New safety standards for animal food makers

Bangalore Nov 4,2013: Recently, the USFDA has proposed a rule to formulate current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) standards for the preparation and storage of animal or pet food. These good manufacturing practices would be applicable for animal food products that are produced or is imported into the US. These products include animal feed, pet food and raw materials or ingredients used for the same purpose. Those animal food products manufactured in their own farms would be exempted from this rule.

There is an estimated cost of around $100 million for implementation of these new changes across the animal food industry. The health regulator has given a timeline of up to one year for large manufacturers and up to three years for small manufacturers.

With the help of these cGMP principles, it would be ensured that animal or pet food is manufactured under hygienic conditions that meet certain standards and are protected against contamination. This would not only improve food safety system but also help to reduce the number of recalls and health risks associated with contaminated food.IGMPI