New FDA Pet Food Regulations Delayed!

I received this note from a pet owner concerned about the new pet food regulations and wanted to share it with everyone. Dear Dr. Carol, “I don’t know if you are interested in this or not. The FDA had initiated guidance for a Reportable Pet Food Registry with a deadline of 7-27-09 at midnight for any comments. This was one of the steps that was mandated when Congress passed the FDA Amendment Act after the 2007 pet food recalls that was meant to provide as an early warning system”.

“I tried submitting comments on 7-27-09 in the afternoon and the system wouldn’t accept my comments. I ended up calling FDA and was told even though I tried to submit my comments prior to the deadline, the deadline was now up and my comments wouldn’t be accepted. So I found out today that the Pet Food Institute, Darling International as well as some other feed organizations submitted comments but they were after the deadline”.

“If you read their letters, which are below, I think you might be as upset as I am at some of the things they are asking. First they are asking for a delay in implementation as well as allowing contaminated ingredients not fit for human consumption and many other things. The justifications they cite as well as other information is enough for one to say “God help pet food and animal feed”.

“This is the joint letter from Pet Food Institute, National Grain & Feed Association and National Oilseed Producers, you have to open the file as its a PDF file, its clearly dated 8-12-09 with a scanned envelope showing postmark of 8-13-09 which is past the comment deadline of 7-27-09″. The link is http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/contentStreamer?objectId=0900006480a0d223&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf “This letter is from Darling International, I think its dated 7-30-09. The link is http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/contentStreamer?objectId=0900006480a03ee0&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf
 Finally the last letter is from the American Feed Industry Association. The link is http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/contentStreamer?objectId=09000064809fc35c&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf Let us know your thoughts on pet food ingredients and the FDA’s proposed new regulatory standards.