The Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development Act (Innovative FEED Act) was introduced by bipartisan members of Congress on Tuesday. It allows for zootechnical animal food substances to be regulated within the FDA’s existing Food Additive Petition (FAP) process for market approval, according to a statement issued by the office of Congressman Nick Langworthy (R-NY).
“[The Act] will create a regulatory pathway to modernize animal food policies, resulting in a more efficient and predictable process for animal food products with novel benefits, such as reducing human foodborne illness,” said Berit Foss, vice president of feed and sustainability at the National Grain and Feed Association.
She added that the Act will maintain rigor in food safety standards and transparency.
The Innovative FEED Act would reduce FDA review times by years, helping to spearhead innovation and placing these products into producers’ hands sooner, said the legislators introducing the Act. The lawmakers included Langworthy and Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA), Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN), Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN) and Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA).
As for companion animals, R&D may exist to utilize zootechnical animal food substances in areas such as cognition, joint health and overall gut health.
Zootechnical animal food substances are any ingredient used to positively affect the performance of animals in good health or used to favorably impact the environment, including reducing methane emissions from bovines.
These zootechnical substances act in the gut and are not drugs but are food products. They can be more than just biotics, including additives such as essential oils or yeast cell wall extracts, said Louise Calderwood, director of regulatory and legislative affairs at the American Feed Industry Association.
“We are moving away from the use of antibiotics in animal food production,” she added. “Some of it by policy, some of it by law and some of it by consumer desires. These products can go a long way to replacing antibiotics for animal health.”
Waiting a decade
The term zootechnical is a nod to Europe, which already uses zootechnical animal food additives.
The U.S. legislation defines these ingredients as those that (i) affect the byproducts of the digestive process of an animal; (ii) reduce the presence of foodborne pathogens of human health significant in an animal intended to be used for food; or (iii) affect the structure or function of the body of the animal, other than providing nutritive value, by altering the animal’s gastrointestinal microbiome.
“This legislation is huge for us,” Calderwood said. “Our members have had these products on the market for years but cannot advertise them appropriately, and in some cases, have not been able to bring them to the market in the U.S. They’ve had to give these very vague innuendo type advertisings for products that have very specific impacts, and this is the primary reason why we support this act.”
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, a longtime farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee, said that FDA regulations on animal feed have failed to keep pace with innovation in the market and that some producers have waited a decade for approval.
“Our bipartisan Innovative FEED Act would remove unnecessary bureaucratic barriers, making it easier for industry innovators to bring their feed to market,” she said. “The benefits for Maine would be significant—not just for our livestock farmers but for our growing aquaculture industry, leading to exciting new investments in things like microalgae and seaweed, which have shown great promise in reducing methane emissions in cattle.”
