Join us as we explore a significant regulatory shift brought on by the termination of a longstanding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between AAFCO and the FDA. The pet nutrition industry is facing an uncertain regulatory landscape. What does this mean for industry professionals, and how could its impacts trickle down to consumers? Tune in to find out.

AAFCO, FDA Fail to Renew MOU for New Animal Food Ingredient Definitions — https://bsmpartners.net/insights/aafco-fda-fail-to-renew-mou-for-new-animal-food-ingredient-definitions/

Time for change: Addressing regulatory reform in pet food — https://www.petfoodprocessing.net/articles/18246-time-for-change-addressing-regulatory-reform-in-pet-food

AAFCO Considering Proposal for New Regulatory Pathway — https://www.aafco.org/news/aafco-considering-proposal-for-new-regulatory-pathway/

Show Notes

00:00 – Behind the Episode

04:30 – Understanding the Regulatory Relationship of AAFCO and the FDA

08:11 – Ensuring Safety and Availability of Pet Food Products

09:46 – Factoring in the PURR Act

12:48 – What is the Best Path Forward for Brands?

14:44 – A Pie in the Sky

15:31 – What Does This Mean for State Regulators?

18:01 – Narrowing the Highway

19:43 – The FDA’s Proposal: Animal Feed Ingredient Consultation (AFIC)

21:02 – Helping Brands Identify the Right Path for New Ingredient Approval

22:39 – Funding the Research Behind New Ingredients

24:97 – Common Pitfalls Along the Way

27:09 – Our Key Concern

27:45 – The Problem with GRAS

29:26 – Depriving Our Pets of Beneficial Innovation

31:45 – Challenges (and Advice) for Brands

34:01 – What Would Self-Regulation of the Pet Food Industry Look Like?

35:27 – Beware of Regulatory Capture

36:27 – Highlighting Resource Constraints at the FDA

37:40 – FEDIAF: A Shining Example of Self-Regulating Success

39:23 – We’ve Seen This Movie Before…

42:10 – Giving the Industry a Voice in Regulation

42:43 – How Self-Regulating Organizations (SROs) Empower Pet Owners and Industry Alike

44:35 – Leaning on Industry Experts (and Avoiding a Boeing-Like Disaster)

46:07 – Conclusion and Farewell