CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS, US — The Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) board of directors has unanimously voted to recommend Kansas State University Olathe’s (K-State Olathe) proposal for a new animal food ingredient pathway to AAFCO membership.

If passed, the proposal will create a more efficient process for processors to bring animal feed and pet food ingredients to the market in the United States, according to AAFCO.

In August, AAFCO membership passed resolution 2024-002 in response to the expiration of AAFCO’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which detailed the process for ingredient reviews and definitions. The resolution created a task force to explore the opportunities for a new state-led regulatory pathway for animal food ingredients.

At the beginning of October, K-State Olathe proposed a new pathway, detailing the university would serve as a scientific and technical advisor and assist AAFCO in reviewing ingredients. According to AAFCO, its task force reviewed public comments on the proposal and made “minor” changes. 

“It’s an exciting opportunity for AAFCO, and we believe it’s not a coincidence that state regulators are leading the charge to provide the industry with a process that promotes innovation in the ingredient space, while still having common sense protections in place that ensure safety,” the association shared.

The proposal will be put to an AAFCO membership vote during the association’s 2025 Midyear Meeting, which will occur Jan. 21-23 in Little Rock, Arkansas, US.

“AAFCO has been considering a number of pathway options to provide the animal feed industry with a thorough and innovative review process that can bring new ingredients to market safely and efficiently,” said Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO. “The proposal from K-State Olathe is scientifically driven, comprehensive and can be completed in half the time as the former review process we had in place.”