Sec. 2. Findings

378 words·~2 min read·/bill/119/hr/597/ih/section-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Congress finds the following: The pet food industry is a growing sector in the United States. Pet food exports have increased by double digits over the last few years. United States pet food manufacturers contribute to the national economy by buying nearly $7,000,000,000 worth of agricultural products from farmers, ranchers, and farm-product processors every year. Pet ownership has consistently grown in the United States, resulting in an increase in pet food sales and an accompanying increase in the interest by pet owners in how their companion animals’ food is regulated and produced.

Historically, pet food and livestock feed have been regulated under the same framework. However, as pet owners’ relationships with their pets have changed, so too has their understanding of pets’ nutritional needs and preferences. Pet food is specifically formulated to ensure complete nutrition for the long and healthy lives of companion animals. Owning a companion animal provides profound mental, social, and physical health benefits for pet owners such as reduced blood pressure and stress levels, and research indicates that companion animals can play a role in managing depression.

Before the enactment of this Act, the regulatory framework that was originally created for livestock feed no longer met the needs of pets or their owners. Before the enactment of this Act, the regulatory framework governing pet food manufacture and sale, from ingredient approvals to labeling requirements, was multifaceted and wildly inconsistent. Regulatory regimes varied by State, were developed in part by a combination of nongovernmental entities and State government agencies, and were overseen by the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.

Creating a more streamlined Federal regulatory process for new pet food ingredients allows for expedited advances for nutrition, greater innovation, and more functionality in a more predictable regulatory environment. Replacing the patchwork of regulation of pet food with a uniform Federal regulatory framework improves marketplace certainty, allows for more consistent and predictable ingredient review and market introductions, and enhances companion animal nutrition. The nationwide availability of nutritious, safe, and affordable pet food is substantially improved through a unified comprehensive Federal system of oversight of the manufacture and sale of pet food.

The manufacture of pet food and its marketing and sale is undertaken throughout the United States and its territories and is interstate commerce.