At the 2021 AAFCO Annual Meeting August 2, 2021 (virtual), the Pet Food Committee (PFC) reported major Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM) progress. Co-chairs: Liz Beckman (WA) and Stan Cook (MO) — "Welcome back Stan Cook as PFC Co-Chair."
PFLM — public comment milestone
- "PFLM Working groups draft model regulations are available on the AAFCO/PFC website (posted in July) and are available for public comment."
- "The WG would like to receive comments/questions on a rolling basis over the 90-day comment period."
- "PFLM WG hope to send recommendations to PFC in November, 2021," then MBRC review, then membership vote.
- PFLM Webinars were opened for comments/questions.
PFLM Implementation WG (Stan Cook, MO)
- "PFLM Implementation WG – Stan Cook, MO" ran state surveys: "State surveys regarding implementation are currently with the states for comments" to map each state's adoption process.
- Developing models/best practices for state adoption; some states require an industry fiscal impact (shorter "rush" timing raises costs). Goal: a posted timeline for state adoption.
Human Grade Working Group (Caitlin Price, NC)
- "Human Grade Working Group – Caitlin Price, NC Finalized guidelines in May and sent recommendations to PFC which passed by e-vote in late May."
- "The guidelines have been posted and are open for comments until 8/27/21." Post-meeting, MBRC pulled HG guidelines back to PFC. (HG guidelines + "Human Grade" feed term move together; membership vote targeted mid-year 2022.)
Copper WG (Dr. Bill Burkholder, FDA)
"Copper WG – Dr. Bill Burkholder, FDA" led the Copper Content of Dog Foods work group.
- Sparked by a "February Viewpoint article published in the JAVMA" on "increased incidence of copper-associated hepatopathy in dogs" linked to copper type in premixes.
- Authors suggested "reinstating a maximum value and to lower the minimum 0.9 to maximum 1.1 mg/1000 kcal." WG awaited long-term feeding trials from industry; at the time the available data did not support such a drastic reduction.
Context: This 2021 public-comment milestone sits between earlier PFLM drafting and the first consolidated draft (2022-09-28, see AAFCO_2022_pflm_first_draft).
Source: pdf-raw/aafco/2021_annual_petfood.txt — faithful text extraction of AAFCO "Pet_Food_2021_Annual-1.pdf" (2021 Annual Meeting PFC minutes), retrieved server-side via Tavily from https://www.aafco.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Pet_Food_2021_Annual-1.pdf (first-hand official document).