Remember that FDA public hearing I went to on May 13th? The one that was adjourned before I got to it? Supposedly the purpose was to give pet owners, animal welfare organizations and others a chance to share their opinions. But if the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine really cared what we think (and eat!) wouldn't they have waited until after the meeting to make a major decision about the future of pet food regulation?

I guess not, because the day before the meeting, the FDA CVM cut a deal with the pet food industry to completely undermine the law Congress passed last year to reform our mystery kibble.

Congress passed the FDA Amendments Act (FDAAA) last September, and the part of it that applies to pet food requires the FDA to make some major -- and majorly awesome -- changes. They're supposed to establish standards and definitions for ingredients, processing standards, and ingredient and nutrition information labeling, and they were given 2 years to do it.

But instead of taking Congress seriously and making some real changes for the sake of pets, FDA has incorporated FDAAA into a 5 year old program that's full of loopholes, the Animal Feed Safety System. AFSS is so huge that in 5 years, they haven't even been able to establish a framework for it -- let alone make the regulations stick. AFSS is just more of the same, and the FDAAA pet food regulations are sure to get lost in the shuffle. FDA gets off the hook, the pet food industry gets their way again, and we pets and our people are left with yucky, unregulated pet food.

I'm delivering your poo bags on Friday to the FDA CVM to send our message that we're sick of the crap in our pet food. But I can't do this alone -- I need your help telling FDA and AAFCO (the pet food industry group) that we demand clear labeling and ingredient standards! Please call or email these pet food bigwigs with your barks and meows:

FDA CVM pet food specialist
William J. Burkholder, DVM, Ph.D.
william.burkholder@fda.hhs.gov
240-453-6865

Association Of American Feed Control Officials President
Ricky Schroeder
rrs@otsc.tamu.edu
979-845-1121