While not a glamorous job, the function of the AAFCO Model Bill Committee is an important one as it provides a high-quality model regulation that may be used by any governmental entity wishing to regulate feed/pet food. During the most recent annual meeting, the Model Bill Committee was made aware of an inaccurate description for reporting concentrations of supplements and additives: the recommended units were missing.
Upon our suggestion, the Model Bill Committee not only recommended making the one change, but agreed to scour the model regulation for all concentration units and put all units into metric via a working group. No longer will supplements and additives be reported in milligrams per pound. Instead, they will be reported in milligrams per kilogram (or IUs or micrograms as appropriate for the ingredient).
These changes can be anticipated by the 2019 AAFCO Official Publication. As far as when/if individual state legislatures will update their laws it will depend on the particular state. In most cases, because state laws have to change to meet FSMA guidelines over the next several years, states will incorporate these additive unit reporting changes when they update their laws.
Using the metric system not only provides for consistency, but will also help our members market and sell their products overseas.
New working group formed. A post-AAFCO (annual meeting 2017) report
