The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has approved a new regulatory pathway for animal food ingredients, following a vote by its membership. The proposal, led by Kansas State University Olathe Innovation Campus (K-State Olathe), will allow the university to conduct scientific reviews of new ingredient submissions for petfood and animal feed.
This pathway replaces AAFCO’s previous agreement with the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which expired in October. The new system aims to streamline the regulatory review process and bring ingredients to market more efficiently and safely.
“We’re entering a new era for the animal feed industry,” said AAFCO Executive Director Austin Therrell. “This pathway will offer a comprehensive and straightforward regulatory review process, improving efficiency compared to the prior FDA arrangement.”
The pathway, proposed by K-State Olathe in October, will be led by Dr Haley Larson, assistant professor of animal health at the university. A scientific review panel, consisting of experts from various universities and independent consultants, will assess ingredient submissions and make recommendations for AAFCO’s final approval.
Approved ingredients will be included in AAFCO’s Official Publication, a recognised resource for state and international regulatory agencies. Ben Wolfe, CEO of K-State Olathe, expressed confidence in the partnership with AAFCO, emphasizing the university’s commitment to ensuring ingredient safety and quality.
The new pathway complements the FDA’s GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) process, providing another route for the animal feed and petfood industries to introduce new ingredients while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.
You can read our previous report about the proposal here
