From the Fall 2011 Pet Food Institute’s trade magazine – the PFI Monitor – we find that industry has influenced the development and enforcement of pet food regulations since the very beginning of pet food regulations. An interesting, but not surprising, history of pet food regulations.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials – AAFCO – is the organization responsible for developing much of the laws, legal definitions, and nutritional standards for all animal feeds including pet food/feed. While AAFCO itself was established in 1909, pet food/pet feed was not specifically regulated until 1954 when the Pet Food Committee was established. In that same year it was established to “limit fat content in pet foods to 50%”.
In 1958, the trade association for pet food manufacturers – the Pet Food Institute (PFI) – was established. And the influence of industry over the development and enforcement of pet food regulations began.
In 1960 the PFI develops and presented to AAFCO a glossary of terms and a label guide on pet food. And then in 1962 “AAFCO began reviewing pet food labels using PFI guidance”.
In 1966 the PFI “delivered to AAFCO pet-food-specific regulations for consideration.” And one year later, (1967) AAFCO established the Model Pet Food regulations.
It wasn’t until 1969 that “Complete and balanced” was defined. Though detailed nutrient requirements to meet the ‘complete and balanced’ definition wasn’t developed until the 1980’s when the National Research Council published ‘Nutrient Requirements of Dogs’ (in 1985) and ‘Nutrient Requirements of Cats’ (in 1986).
And as recent as “the early 2000’s” AAFCO has allowed PFI in depth input into the law building process. “In the early 2000s the pet food regulations were rewritten to make them more easily understood and more directly applicable to products in the marketplace. During this time PFI developed a label review checklist to make it easier to assess regulatory compliance of labels; the checklist was adopted by AAFCO and is included in the OP.”
The influence of industry over the development and enforcement of pet food law is startling. But as we can see through the PFI’s own words – they’ve been doing this from the very beginning of pet food regulations (and they seem to be quite proud they have such control of AAFCO too). What a shame authorities can’t figure out this is not appropriate for law makers and not in the best interest for those that consume the products they govern…our pets.
To real the full article about the History of AAFCO and pet food regulations, Click Here.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
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Mark Hutchens
July 16, 2014 at 4:11 pm
This whole FDA thing is disappointing, but not surprising. I’ve just gone to the FDA web site (had to search for a way to comment) and blasted them for not enforcing the rules that they have made. Its not so different from most any other government entity whereas they are paid by the (tax paying) citizens of this country and have the nerve to say “yep, we’re not doing the job you pay us for and there’s nothing you can do about it because WE are the government and you have no control over us”. Welcome to the newly imposed Socialist America the majority of the voters were so eager to put in place.
Ann *
July 16, 2014 at 10:28 pm
I shouldn’t admit it, but I am old enough to remember the year that the Pet Food Committee was established. I was a young girl and when going to the grocery store, I loved to visit the pet food section which had on display one or two brands of canned dog food with a picture of a dog on the label (not a grilled chicken breast) and a few boxes of dry dog treats, again decorated with playful dogs running and jumping and all Made in America. I have no idea what was in the product, but the neighborhood’s stray dog that roamed door to door loved it.
It was nothing like today in which it has developed into a multi billion dollar industry beholden to shareholders in making ever increasing profits and doing so by incorporating waste products into the mix, calling it dog food, and tricking the consumer into believing that it is healthy and wholesome. Those were much simpler times.
PFI is the fox guarding the henhouse (AAFCO) but in addition to guard duty, the fox is also writing the rules for the hens to follow. While entirely backwards, this article shows how PFI has been calling the shots for AAFCO for decades and it will take an unusual set of circumstances plus a concerted effort to change that dysfunctional relationship.
Ellie
July 17, 2014 at 11:48 am
Sad to say but most of our government agencies only enforce laws that are advantageous for the current administration. There are many, many laws put in place because they were requested by the citizens of this country that are ignored by the bureaucrats.
This country was once a nation of laws but has now become a lawless nation.