New FMSA Rule Introduced By FDA To Advance Animal-Food Safety

By Sam Lewis

If proposed rules are adopted, pet food manufacturers would be required to develop plans and procedures that prevent foodborne illnesses.

The most recent proposed guideline to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) takes aim at improving the safety of food for animals. The new proposal to the legislation would require facilities that manufacture, process, pack, and hold pet food and animal feed to create and practice an official plan to identify and prevent hazards. The new rule would also require these facilities to establish plans to correct these problems.

In addition, the new rule would make facilities follow current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) — promoting conditions and practices that prevent and protect against contamination. While manufacturers, processers, and packagers of human food have been held to these standards for years, this is the first time animal-food facilities would be accountable. The protective measures of animal-food facilities closely align with those the FDA has placed on human food, but each addresses different hazards. Animal-food regulations will expand further than pathogens, addressing additional substances, like mycotoxins — toxic chemical products produced by fungi. “This proposed rule on animal-food complements proposed rules published in January 2013 for produce safety and facilities that manufacture food for humans to set modern, prevention-based standards for food safety,” says Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine. “They also work in concert with standards proposed in July 2013 to help ensure that imported foods are as safe as those produced domestically.”

The FDA posted a link to proposed rules — totaling more than 400 pages — which will be published on Tuesday, Oct 29 in the Federal Register. Following the proposal’s publication, public comments on the document can be made for 120 days. Three public meetings will also be held by the FDA regarding the proposed rule. The first meeting will be held at the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in College Park, MD on Nov. 21. The Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building in Chicago will host the second meeting on Nov. 25, and the final meeting will take place on Dec. 6 at the John E. Moss Federal Building in Sacramento, CA.

Pet owners are likely welcoming FDA regulations to animal-food, especially after the recent outbreak involving jerky pet treats. These pet products have been linked to illnesses that have affected 3,600 dogs and 10 cats since 2007 the FDA reported in a consumer update. To date, 580 pet deaths have been linked to this spate.