Policy experts tackle safety plans, regulatory pathways at AFIA Pet Food Conference

AFIA’s Leah Wilkinson and AAFCO’s Austin Therrell updated attendees on the latest happenings with pet food safety plans and the new animal food ingredient approval processes.

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Austin Therrell, executive director of the Association of American Feed Control Officials, updates Pet Food Conference attendees on the new ingredient approval pathway from AAFCO-KSU.
Austin Therrell, executive director of the Association of American Feed Control Officials, updates Pet Food Conference attendees on the new ingredient approval pathway from AAFCO-KSU.
Lisa Cleaver

During the American Feed Industry Association's (AFIA) Pet Food Conference at the International Production and Processing Expo in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 28, industry experts took the stage to update attendees about pet food safety plans and animal food ingredient approval processes.

Leah Wilkinson, AFIA's vice president of public policy and education, discussed analyzing your pet food safety plans.Leah Wilkinson, AFIA's vice president of public policy and education, discussed analyzing your pet food safety plans.Lisa CleaverPet food safety plans update

Leah Wilkinson, AFIA’s vice president of public policy and education, updated the conference on the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and H5N1, a subtype of influenza virus that infects birds and mammals, including humans in rare cases. More commonly known as the Bird Flu, the virus has moved beyond wild birds into dairy cows, field mice, racoons, marine mammals, zoo animals, and now companion animals including cats and dogs.

On January 17, the FDA issued a CVM update to pet food manufacturers to reanalyze food safety plans. Wilkinson noted dog and cat food processors should do a hazard analysis to significantly minimize or prevent the spread of the virus.

Wilkinson noted some confusion around the completion date to reanalyze food safety plans, saying some at the FDA said it should be done in 90 days while others didn’t have a date. AFIA is working to get a concrete answer for those impacted.

“You don’t have to have it done tomorrow, but don’t wait and don’t delay,” said Wilkinson. “FDA will come, and they will check the documentation, so make sure you have your reanalysis dated and ready to present.”

FDA’s new Animal Food Ingredient Consultation (AFIC) program

Wilkinson also updated attendees on the FDA’s new Animal Food Ingredient Consultation (AFIC) program, which is designed to replace the previous FDA-AAFCO process that expired October 1.

Announced through Guidance for Industry (GFI) 294, 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.

Wilkinson said 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.

Wilkinson said the submissions process in AFIC is like the previous FDA-AAFCO process and uses CVM pre-consultation meetings. To schedule a meeting, email [email protected].

AAFCO-KSU regulatory pathway

AAFCO membership recently approved a proposal from Kansas State University's Olathe Innovation Campus (K-State Olathe) to provide a scientific review for a new animal food ingredient submission pathway. The new pathway replaces AAFCO's former Ingredient Definition Request process that ended October 1.

This brings the total number of ingredient approval pathways to four, including FDA’s GRAS, FAP and AFIC.

The AAFCO-KSU ingredient approval pathway, which mirrors FDA’s GRAS requirements, will be led by Dr. Haley Larson, Ph.D. and include a scientific review panel comprised of subject matter experts from universities across the U.S. and independent consultants to provide diversity and representation of all animal species. Together, the panel will evaluate potential ingredient submissions from industry and provide recommendations back to AAFCO membership for final approval. Approved ingredients will then be included in AAFCO's Official Publication.

Austin Therrell, executive director of the Association of American Feed Control Officials, noted the program is designed to be more efficient than other pathways, cutting the review time in half from 60 to 90 days.

“This program is designed to bring new, innovative ingredients to market in nine months versus 18 months,” said Therrell. “We feel it has more flexibility than the old regulatory pathways.”

Therrell also noted there is a fee structure, ranging from $10,000 for the basic tier to $25,000 for two species and $35,000 for three or more species.

With the proposal recently approved by AAFCO, Therrell said there will be a process of finalizing the contract and hiring staff before the program will be up and running. The expected start date for the program is third quarter of 2025.

 

 

 

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