When the much acclaimed (by FDA) Food Safety Modernization laws for animal food were implemented in 2015, the FDA provided information on the costs of the new laws, and provided information on the benefits (how effective the laws would be to prevent pet food related illnesses and deaths). Within the final rules published in the Federal Register, the FDA made this statement regarding benefits of the laws: “The total annualized benefits to pets are estimated at $10.1-$138.0 million.” Their claim was that the new animal food safety regulations would benefit pets/pet owners from $10 million to $138 million a year by reducing the cost of veterinary treatment needed for sick pets linked to a pet food.
On the surface, this illness prevention savings seems tremendous…that is until you realize what these numbers are actually based on.
Found in the Final Regulatory Impact Statement, a required document FDA must submit to the federal Office of Management and Budget, was this extended statement that explains how FDA arrived at this ‘benefit’ for pets (bold added):
“Based upon an effectiveness rate that ranges from 1.8 percent to 24.0 percent, we estimate that at a minimum, the public health benefits of this rule range from $10 million to $138 million.”
In other words, the FDA – who wrote the laws, who had full control over every detail of developing these laws – knew in advance these laws would ONLY prevent 1.8 percent of pet illnesses and deaths at a minimum.
Below is a chart from the Final Regulatory Impact Statement:
Taking no consideration to the heartache caused by an adulterated pet food, the FDA admitted through their statement that pet owners will continue to pay an estimated $200 million to $500 million a year to treat sick pets due to adulterated pet foods.
The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine knew these pet food safety laws would not prevent 76 percent to 98.2 percent of pet food recalls. They knew these animal food safety laws would not prevent 98.2 percent of pets from being sickened or killed from pet food. Yet the agency did NOT go back to the starting point and correct significant failures. And they still haven’t gone back to the drawing board to improve the effectiveness of pet food safety regulations.
But the Agency did state they worked closely with the pet food industry in developing the regulations. “This final rule is the result of significant stakeholder engagement, beginning before the proposed rule. In response to extensive stakeholder input on the proposed rule, we revised key provisions in a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking. After the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking, we conducted even more outreach to the stakeholder community to ensure that the risk-based, preventive requirements in this final rule are practical and protective of public (human and animal) health.”
“Practical” and 1.8 percent protective of pet health. ‘Practical’ for industry, but certainly not practical for pet owners.
Opinion: The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine felt 1.8 percent effectiveness was good enough. Preventing the death or illness of 1.8 percent of pets was good enough. Get the rules published to meet their requirements from Congress even if they are not effective, good enough.
On a side note, when we initially noticed the FDA claim that these animal food safety laws would benefit pets/pet owners from $10 million to $138 million a year – we filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request asking the agency for the data this claim of significant financial benefit to pet owners was based on.
The agency responded to our FOIA request with: “The Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) has conducted a search and did not locate any records responsive to your request.”
We found the answer on our own, but it is interesting that the Agency stated they couldn’t find it. It makes us wonder, did they not want to admit in a FOIA request the answer was 1.8% effectiveness?
Rampant incompetence.
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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Patty Hartsough
February 23, 2026 at 1:07 pm
Like so many other government agencies, it is never in ‘their’ best interest to promote or solve the inadequate safety of both humans AND our beloved pets’ health. While none of these facts you always present (and thank you SO much for this!) are surprising, they are nonetheless incredibly heart breaking. If nothing else, this type of information pushes us all to be as knowledgeable as possible in choosing the safest/best nutrition for our furry family members!
Bonnie S Morris
February 23, 2026 at 10:13 pm
And this is why so many pet parents are making their own pet food.
Kathy
February 24, 2026 at 9:20 pm
I just started researching making mine after not being able to get my regular food for a month so far (equipment issues), then finding a small piece of plastic wrap in the temporary food. It’s not the first time either has happened to me so I’m more than ready for change