by Healthy Barks Social September 05, 2022 4 min read
Pet Food Authorities and Regulations in Leading Nations
With hundreds of pet food brands trying to reach pet parents, it’s useful to get a bird’s eye view of the current industry. This will enable you to make wiser decisions while choosing your pet’s food. How do you make sure appropriate regulations are followed by all pet food manufacturers?
The animal feed includes food and drugs for cats, dogs, and animal husbandry (fisheries, cattle, poultry).
Developed markets like the US and Europe have established bodies to analyze and market pet foods sensibly. They ensure that the animals consume well manufactured and effectively labeled feeds.
The US has one of the strongest pet nutrition ecosystems in the world. Let’s see how the regulatory system functions with pet food.
TheFood and Drug Administration (FDA) works with the State Department of agriculture in enforcing pet food regulations.
FDA duties include:
State Department of Agriculture duties include:
Association of American Feed Control Officials is an independent organization consisting of State Department of Agriculture and FDA members.
AAFCO duties include:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is autonomous and bears a voluntary pet food license. They are licensed by FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Services) to supply meat largely for humans rather than pets and have inspection authority of both pet and human feeds.
Food guidelines offered by AAFCO are industry standard (designed to flourish in the dry pet food industry) instead of scientific standard (species appropriate).The Nuclear Regulatory Commission or NRC provides expert advice based on sound scientific evidence. AAFCO doesn’t uphold all the NRC guidelines.
Europe has also taken strong measures in the last 10 years to enhance quality control and monitoring in pet food manufacturing.
European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF)provides a range of carefully prepared products to help ensure long, healthy and active lives of millions of pets in Europe.
Formed by independent vets throughout Europe to:
PFMA (Pet Food Manufacturers Association) duties include:
Also Read:Pet Food Labels
Few other developed nations including Australia have a very strong ecosystem to manage pet food manufacturing.
Increased pet ownership has contributed to large pet food needs in India. Indian pet food productions within 2020-25 reach a CAGR of 13.5%.
India, being one of the largest animal husbandry powerhouses in the world, has strict laws, regulations and monitoring in fisheries, cattle and poultry farming. The focus on regulating the quality of pet foods in India has not become a priority for the government yet. The lack of regulations will lead to food brands working in favor of their profits, rather than your pet’s health.
Minimal licenses such asFSSAI manufacturing, FSSAI marketing and BIS for pet foods merely have oversight on processing, packaging and marketing practices.
All in all, there areZERO laws in India that mandate a pet food brand to work in favor of your pet’s health.
India based Pet Food Brands end up following AAFCO standards, which are the minimum standards for pet nutrition in American conditions. Feeding your pet inappropriate food is bound to induce long term chronic issues, many of which are too late to treat when diagnosed.
What to do if you are a pet parent in India?
It’s best to work with a canine nutritionist to figure out your pet’s specific health needs and choose the food accordingly. Go for freshly prepared meals rather than highly processed dry or wet dog food to give your pet a healthier and longer life.
Healthy Barks is a nutrition first pet food brand, we deliver your pet’s freshly made meals right at your doorstep. We have customised meal options specially designed for your dog in order to fulfill their unique nutritional requirements. Give your pet a healthy life today!
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