The proposed changes caught the pet industry off-guard, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (Greenwich, Conn.). AAFCO had given no hints that it intended to revise the initial proposal, and the draft presented in St. Petersburg was formulated without industry input, the trade organization said.

Now, instead of creating a Good Manufacturing Practices-type program, the regulations would create something more akin to a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point program, in which regulated entities must analyze potential risks or hazards and maintain extensive records.

Because the regulations would cover any establishment that is connected with “the receiving, processing, manufacturing, storing, packaging, labeling, transporting, distribution, or use of animal feed or feed ingredients,” any pet store feeding animals would be subject to at least some process controls, said APPMA.

The regulations also would apply to distribution centers that store or transport pet foods as well as to facilities that handle any ingredient to be used in animal feeds “regardless of whether such products are distributed or intended for distribution in commerce.”

Industry members were asked to submit written comments on the new draft by Labor Day.

Other topics covered during the AAFCO meeting included:

• Quality assurance seals. No action was taken on a new proposal to allow AAFCO officials to review private quality assurance programs run by industry groups such as the National Animal Supplement Council. Such groups typically offer seals that members can use to indicate that their products comply with the group’s quality standards. The proposal would enable AAFCO officials to audit records and check the accreditation of third-party auditors.



• Weight claims for dog and cat food. The Pet Food Committee agreed to further study a proposal to revise Pet Food Regulation 9, “Statements of Calorie Content,” that would mandate a caloric content statement on labels for dog and cat food. The proposal by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, reportedly concerned about pet obesity, also calls for caloric content to be expressed in a way that consumers can easily understand; for example, in cups, cans or biscuits.
  
  A working group also will consider if “weight management” claims should be subject to Pet Food Regulation 10, which deals with weight loss claims.



• Carbohydrate claims. AAFCO will continue to evaluate proposals as to how to calculate guarantees relating to carbohydrate levels in pet foods and how these products should be labeled. Under existing regulations, pet food manufacturers may not label their products as low starch/carbohydrate. [October 2005 PET AGE]