Thinking about making a human grade claim on your pet food? Learn about the hurdles involved in the regulatory world!
The humanization of pets continues to be a powerful force, setting the bar for pet food higher than ever before. Human grade pet food is an emerging trend in the pet food industry. The USDA defines products that are fit for human consumption as “edible”, so "human grade" claims on pet food indicate that it is edible by humans. For a product to make these claims, all ingredients in the product must be human edible and the product must be manufactured, packed, and held in accordance with federal regulations in 21 CFR 110, Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food. In addition, the facility must be licensed to manufacture human food as well as pet food.
While there is no definition in animal feed regulations, AAFCO has established guidelines for “Human Grade” pet and specialty pet food claims. These guidelines were recently updated at the 2022 AAFCO Annual Meeting and there were changes made that may require revisions of existing product labels. For example, the largest or most prominent use of the term “human grade” must be juxtaposed with the statement of intended use (e.g., human grade dog food) and depicted in the same font as the human grade claim.
So, can I share Fido’s dinner?
Even though human grade pet food may look appetizing, it is not for humans. Companies are not permitted to use language such as “so good you could eat it too” or “created for both you and your pet”. Human grade pet food is manufactured in accordance with human edible standards; however, the products are produced for pets and are not intended for human consumption.
Is Human grade pet food safer for pets?
Just because a pet food is human grade, this does not necessarily mean it is safer or higher quality than other products for your pet. Human grade does not guarantee nutritional safety for pets. There are ingredients that are approved for use in human food that are unsafe for pets to consume (such as xylitol or chocolate). Feed grade pet food and human grade pet food both must meet the strict nutritional requirements according to the AAFCO Dog or Cat Food Nutrient Profiles.
How are human grade claims substantiated?
Currently, there are twelve states that require significant documentation supporting a human grade claim to register and ultimately sell your products within the state. They require various forms of documentation to substantiate the human grade claims. One state may request a single notarized affidavit to support the claim, while others require significant additional documentation. The burden of documentation falls on the manufacturer and ingredient suppliers, but ultimately falls on the brand to collect all of the necessary documents for the product claim.
North River Enterprises provides services to assist with compiling the required information to make human grade claims and ensure your label is compliant for registration acceptance - contact us today!