The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) commended the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for advancing a bill that would establish a new pathway at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for novel feed additives to increase livestock efficiency and production.

NGFA has endorsed the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (FEED) Act of 2023 (S.1842), sponsored by Sens. Roger Marshall, R-KS.; Tammy Baldwin, D-WI; Jerry Moran, R-KS.; and Michael Bennet, D-CO. During a June 15 hearing, the Senate HELP Committee advanced the bill in its reauthorization of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA).

NGFA noted that the Innovative FEED Act would modernize the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to enable innovative products to reach the market and advance improvements in food safety.

“We strongly endorse this bill that would promote the availability of animal food products with novel benefits, such as improving the environment and reducing human foodborne illness,” said David Fairfield, NGFA senior vice president of feed.

The FDA recently acknowledged that some animal food products do not fit clearly within the agency’s two existing categories – animal drug or animal food. NGFA participated in a virtual listening session on the issue held by FDA in 2022.

NGFA’s comments made during the session and subsequently submitted to the docket urged FDA to modernize its policies to allow animal food manufacturers to make truthful, non-misleading production, environmental and well-being claims for animal foods that have been substantiated to provide such benefits in a more efficient manner.

Historically, FDA has required animal foods with such claims to gain approval as animal drugs. In contrast, the Innovative FEED Act would allow products with these claims to gain approval as feed additives, a more efficient and predictable process.

In addition to establishing a new pathway for manufacturers to receive approval for feed additives, the Innovative FEED Act also establishes guardrails to ensure only qualifying products are eligible for this pathway while also ensuring products are safe to use.