The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), an independent organization that guides state, federal and international feed regulators with ingredient definitions, label standards and laboratory standards, recently expressed concerns for the newly reintroduced H.R. 597, the “Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform Act of 2025,” also known as the “PURR Act of 2025.” AAFCO reports concern the proposed legislation, as it is currently presented, could negatively affect consumer protection, reduce transparency in pet food labeling, and jeopardize the safety of pet food products. “The PURR Act would remove the ability for state-level regulators to provide the oversight that U.S. pets and pet owners deserve,” says Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO. “Today, state feed programs are the first line of defense protecting consumers from misleading or mislabeled pet food products by inspecting products and labels to ensure that any marketing claims on the label or packaging are accurate and have the necessary scientific data to validate the statements.” The PURR Act of 2025 was introduced in Congress on January 23, 2025, to create a single federal regulatory process that would prohibit state governments from directly or indirectly establishing, maintaining, implementing, or enforcing any authority or requirement relating to the marketing or labeling of pet food. Most state feed programs in the United States support the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by reviewing pet food labels to ensure that permissible marketing claims are substantiated by data and are not false or misleading to the consumer, reports AAFCO. This bill would eliminate the checks and balances that are in place to ensure that consumers have transparency in the products they are purchasing. AAFCO states concern with the “ingredients sometimes present” language currently included in the PURR Act, which says manufacturers may use words on packaging such as “and/or,” “contains one or more of the following,” or other words indicating an ingredient may not be present in the pet food. If passed, this would allow manufacturers to change or omit ingredients without disclosing this information to consumers, AAFCO states. “Many consumers purchase pet foods and treats based on the dietary needs or allergen requirements of their pets. Lack of transparency would leave pet owners unable to know for certain which ingredients their pets may or may not be consuming, leading to potential health risks,” Therrell adds.
