In August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it would end its decades-long partnership with the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) as of October 1.
This collaboration had overseen the safety review of hundreds of feed and pet food ingredients, allowing them to enter the market under a memorandum of understanding (MOU).
Due to several factors, the FDA is no longer able to maintain this partnership, prompting the need for a new system.
Although the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) expressed disappointment over the dissolution of the relationship, it welcomed the FDA’s release of draft guidance outlining the transition.
Key Changes:
What’s ending?
The AAFCO ingredient review process, where the FDA acted as the safety reviewer, will cease. The FDA’s Food Additive Petition and Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notification processes will remain unchanged.
What’s replacing it?
The FDA proposes a new system, the Animal Food Ingredient Consultation (AFIC), to replace the AAFCO review process. This consultation-based process is detailed in the FDA’s draft guidance (Industry 294) and is designed as an interim solution for companies developing new feed ingredients that would have otherwise used the AAFCO process.
What about previously reviewed ingredients?
The FDA has outlined in its draft guidance (Industry 293) that it will continue to exercise enforcement discretion for ingredients listed in the 2024 edition of the AAFCO Official Publication. These ingredients can continue to be marketed in interstate commerce, provided they meet safety standards.
What happens to AAFCO?
AAFCO’s current ingredient review process will end on October 1. However, AAFCO is exploring a new system for scientific review and approval of ingredients, potentially incorporating approvals from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
AFIA’s position:
The AFIA has submitted feedback to the FDA, advocating for clearer guidance in the draft documents (Industry 293 and 294) and establishing clear expectations for both ingredient submitters and the FDA.
Specifically, the AFIA wants to ensure that any ingredient previously reviewed under AAFCO can transition seamlessly to the new AFIC process. It also urged the FDA to accept future editions of the AAFCO Official Publication, which would include ingredients reviewed under the MOU but not yet published. This, it argues, would provide a clear pathway for ingredients still under review.
And the trade group urges the FDA to finalize these guidance documents swiftly so that the industry can continue delivering innovative solutions for both animal agriculture and companion animal markets, domestically and internationally.