutritionWhich petfood nutrient values should you follow?The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Pet Food Committee accepted (with minor revision) the expert panel's recommendations to update the AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles. The European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) also revised its Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food for Dogs and Cats in July 2012, and both organizations reportedly relied in part on recommendations from the National Research Council's (NRC) Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, published in 2006. Yet, the three documents deviate in their stated nutrient values, sometimes to very significant degrees. Why? Where do they differ; who should the petfood manufacturer follow?Market Trends and ReportsNew calorie regulations approved by Association of American Feed Control OfficialsThe Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) held its "mid-year" meeting January 22-24 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. By far the biggest news was the vote in the General Session to approve the proposed changes to AAFCO Model Regulation PF9 that would require calorie content statements on ALL (not just "lite" and "reduced calorie") dog and cat food labels.NutritionPetfood predictions for 2013What's ahead in the new year for petfoods? A number of issues, both at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Association of American Feed Control Officials(AAFCO) levels, seem to have lingered on for years. That's not terribly surprising, as by its nature the regulatory process is "deliberate" (i.e., "slow").NutritionAAFCO petfood ingredient definition process gets reprieveThe Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recently announced an extension of its memorandum of understanding with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the AAFCO process for establishing feed ingredient definitions (including for petfood) through September 1, 2015. The announcement came as a bit of a surprise.NutritionNo GMO labeling required for petfoods (yet)For readers outside of California who do not follow state election issues, there was an initiative on the November 6th ballot that, if passed, would have had profound effects on petfood labeling nationwide. The “California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act,” better known as Prop #37, enjoyed an early lead in the polls with over 70% of the state population supporting the measure. However, a reported $45.6 million negative campaign apparently swayed voters otherwise, so in the end it lost with approximately 47% in favor and 53% opposed (at last count).Pet Food RegulationsFDA proposes guidelines for therapeutic petfoodsThe concept of using diet in the management of disease in dogs and cats can be traced back to the 1940s, when Mark Morris Sr., DVM, first marketed a restricted protein product for the feeding of dogs with chronic kidney disease. Since that time, therapeutic petfoods (also known as veterinary medical foods) have shown themselves to be a vital component of the veterinary practitioner’s arsenal for managing a number of medical conditions.Pet Food RegulationsBig petfood changes to come at next AAFCO meeting?From calories on petfood labels to potential changes to proof of nutritional adequacy to carbohydrate guarantees, the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) annual meeting, August 3–6 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, included a number of petfood-related items in various stages of review and approval.Previous PagePage 8 of 15Next Page
