The FDA will be announcing its new Food and Feed Safety procedures/program in December. Speaking with pet food manufacturers, there is a great deal of interest in what will be said, as well as a fair amount of apprehension.
Depending on who you talk to, the system works well or not at all. Recently, at a Manhattan news conference, Senator Charles Schumer demanded “immediate action” of the USDA to change its procedures in dealing with meat and poultry products. Prompted by the recent massive recall of Topps hamburger patties, Schumer is just one voice calling for improvements in our food safety system.
The FDA will be offering guidelines that apply not only to human food, but also to pet food. Will we be done with recalls? Hardly. But, there may be more coordination in the regulation of pet food and human food. Pet food manufacturers will still be responsible for the bulk of the regulation through self-regulation because there are just not enough people in the government to police every last ingredient or food.
Congress has required the FDA by laws that have passed to expand its programs and its role in food and feed safety. There is not any funding include in the bills that mandate this expansion. Pet food manufacturers are right to believe that they will continue to be on the front lines, protecting their brands and protecting the pets that eat the food they manufacture.
It will be interesting to see what comes in December. Pet food manufacturers are waiting, maybe holding their breath a bit, to see what will happen.
