Last summer (2023), following eight years of dedicated work by regulators, pet food manufacturers and trade organizations, such as the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) passed the most comprehensive revision to pet food regulations since the 1990s. The changes from the Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM) effort will transform pet food packaging for the better, aligning it more closely with that found on human food. But the hard work is not over. Now it is time for state regulators to implement the necessary legislative or rulemaking steps for state adoption and enforcement within their authorities.
The PFLM project sought to address pet owners’ questions around pet food, making it easier to understand which pets should consume which foods and at what levels for what purpose. The modernized labels, which manufacturers have until 2029 to implement, will boast nutrition facts boxes, modern terms to communicate sugar and fiber content, standardized nutritional cues, restructured ingredient statements, and uniform iconography on safe handling practices.
