AAFCO

Since 1920, AAFCO has printed the AAFCO Official Publication, which contained a comprehensive list of animal feed ingredients to help bring uniformity for feed among the States.  Beginning in 2007, FDA-CVM entered into an MOU with AAFCO to provide scientific and technical expertise for the review of ingredients.  These ingredients, though technically unapproved food additives, were accepted for use in animal feed and pet food under a policy of enforcement discretion.  With the end of FDA’s MOU with AAFCO, the enforcement discretion policy will not be extended to new ingredient definitions published by AAFCO.

In January 2025, AAFCO voted to approve a proposal by Kansas State University (KState) to continue scientific review of new animal feed ingredients.[1]  The new program is referred to as Scientific Review of Ingredient Submissions (SRIS).

It is my understanding that the KState reviewed ingredients will be based upon a GRAS self-determinations paradigm to address the legality of interstate commerce of the ingredients. The FDA is seeking rulemaking to eliminate the GRAS self-determination provision, which would directly impact the proposed AAFCO program.  I think the future of the AAFCO ingredient definition program remains unclear and uncertain.

[1] https://www.aafco.org/news/aafco-votes-yes-on-new-regulatory-pathway-for-animal-food-ingredients/

AAFCO.org

Scientific Review of Ingredient Submissions (SRIS)