ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 8, 2023 — The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) supports the introduction of the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (FEED) Act in the House by Reps. Greg Pence, R-Ind.; Jim Baird, R-Ind.; Kim Schrier, D-Wash; and Angie Craig, D-Minn.
“Members of the grain and feed industry thank Reps. Greg Pence, R-Ind.; Jim Baird, R-Ind.; Kim Schrier, D-Wash; and Angie Craig, D-Minn., for introducing this bipartisan legislation, which is needed to modernize our regulatory system so innovative feed ingredients, already safely used in dozens of other countries, can be available to American producers,” said David Fairfield, NGFA’s senior vice president of feed. “These ingredients have novel benefits that make a positive impact on our food production system, such as improving feed efficiency and reducing human foodborne illness. This legislation would provide food manufacturers with a pathway to make truthful, non-misleading production and well-being claims for animal foods that have been substantiated to provide such benefits more efficiently.”
The Innovative FEED Act would establish a new category of animal food additives to cover ingredients that provide animal health, food safety or production benefits. Today, these ingredients must go through the same approval process as animal health drugs. This can result in an approval timeline of up to 10 years to bring new ingredients to the market. The Innovative FEED Act establishes that zootechnical animal food substances would gain approval for use through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) premarket animal food additive petition process.
“The FDA itself has acknowledged that some animal food products do not fit clearly within the agency’s two existing categories – animal drug or animal food,” Fairfield said. “Without congressional approval, the FDA does not have the authority to bring this policy into the 21st century to regulate these products through the more appropriate food additive petition process.”
The Innovative FEED Act (S. 1842) was introduced in the Senate earlier this year and included in the reauthorization of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) passed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. However, the version of ADUFA passed by Congress in September as part of the short-term government funding stopgap did not include the Act.
“Competent authorities of our global competitors in Europe, Asia, and South America already have updated their policies to allow feed products on the market that demonstrate increased efficiency in meat production as well as byproduct and waste reduction,” Fairfield noted. “To compete in the global market, farmers and ranchers in the United States need access to innovative zootechnical animal food substances to improve animal production and well-being, diminish pre-harvest food safety concerns, and boost sustainability opportunities.”
NGFA urges swift approval of the Innovative FEED Act in Congress.
-30-
The NGFA, established in 1896, consists of grain, feed, processing, exporting and other grain-related companies that operate more than 8,000 facilities handling U.S. grains and oilseeds. Its membership includes grain elevators; feed and feed ingredient manufacturers; biofuels companies; grain and oilseed processors and millers; exporters; livestock and poultry integrators; and associated firms that provide goods and services to the nation’s grain, feed and processing industry. The NGFA consists of 27 affiliated State and Regional Grain and Feed Associations, is co-located and has a strategic alliance with North American Export Grain Association, and a strategic alliance with Pet Food Institute.