The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) membership has approved a proposal from Kansas State University’s Olathe Innovation Campus (K-State Olathe) to oversee the scientific review of submissions for a new animal food ingredient approval pathway.
This initiative replaces AAFCO’s previous Ingredient Definition Request process, which concluded with the expiration of AAFCO’s agreement with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year.
“AAFCO’s partnership with K-State Olathe marks the beginning of a new era of innovation and efficiency in the animal feed industry,” said Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO.
This new pathway establishes a regulatory review process that is both comprehensive and straightforward, enabling ingredients to reach the market safely and more efficiently than under our prior collaboration with the FDA, he added.
Scientific review process
Dr Haley Larson will lead the new approval process, which will feature a scientific review panel comprising subject matter experts from universities across the US and independent consultants. This panel will evaluate ingredient submissions from industry and provide recommendations to AAFCO membership for final approval.
Once approved, ingredients will be added to AAFCO’s Official Publication and recognized by state and international regulatory agencies, as well as the animal food industry.
Ben Wolfe, Dean and CEO of K-State Olathe, highlighted the collaboration’s transformative potential: “Our team will work closely with AAFCO to implement this innovative approach and cultivate a regulatory environment that benefits producers, consumers, and the broader community.”
The new pathway is designed to complement the FDA’s current Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notice program, offering the feed industry an additional option for introducing innovative products to the market.
AAFCO and K-State Olathe have implemented measures to prevent duplicate submissions across multiple regulatory channels.
Therrell said that AAFCO recognizes the complexities the animal feed industry faces when introducing new ingredients.
“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.”
