The Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (Innovative FEED) Act has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives through a joint effort of Representatives Greg Pence, Jim Baird, Kim Schrier, and Angie Craig and eight other co-sponsors, that aims to improve the regulatory environment for new animal feed ingredients.

Innovative FEED will amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to establish a regulatory pathway for a new category of animal food substances that act solely within animals’ gut microbiomes or in the feed they are digesting to provide a wide range of benefits, giving the Food and Drug Administration the power it needs to ensure regulations keep pace with scientific innovation in feed.

Upon introduction of the bill, AFIA president and CEO, Constance Cullman, said that “the AFIA is excited that the Senate has already introduced the Innovative FEED Act and now, with the House introduction, the bill has the bipartisan and bicameral support we hoped for. Now, we urge Congress to act quickly on the bill. The legislation will be the spark needed to drive nutritional innovation that improves animal health and production while addressing public health challenges. We need this modernized regulatory oversight instead of the current policy of overregulation. Any delay in enacting this legislation continues to put U.S. agriculture at a disadvantage compared to our global counterparts whose regulatory systems have evolved with the times.”

The AFIA has urged the FDA to modernize its outdated 1998 Policy and Procedures Manual Guide 1240.3605, which has hindered animal food manufacturers from clearly indicating non-nutritive benefits on labels without navigating the FDA’s arduous drug approval process. Dozens of countries have already safely approved and started using these feed ingredients on farms, resulting in improved animal production, well-being, reduced pre-harvest food safety concerns, and a smaller environmental footprint.

The Innovative FEED Act will bring about the necessary changes to ensure these additives are reviewed for safety and effectiveness as food additives, not drugs, and can more quickly come to market for U.S. farmers and ranchers to choose to use.