The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) responded positively to the FDA’s new Animal Food Ingredient Consultation (AFIC) program, which replaces the previous FDA-AAFCO process, emphasizing the importance of regulatory clarity and flexibility.
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) has established a new regulatory framework for animal food ingredients under the Animal Food Ingredient Consultation (AFIC) program. Announced through Guidance for Industry (GFI) 294, this program replaces the decades-old review process previously conducted in collaboration with the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which ended on October 1, 2024.
“The AFIA strongly advocated for a clear, modern FDA process that balances regulatory oversight with industry flexibility, and we are pleased to see that several of our recommendations are reflected in this new FDA guidance," said Constance Cullman, AFIA president and CEO. "Moving forward, we will work closely with the FDA to ensure that this program is efficient, inclusive, and capable of accommodating the diversity of ingredients essential to animal nutrition. With our members’ input, we will continue to advocate for a streamlined and adaptable approach, allowing the industry to innovate and bring safe, high-quality ingredients to the market faster. This guidance is a step forward, and we look forward to supporting its effective implementation.”
The AFIC program is designed to minimize delays in ingredient approvals, reduce inconsistencies in reviews, and ensure the safety of animal food ingredients. It provides a structured pathway for ingredient innovators to consult with the FDA and submit required safety data before bringing products to market. GFI 294 specifies the type of data needed for evaluation and outlines the FDA’s role in assessing submissions, addressing longstanding industry concerns about efficiency and clarity in the approval process.
This regulatory change will replace the decades-long FDA-AAFCO pathway, which ended October 1, 2024, removing one of the industry’s three primary regulatory pathways — and the one most used by ingredient innovators—for bringing safe ingredients to market. FDA’s purported goal for the AFIC program is to minimize delays in bringing safe ingredients to market, reduce potential gaps in ingredient reviews and establish consistent standards to prevent market disruptions.
The final GFI 294 offers a structured pathway for ingredient innovators to consult with the FDA, ensuring that ingredient safety standards are met prior to market entry. Through the AFIC program, animal food innovators will have the opportunity to engage with the FDA to provide data demonstrating ingredient safety. This guidance also clearly specifies submission requirements, including the type of data needed for FDA evaluation, and details the FDA’s role in assessing this information, addressing industry’s concerns.
