The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued final guidance allowing animal food manufacturers to continue using ingredients previously deemed safe and published in the 2024 Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) Official Publication. This publication serves as a critical resource for both state and international regulators to ensure the safety of animal food ingredients, and without FDA approval, hundreds of these ingredients could have been restricted from U.S. markets.
Looking ahead, there is an effort to encourage the FDA to accept the remaining ingredients still under review from the previous FDA-AAFCO agreement. Feedback is also being provided to help modernize regulatory systems, allowing animal food ingredient innovators to bring products to the U.S. market efficiently and stay competitive with global regulatory systems.
As of October 1, the memorandum of understanding between the FDA and AAFCO officially ended, raising concerns within the industry about the status of ingredients previously approved through AAFCO. However, the FDA has clarified it will not take enforcement action against manufacturers using ingredients listed in the 2024 AAFCO Official Publication, provided they meet safety and usage guidelines.
With many ingredients still awaiting review through the AAFCO process, which can take several months or years, the industry is urging the FDA to update its guidance annually to include future editions of the AAFCO Official Publication and accommodate all approved ingredients.
