The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has raised concerns about the newly reintroduced H.R. 597, the Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform Act of 2025 (PURR Act of 2025), which it said could negatively affect consumer protection, transparency in pet food labeling, and product safety and impact the safety of pet food products.
AAFCO's executive director, Austin Therrell, highlighted the role of state feed programs in protecting consumers from misleading pet food products. "The PURR Act would remove the ability for state-level regulators to provide the oversight that U.S. pets and pet owners deserve," said Therrell. "Today, state feed programs are the first line of defense protecting consumers from misleading or mislabeled pet food products by inspecting products and labels to ensure that any marketing claims on the label or packaging are accurate and have the necessary scientific data to validate the statements."
Reintroduced on January 23, the PURR Act aims to create a single federal regulatory process, prohibiting state governments from enforcing any requirements related to pet food marketing or labeling. According to AAFCO, most state feed programs in the U.S. support the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by reviewing pet food labels to ensure that permissible marketing claims are substantiated by data and are not false or misleading to the consumer. This bill would eliminate the checks and balances that are in place to ensure that consumers have transparency in the products they are purchasing.
AAFCO is concerned about the "ingredients sometimes present" language included in the PURR Act, allowing manufacturers to change or omit ingredients without disclosing this to consumers.
"Many consumers purchase pet foods and treats based on the dietary needs or allergen requirements of their pets," said Therrell. "Lack of transparency would leave pet owners unable to know for certain which ingredients their pets may or may not be consuming, leading to potential health risks."
Currently, the FDA and state governments work in partnership under a national integrated food safety system that allows the FDA to use the expertise and resources of state feed programs to strengthen pet food safety inspections and protect consumers against unsafe, fraudulent or misleading advertising and labeling practices.
"We will continue to advocate for innovation within the pet food industry in a safe and responsible manner that does not compromise the wellbeing of those the industry serves," said Therrell.
Adapted from a press release.
