AFIA Board Approves Formation of Ingredient Approval and Definition Committee
Interested Members Sought for Service
By Jarrod Kersey

The American Feed Industry Association Board of Directors recently approved a proposal by the Microbial, Enzyme and Forage Technology Committee to transition it to a committee that addresses ingredient approval and definitions.

The Ingredient Approval and Definition Committee, or IADC for short, will be composed of member-companies interested in the approval or recognition of new feed ingredients or new “intended uses.” The committee exists to provide a forum for AFIA members to advocate their regulatory and legislative interests regarding the ingredient approval and recognition process to government officials and to educate members regarding the changing regulatory environment. The primary objectives are to address and communicate key issues and concerns to stakeholders and to impact the approval/recognition and definition process of feed ingredients.

The formation of this new committee is timely, as it comes close to an announcement by the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine of a “formal” Generally Recognized As Safe, or GRAS, notification procedure which the agency plans to pursue later this year. Announced in December 2008, the new program is currently being staffed. A Federal Register notice of the program is expected in the following months.

The IADC seeks interested members to join and help work toward the education of ingredient approval and definition options. If you are interested in participating in this committee, please contact Jarrod Kersey at jkersey@afia.org.