What Law Requires

The Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act laws defines the Food Safety Commission as: a commission comprised of consumers, food scientists, the food industry, and health professionals “to enhance the food safety system”. But there is no Commission. Law requires it, but there is no Commission.

All the explanation, the requirements, and the goal of the Food Safety Commission is clearly defined within the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Quoting just a small portion of the law defining the Food Safety Commission requirements…

“A Commission composed of 15 members (including a Chairperson, appointed by the President.”
“Members of the Commission –
shall represent, at a minimum –
consumers;
food scientists;
the food industry; and
health professionals.”
“Duties –
(1) Recommendations – The Commission shall make specific recommendations to enhance the food safety system of the United States, including a description of how each recommendation would improve food safety.”

Imagine if…

There was a Food Safety Commission comprised of some of the brightest minds of unbiased food science. What if this Food Safety Commission put together Non-GMO proponents, humanely raised animal proponents, and organic food proponents into the commission along side of the standard industry representatives.

And what if there would be the development of a separate Pet Food Safety Commission. A commission composed of pet food consumers, unbiased pet food scientists, the pet food industry (representing food grade ingredient pet foods and feed grade ingredient pet food), and practicing veterinarians. Imagine if this group was provided an honest opportunity – as the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act spells out – to make recommendations for pet food safety to regulatory authorities. Imagine if regulatory authorities (FDA and AAFCO) actually listened to the recommendations of the Pet Food Safety Commission and implemented their suggestions.

The result could be a completely different pet food industry – safer products, transparent and honest labeling, clear (not misleading) marketing to consumers.

Back to reality…the law defines a Food Safety Commission, but I could find no public record of it. So, I asked FDA…

“I’ve been reading up on the FD&C Act – and read about the requirement of the Food Safety Commission. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2010-title21/html/USCODE-2010-title21-chap9-subchapIV-sec341.htm
Can you tell me if this commission exists? and provide links to information on the commission? and names of who is on the panel?”

The FDA told me (after a month delay in responding):

“Susan –  so sorry for the delay.  I have checked around and no one is really familiar with it, my feedback was that it looks like it is something that only gets convened if funds are authorized to support it.”

Food safety and most certainly pet food safety could be greatly improved if there was a Commission that brought unbiased science, manufacturers of foods (both types of food such as organic and non-organic, humanely raised and feed lot, ‘food’ quality pet foods and ‘feed’ quality pet foods), physicians and veterinarians, and consumers together in one room for regular meetings with regulatory authorities actually listening to the recommendations of the panel. How very unfortunate lawmakers spent tax payer dollars to write the law, but didn’t bother to fund the law (fund the Food Safety Commission).

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

What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
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2014 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods.  Click Here

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