NMPF Urges Sped-Up FDA Approval Of Climate Friendly Feed Additives

NMPF called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Nov. 16 to use existing legal authority to modernize its regulations allowing for faster approval of animal-feed additives that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, submitting comments to the agency highlighting the need for urgent action to enhance dairy’s role as a climate solution.

Published in 1998, the FDA requested comment on its “Policy and Procedures Manual 1240.3605, Regulating Animal Foods with Drug Claims” to evaluate how the policy could be updated to reflect evolving scientific knowledge and promote innovation.

NMPF in its comments urged FDA to modernize the policy, which will allow for pre-market approval for important feed additive products like those which reduce enteric methane. Enteric emissions directly from cows currently account for roughly one-third of all GHG emissions from dairy farms and present an important area of opportunity for methane reductions. While animal-feed additives are a promising path toward a net-zero future for dairy as outlined in industry goals, their pace of approval lags that of competitors such as the European Union due to current FDA processes. Modernizing the process and allowing feed additives to be treated as foods rather than as drugs, can help the United States maintain and advance its global leadership in sustainability. Embracing new practices and technologies are key to making America’s dairy farmers an environmental solution while providing wholesome and nutritious dairy products to the U.S. and the world.

The feed additive comments were one of several NMPF submitted to federal agencies in November, with others including: