By Louise Calderwood, Director of Regulatory Affairs, AFIA
For two years, the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) staff and members have advocated on Capitol Hill for the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (Innovative FEED) Act (H.R.2203 and S.1906). These identical bills would modernize the Food and Drug Administration’s review process for new animal food ingredients by establishing a category of ingredients termed Zootechnical Animal Food Substances (ZAFS). These ingredients do not contribute to animal nutrition directly but act in the animal’s gut to support health, improve food safety and reduce environmental impacts of digestion.
In September 2023, the Food and Drug Administration introduced its Animal and Veterinary Innovation Agenda, which supports advancing innovative products to address real-world issues in human and animal health. The agenda recognized the growing interest in scientifically backed feed ingredients that act in the gut to improve production, well-being, safety and sustainability.
In May 2024, the FDA withdrew an outdated policy guide that had classified animal food ingredients with non-nutritive claims, such as reducing pathogens or emissions, as drugs rather than feeds. Despite this, innovators still face a cumbersome case-by-case evaluation under the drug framework while a permanent regulatory pathway is developed. The Innovative FEED Act would correct this by ensuring that ZAFS are reviewed appropriately as feed ingredients, facilitating faster access to these solutions for U.S. farmers and ranchers.
Earlier this year, the Reagan-Udall Foundation released a report, Transforming Animal Health in the U.S. for the 21st Century, which called for updated review mechanisms for innovative nutritional products. The Foundation was created by Congress to advance regulatory science at the FDA. The recent report made a compelling case for modernizing animal food regulatory frameworks particularly through a clear process for evaluating ZAFS.
The AFIA is working to build bipartisan support for the Innovative FEED Act and identify a legislative vehicle to move the bill forward. This effort is supported by stakeholders including the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance and its members which recently joined over 200 other organizations and businesses in a letter to legislators urging passage of H.R.2203 and S.1906. By creating a scientifically robust and legally distinct category for ZAFS, the Act will enable timely, science-based assessments of novel feed ingredients. This reform is essential to bringing meaningful innovations to market that support animal health, food system resilience and environmental sustainability.