Congress Approves Pet Food Safety Legislation

As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007, congress overwhelmingly passed legislation this week to establish pet food safety standards and to create an early warning system that identifies pet food contamination.

The bill calls for the Secretary of Heath and Human Services to devise ingredient and processing standards as well as update pet food labeling guidelines that include nutritional and ingredient information. The amendment states this must be completed within two years.

The amendment also establishes that an early warning and surveillance system will be created to properly notify the public during a pet food recall. The system must be created within one year after the amendment is enacted. In addition, the FDA will post pet food recall information on its website in a single location “that is easily accessed and understood by the public.”

The amendment passed by a vote of 405 to 7 in the House on Sept. 19, 2007, and passed unanimously in the Senate on Sept. 20. President Bush is expected to sign the legislation, according to published reports.