i- On December 7, 2023, several members of the House of Representatives introduced the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development Act (Innovative FEED Act). The bill was also introduced in the Senate earlier this year.
- If approved, the Act will amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) to add a new category of animal feed ingredients that do not fit neatly into the current categories of animal drug or animal food. “Zootechnical animal food substances” would be defined as substances added to the food or drinking water of animals intended to “lower food pathogens, reduce byproducts for animals, or affect its gut microbiome.” These substances should achieve their intended affect by “acting solely within the gastrointestinal tract of the animal.” The ingredients would follow FDA’s existing food additive petition process, and the bill would add specific petition requirements to Section 409 of the FDCA. In addition, the bill would establish labeling requirements for zootechnical food substances.
- According to a press release from Congressman Greg Pence, one of the representatives who led the introduction of the bill, zootechnical animal food substances will provide more tools for farmers, reduce FDA review times of feed additives, and spur innovation in feed ingredients. The bill has received support from various industry groups that have recognized it as a tool for a modernized feed ingredient approval framework and a driver for nutritional innovation.
- Keller and Heckman will continue to monitor this bill.
US House Introduces Bipartisan Feed Ingredient Bill
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
