Federal funding is provided to AAFCO, yet AAFCO denies pet owners the work your tax dollars paid for.
In 2020 – the U.S. government will pay the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) $72,500.00.
Over the past ten years, the U.S. government (via the Food and Drug Administration) has paid AAFCO $315,174.00.
What was the money for?
$47,500.00 was provided to AAFCO though a grant from FDA on 12/23/2019 to pay for the most recent AAFCO meeting (held in January 2020). From the explanation provided at Taggs.hhs.gov (Tracking Spending): “2020 AAFCO Midyear Scientific Conference The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) expects to utilize grant funding in support of its 2020 AAFCO Midyear Scientific Conference in Albuquerque NM from January 20 – 23, 2020. This conference is one of two conferences AAFCO offers annually, with the second conference being the AAFCO Annual Meeting held in August of each year. The AAFCO Midyear Scientific Conference provides state feed program staff and laboratory staff with the opportunity to receive trending scientific information on issues affecting the safety of animal feed ingredients for the intended use in the intended species. This conference also provides all attendees with the opportunity to view and participate in live committee meetings addressing topics of animal feed regulatory significance including ingredient definitions, feed labeling, feed and feed ingredient manufacturing, pet food ingredients and labeling, and model regulations for states to use to protect the uniformity of interstate commerce.“
And…
The AAFCO meetings that FDA funded are attended by FDA employees (over 40 at the recent meeting) and by representatives of State government (State Department of Agriculture) at tax payer expense. Even after receiving federal grant money, AAFCO charges government officials $400.00 per person to attend. Plus each government employee’s hotel and travel expense to and from the meeting are again at tax payer expense.
But…
Tax payer money funds AAFCO meetings, funds the travel of government employees to attend AAFCO meetings – but tax payers have NO public access to the work product produced there.
At AAFCO meetings the legal definitions of pet food ingredients are written. But, pet owners have NO public access to those definitions.
At AAFCO meetings the legal requirements of pet food labels are written. But, pet owners have NO public access to those label requirements.
At AAFCO meetings the legal nutritional requirements of Complete and Balanced pet foods are established. But, pet owners have NO public access to those nutritional requirements.
Instead…
AAFCO copyright protects the legal definitions and labeling laws written by government employees through a government grant.
AAFCO sells the pet food/animal feed ingredient definitions, labeling requirements, and nutritional requirements developed at AAFCO meetings (funded by tax dollars) to tax payers for $120.00 a year (per person). AAFCO even sells the pet food/animal feed ingredient definitions and labeling requirements developed at AAFCO meetings funded by tax dollars to FDA and state government employees for $70.00 a year.
No one pays to view the legal definitions and labeling laws for ANY other food item…except pet food.
The result is pet owners have no information to understand what is actually in their pet’s food (ingredient definitions) or what label information means.
Speak out!
It is beyond wrong for tax dollars to fund AAFCO meetings and the pet food regulations and definitions written there to be owned and sold by AAFCO. Please send an email to your representatives in Congress asking for ALL of AAFCO’s government employee work to be public information.
Example email:
On 12/23/2019, the FDA awarded the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) $47,500.00 to help fund it’s most recent meeting held in Albuquerque, NM (DUNS Number 965241235). Over the past 10 years, FDA has awarded AAFCO more than $300,000.00 of tax payer money.
AAFCO is a private organization whose membership consists of state and federal government employees (State Department of Agriculture and FDA). AAFCO writes the legal definitions of all pet food/animal feed ingredients, and establishes the labeling requirements for pet foods/animal feeds that are accepted as state law (in most states).
Every single pet food ingredient has its own legal definition that is VERY different from the similar ingredient in human food; as example chicken in pet food has a very different legal definition than chicken in human food. Pet food labeling laws are also developed by AAFCO, again being held to different requirements than human food. Through meetings funded by tax payers (via FDA grants), AAFCO writes those definitions and labeling requirements and then copyright protects all of this information preventing millions of pet owners the opportunity to understand what is in their pet’s food. FDA does not provide pet food ingredient definitions or labeling laws to the public, no State provides pet food ingredient definitions or labeling laws to the public.
AAFCO charges $120.00 a year (per person) for pet owners to access pet food regulations and ingredient definitions. In other words, AAFCO charges pet owners $120.00 a year to understand what their pet is eating.
Millions of U.S. pet owning citizens are denied Freedom of Information rights, while their tax dollars are used to support the deception.
How can this happen? How can tax dollar funding be provided to an private organization of government employees that write, own, and sell law? How can the public be denied their Freedom of Information rights – denied the opportunity to read and understand laws that govern pet foods and treats? I deserve public access to every single law and legal definition that governs the products my pets consume. I am asking you to promptly investigate this issue and respond back to me why I am denied this basic right of a U.S. citizen.
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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What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
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The 2020 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here to learn more.
