CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recently expressed its concerns for the Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform (PURR) Act of 2025, which was reintroduced earlier this year. The association is concerned that the proposed legislation could negatively impact consumer protection, reduce transparency in labeling, and jeopardize overall product safety.
The PURR Act of 2025, originally introduced last year as the PURR Act of 2024 by the Pet Food Institute, aims to create a single federal regulatory process for the pet food industry, giving the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) authority of the labeling and ingredient review process of pet foods.
According to AAFCO, the legislation would also prohibit state governments from directly or indirectly establishing, maintaining, implementing or enforcing any authority or requirement related to the marketing or labeling of pet food.
Currently state feed programs help support the FDA by reviewing pet food labels to ensure marketing claims are backed by data and are not false or misleading to consumers. According to AAFCO, the PURR Act would eliminate these checks and balances that help ensure transparency for consumers.
“The PURR Act would remove the ability for state-level regulators to provide the oversight that US pets and pet owners deserve,” said Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO. “Today, state feed programs are the first line of defense protecting consumers from misleading or mislabeled pet food products by inspecting products and labels to ensure that any marketing claims on the label or packaging are accurate and have the necessary scientific data to validate the statements.”
Additionally, the association also expressed concerns with the “ingredients sometimes present” language included in the bill. This language details that manufacturers may use the words “and/or,” “contains one or more of the following” and others on packaging, indicating that an ingredient may not be present in the pet food formula. AAFCO is concerned that this language would allow manufacturers to change or omit ingredients without disclosing it to consumers, which could pose dangers to pets with food allergies or intolerances.
“Many consumers purchase pet foods and treats based on the dietary needs or allergen requirements of their pets,” Therrell explained. “Lack of transparency would leave pet owners unable to know for certain which ingredients their pets may or may not be consuming, leading to potential health risks.”
The FDA and state governments currently work together under an integrated food safety system that allows the administration to leverage the expertise and resources of state feed programs to advance pet food safety inspections, and also help protect consumers against unsafe, fraudulent, or misleading advertising and labeling, according to AAFCO.
“We will continue to advocate for innovation within the pet food industry in a safe and responsible manner that does not compromise the wellbeing of those the industry serves,” Therrell said.
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