The US petfood market is poised for change following last year’s executive order establishing the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. The initiative is designed to introduce policy directives aimed at reversing the prevalence of chronic disease in the United States and ensuring healthy, affordable and abundant food for its citizens.
As the trend towards pet humanisation continues to strengthen, petfood manufacturers and suppliers will increasingly need to consider how these policy developments may influence formulation, compliance and product development strategies. To gain a clearer understanding of how MAHA could affect the sector, attend Dana Brooks’ session on 28 April at Petfood Forum 2026.
Brooks, President and CEO of the Pet Food Institute, will examine the US federal administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative and its expected ripple effects for pet food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. Of particular interest is the increased scrutiny of the Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS) review process, which raises questions about whether ingredient suppliers will continue to rely on self-GRAS determinations or GRAS notifications as pathways for product approval.
The US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine is also reviewing both the GRAS and food additive petition processes. Any resulting changes to approval mechanisms or timelines could influence how quickly new pet food products and ingredients are brought to market, with implications for innovation, investment and regulatory planning across the industry.
