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K-State Olathe selected to provide scientific review of new animal food ingredient submissions.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) announced that its membership approved a proposal from Kansas State University’s Olathe Innovation Campus (K-State Olathe) to provide the scientific review for a new animal food ingredient submission pathway. The new pathway replaces AAFCO’s former Ingredient Definition Request process that ended with the expiration of AAFCO’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Food & Drug Administration last year.
The new ingredient approval pathway will be led by Dr. Haley Larson, teaching assistant professor of animal health at K-State Olathe, and will include a scientific review panel comprised of subject matter experts from universities across the U.S. and independent consultants to provide diversity and representation of all animal species.
Together, this panel will evaluate potential ingredient submissions from industry and provide recommendations back to AAFCO membership for final approval. Approved ingredients will then be included in AAFCO’s Official Publication, which the organization said is considered the most comprehensive list of approved feed ingredients in the world – recognized by state and international regulatory agencies and the animal food industry.
To be legally marketed, an ingredient used in animal food and pet food must be the subject of an FDA-approved animal food additive petition or be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for the intended use in animal food. Under the long-standing MOU, FDA had provided scientific and technical assistance to AAFCO in the decision of whether to include ingredients in the Official Publication.
AAFCO and FDA decided in August 2024 that they would not renew their MOU of 17 years when it expired on Oct. 1, 2024. After the news, AAFCO and FDA worked separately on their own transition plans and determinations of how to shape a new regulatory review process.
FDA quickly issued a request for stakeholder feedback on a draft guidance laying out a new enforcement path the agency was considering. Final approval of its Guidance for Industry #294, “Animal Food Ingredient Consultation,” was announced earlier this month and published on Jan. 7, 2025.
AAFCO first announced in October 2024 that it was considering the proposal from K-State Olathe – a land-grant university with focus areas of animal health, food and nutrition and advanced manufacturing – to replace the Ingredient Definition Request process and requested comments and feedback from feed regulators and other industry experts.
“AAFCO’s partnership with K-State Olathe begins a new era of innovation and proficiency for the animal feed industry,” said Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO. “This new pathway will offer a regulatory review process that is straightforward and comprehensive to bring ingredients to market safely and more efficiently than our previous process with FDA.”
“We’re honored to partner with AAFCO and apply our scientific and technical expertise to ensuring the safety and quality of animal food ingredients,” said Ben Wolfe, dean and chief executive officer of K-State Olathe. “We look forward to working closely with AAFCO to implement this transformative approach and foster a regulatory environment that benefits producers, consumers and the broader community.”
The new pathway is intended to complement FDA’s current GRAS Notice program and to provide the feed industry with another option to bring new and innovative products to the market. AAFCO and K-State Olathe have outlined procedures to ensure ingredients are not submitted through multiple channels.
“We understand the animal feed industry has much to consider when introducing a new proposed ingredient. We’re committed to a collaborative process that is safe, scientific and streamlined to meet the industry’s demand for new ingredients while upholding AAFCO’s unwavering standards for animal and human health,” Therrell added.
AAFCO has been guiding state, federal and international feed regulators with ingredient definitions, label standards and laboratory standards for more than 115 years while supporting the health and safety of people and animals. Its members are charged by their state or federal laws to regulate the manufacture, sale and distribution of animal feeds and feed ingredients.
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