Breakthrough for Pet Nutrition: AAFCO Unveils New Regulatory Pathway for Animal Food Ingredients

On January 22, 2025, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) approved a new pathway for reviewing animal food ingredients. This change comes from Kansas State University’s Olathe Innovation Campus and replaces the old Ingredient Definition Request process. That process ended when AAFCO’s agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expired.

The new ingredient approval route will have a panel of experts. These experts will come from U.S. universities and independent consulting firms. They have a wealth of knowledge in animal nutrition and different animal species. Their job will be to assess ingredient submissions from the industry and make recommendations to AAFCO for approval. Once an ingredient is approved, it will be listed in AAFCO’s Official Publication.

Aimed at helping the feed industry, AAFCO says this new pathway will work alongside the FDA’s current GRAS Notice program. It will give industry players another way to introduce new and innovative products. The submission format will resemble a GRAS Notice, and there will be a tiered fee system based on how complex the submission is. AAFCO plans to roll out this program by May 2025.

Keep an eye out for updates as Keller and Heckman LLP will be tracking any new developments.

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