Since 2015, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has been cooking up new guidelines for dog and cat food labels with the intent to help consumers better select dietary options for their four-legged children. This initiative, which Executive Director Austin Therrell described as a “huge undertaking,” is pet food label modernization, or PFLM.

Next month, AAFCO will put PFLM up for a general membership vote during its annual meeting. If the vote is in favor, state regulators will then decide if they will adopt the new guidelines. With this looming on the horizon, many processors — and packaging suppliers — need to prepare to take on these new labeling guidelines.

In this latest episode of More Than Kibble, Pet Food Processing Digital Media Editor Jordan Tyler talks with Therrell about PFLM’s beginnings, major labeling changes, plans for implementation and more.

“We were hearing remarks from consumers that were asking for more transparency and pet food labels that were easier to understand,” Therrell shared. “So, we recognized there was a desire to make some changes for pet food labels and to make them more closely resemble the human food labels that we see.”

Show notes

(0:34) Introducing Austin Therrell

(1:52) Understanding AAFCO

(3:40) What is PFLM?

(4:55) Four areas of a label impacted by PFLM

(5:51) The upcoming PFLM vote

(6:44) What processors need to know about changes under PFLM

• (7:05) The new Pet Nutrition Facts box
• (8:10) Changes to the intended use statement
• (8:56) Voluntary safe handling instructions
• (9:22) Changes to ingredient listings

(9:49) Timeline for implementation

(11:39) Feedback from the industry

(12:44) Anticipated challenges

(14:00) How the industry can stay engaged as PFLM is implemented

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