Behind the scenes we (TruthaboutPetFood.com) frequently attempt to maintain the FDA accountable for imposing legislation in pet meals. Under are a few of our latest communications with FDA…
On January 28, 2026 we despatched FDA the next message relating to pet meals labeling legal guidelines the company is charged with imposing:
On the FDA website, the company states “The Federal Meals, Drug, and Beauty Act (FD&C Act) requires that every one animal meals, like human meals, be fit for human consumption, produced beneath sanitary circumstances, comprise no dangerous substances, and be honestly labeled.” As regards to ‘honestly labeled’, can the FDA clarify why no regulatory motion has been taken on the Meow Mix Original Choice cat food label? This specific cat meals label consists of pictures of a grilled piece of rooster breast, a bit of roasted turkey, and two fillets of fish. Nonetheless the components included on this pet meals are meal components; rooster by-product meal, turkey by-product meal, salmon meal, and ocean fish meal.
Please present a full rationalization for us to share with pet homeowners to how this pet meals is “honestly labeled” as required by federal legislation.
The FDA didn’t reply to our request for an evidence. On March 12, 2026 we adopted up with the company sending this:
Can CVM present a response to my questions within the e mail from 1/28/26? Or present rationalization to why the company is not going to reply to my 1/28/26 e mail.
To present day (9/15/26), the FDA has not offered an evidence as to how this Meow Combine Authentic Selection Cat meals is honestly labeled as legislation requires (legal guidelines that FDA is charged with imposing).
On July 6, 2026 we requested the FDA to supply us with ingredient identification/labeling necessities for generally used pet meals components:
The USDA processes condemned materials in slaughter services into “tankage“. My query is – what do rules require this tankage materials utilized in pet meals to be recognized to the patron as? Similar to from a USDA rooster slaughter facility – is tankage recognized on a pet meals label as rooster or rooster meal?
The FDA didn’t reply our query.
On September 15, 2025 we despatched the FDA the next questions relating to our concern the company is withholding details about the danger of avian flu in kibble pet meals and withholding details about the danger of avian flu to cats that go or reside outside:
FDA has issued a number of public alerts relating to uncooked pet meals, the potential of uncooked pet meals being contaminated with HPAI. Nonetheless, identified cats that consumed a uncooked pet meals solely make up 4% of the entire (USDA statistics, 145 whole identified home cats since Could 2022). What type of meals did 96% of the cats devour? What proportion of cats had been indoor solely cats? What proportion of cats had entry to outside?
If – that is an assumption as a result of you haven’t offered pet homeowners with any info aside from on uncooked pet meals – 96% of the identified cats had been outside cats, isn’t FDA being negligent to not warn the general public to this important threat?
If – once more an assumption as a result of you haven’t offered these particulars – 96% of the identified cats consumed a kibble pet meals, isn’t FDA being negligent to not warn the general public to this important threat?
The purpose is, pet homeowners CANNOT correctly defend their pets when FDA is ONLY offering details about 4% of the circumstances. We deserve all the info, and promptly.
The FDA didn’t reply our questions.
On Could 29, 2025 we requested the FDA if pet meals label updates developed by AAFCO could be carried out by FDA. FDA had lately ended a long-standing relationship with AAFCO, and we wished some sort of assurance that the label updates would nonetheless be acknowledged by FDA.
With FDA’s departure from AAFCO, what will occur with the AAFCO Pet Meals Label Modernization? Will these label adjustments be carried out or not?
On this occasion the FDA responded inside per week:
Pricey Ms. Thixton:
Thanks for contacting FDA’s Middle for Veterinary Drugs (CVM). We’d refer you to: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-food-feeds/fda-letter-stakeholders-acknowledgment-expiring-fda-aafco-mou in response to your under inquiry.
Sincerely,
AskCVM
However the response acquired from FDA offered no reply to my unique query. On June 5, 2026 this comply with up was despatched to FDA:
The hyperlink you despatched has completely no info relating to the AAFCO Pet Meals Label Modernization. So…are you able to reply to my query initially despatched? Will the label adjustments be carried out or not?
A number of days later the FDA responded to our second request, BUT once more the company didn’t reply our (quite simple to reply) query.
We’d refer you to our earlier response.
Again in 2022, we filed a Citizen Petition (an official request asking the company to take motion) with FDA requesting the company abide by federal legislation in regulating pet meals. Particularly we quoted quite a few federal legal guidelines in reference to deceptive pet meals ingredient names. Though the FDA is required by federal legislation to supply their response with 180 days, the FDA took 1,333 days to supply us with their formal response to our request. The FDA stated no – they won’t implement legislation.
On April 13, 2026 we asked the FDA to reconsider submitting a Petition for Reconsideration. In our reconsideration request we offered the FDA with additional proof that pet meals customers are being misled immediately as a result of FDA’s lack of enforcement of legislation. And we requested the company to supply us their determination relating to reconsideration inside 45 days.
To present day – September 15, 2026 – the FDA has not offered us with a response to our Petition for Reconsideration (155 days later).
Regardless of FDA’s lack of responses to many points, we WILL proceed to ask them for solutions.
Susan Thixton
Pet Meals Shopper Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
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