David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN.Dr. Dzanis is a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and CEO of Regulatory Discretion Inc. He is also the author of Petfood Industry magazine's monthly column, "Petfood Insights."From the Author - Page 12Pet Food RegulationsNew BSE rules will affect petfoodsUS Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations to help mitigate the risk of possible transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or "mad cow disease') among cattle in the US have been in place since 1997. These rules do not have much direct impact on the formulation, processing or labeling of petfoods compared to other segments of the animal feed industry.Pet Food RegulationsIs irradiation of petfoods natural?In 2001, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a petition broadening the use of irradiation of animal feeds to include petfoods, treats and chews. That same year, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) accepted the feed term "natural" and established guidelines concerning its use on petfood labels.Pet Food RegulationsAAFCO mid-year report: new ingredients and label termsBecause of budget restrictions for various states in the US, attendance was down at the Association of American Feed Control Officials' (AAFCO) mid-year meeting in January. (AAFCO holds its annual meeting every August, so the January one is referred to as mid-year.) But important work was accomplished.Safety & QualityThe future of US regulationsTwo industry experts comment on the direction new FDA petfood rules should takePet Food Regulations'No by-products' no more?Some people within the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) have never cared for negative claims on petfood labelsstatements such as, "no ____" or "____free." Although currently there is no model regulation, policy or guideline that explicitly addresses this issue, some regulators believe that even when such statements are technically true, claims regarding absence of an ingredient in a product may cause false disparagement of that safe and acceptable feed ingredient.Pet Food Regulations'New' APPA discusses regulatory issuesIn early October, I attended the H.H. Backer Christmas 2008 Show in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Like other pet trade shows such as Global Pet Expo (GPE), the main function of the Backer show is for pet product companies to showcase their products to prospective buyers from retail firms.Pet Food RegulationsNRC publishes new report on supplement safetyA little over a year ago, I reported on the formation of a National Research Council (NRC) committee charged with looking at the safety of dietary supplements for non-food-producing animals. While the committee's members were not finalized at that time, I was honored to subsequently be confirmed as a participant in this expert panel.Pet Food MarketAAFCO holds petfood workshopAfter a couple of years of discussion and planning, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), along with the Pet Food Institute (PFI), held a petfood regulatory workshop in early August, the day before AAFCO's Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The intent was to educate both regulators and industry professionals about the AAFCO Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food (also known as Model Pet Food Regulations).Pet Food RegulationsSurprise at AAFCO annual meetingThe 2008 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) was held August 1-4 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. During the general session, where the AAFCO membership as a whole votes on the recommendations made by the various committees over the past year, something unexpected happened.Pet Food RegulationsFDA discusses petfood labeling and safetyThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held public meetings over two consecutive days in mid-May to discuss issues pertaining to petfoods. The first meeting invited comment on implementation of the FDA Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA), while in the second meeting the agency provided an update on its Animal Feed Safety System (AFSS).Pet Food RegulationsWhat veterinarians think about petfoodMost of my public presentations over the last several years have been directed toward the petfood industry. Thus, it was with some excitement but also a little trepidation that I was given the opportunity to speak before a veterinary audience.Pet Food RegulationsSpeak now or pay laterAs of the time of this writing, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to issue an official Federal Register notice specifying the date and agenda of the public meeting to discuss the impact of the FDA Amendments Act of 2007 on the promulgation of new federal petfood labeling requirements (see Petfood Industry, December 2007). Many in the public and industry are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to hear FDA's plans and/or comment on this matter.Previous PagePage 12 of 15Next Page