UNITED STATES | Cat and dog food manufacturers in the United States have welcomed a new federal bill designed to harmonise the regulatory process for product approval. Instead of the current state-by-state framework, the bill will create more consistent standards nationwide.
The Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform Act of 2024, also known as the PURR Act, regulates manufacturing processes in and around facilities to ensure that pet food is handled and produced in a sanitary environment. This includes carefully monitoring fresh ingredients and minimising hazards associated with natural toxins, pathogens and other contaminants.
Opponents have raised concerns about the change in this rule, fearing it could negatively impact food safety and reduce label transparency.
The CEO of the Pet Food Institute, Dana Brooks, commented that despite concerns, regulators will still have an effective model to follow as they will adhere to the regulatory system for human food.
The proposed bill would see the US FDA take regulatory authority over the labelling and food ingredient review process for pet food and treats, creating a framework similar to the regulation for human food.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture oppose this bill, claiming that the new rules would allow manufacturers to distribute products as safe without government authority verifying ingredients or nutritional statements.
As the state feed programs are the first line of defence protecting consumers, this new bill could strip an important layer of consumer protection from the process.
AAFCO is specifically concerned with the “ingredients sometimes present” language included within the bill, which implements that manufacturers used words such as ‘and, ‘or’, or ‘contains one or more of the following’.
This legislation would allow manufacturers to change or omit ingredients without disclosing unimportant information to consumers. For owners with pets that have allergies or dietary requirements, this could be hazardous.
The Pet Food Institute maintains that the PURR Act is necessary to provide consistency and a predictable regulatory framework within the industry.
Several states have issued rejection letters regarding these new guidelines following this decision.
Despite the backlash, Brooks has stayed firm on her belief that the new federal legislation will replace the current inefficient one and lead to new, quality ingredients in pet food.
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