Since the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in January 2011, I have seen reactions in our industry ranging from approval to grudging acceptance to complaints to anxiety. I have even heard anecdotes about a few, mainly smaller petfood or treat manufacturers who say they do not have the time or resources to comply with the law and its regulations, so they plan to just ignore it.

While some issues arising from last week's American Veterinary Medical Association conference -- like whether veterinarians receive enough education on pet nutrition -- might spur controversy, I think everyone can agree that research on the benefits of the human-pet bond, presented during the accompanying conference of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO), is a positive development for pets, people and the pet industry.

"You know more about nutrition than you think you do." That was one of the messages Jennifer A. Larsen, DVM, PhD, DACVN, professor of clinical nutrition with the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California-Davis, imparted to her audience during the American Veterinary Medical Association's annual convention, taking place in Chicago this past weekend through today.

Petfood product development follows human food trends by only "half a step," said David Sprinkle, research director and publisher with Packaged Facts, during a Petfood Forum 2013 presentation. That was just three months ago; judging by information presented at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo this week, I am beginning to think that perhaps petfood has already caught up and is marching in lock step with human food in many areas.

Private label products have never become a significant part of the US petfood industry, reaching only as high as 9.7% of the market in 2010, according to Packaged Facts. In fact, in 2011, US private label petfood sales slipped 4.4%, decreasing the overall share of the market to 9%, SymphonyIRI data showed.

A UK chef creates a "luxury" cat food consisting of roasted duck, lobster roll, Beluga caviar and beetroot jellies, and costing £24.99 (US$37.98). In the US, dog food trucks purveying "dog-friendly" ice cream and cookies are growing in popularity, to the point where some companies are seeking to franchise their concepts.

The wheels of justice turn slowly, as the saying goes, but they have finally turned in the direction toward safer petfood, animal feed and human food -- and toward clarity for producers of those products. On June 21, a US federal court ordered the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to  complete the new food safety regulations of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) by November 30 of this year.

US consumers are increasingly concerned about food safety -- and, by extension, petfood safety, since so many pet owners treats their pets like family members. As many as 17% of consumers have stopped buying a specific human food or brand because of a certain safety concern, according to IFIC (as reported in Food Technology magazine by A. Elizabeth Sloan, contributing editor).

Only about 10% of the 30,000 new product concepts developed in the US each year achieve success in the marketplace, according to Nielsen. So why do so many companies, including petfood and treat manufacturers, continue to pour so much R&D money into new product development?

Ever since the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in January 2011, we have heard that it represents the most significant change to US food safety law for decades, or variations on that theme. I’ve seen descriptions ranging from “fundamental overhaul” to “historic revolution.” For the petfood industry, one reason FSMA signals such a substantial change is that for the first time, many food safety regulations and practices that have been required of human food will now also apply to animal feed (including petfood).