FDA Concludes Evaluation of Pre-market Animal Food Ingredient Review Programs and Shares Vision for Future

September 22, 2026

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) today is releasing the results of its evaluation of the animal Food Additive Petition (FAP) and Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Notification review programs. This evaluation, launched in August 2024, included soliciting public comments, conducting 14 external engagement sessions, holding internal CVM staff interviews, and analyzing feedback across program areas. The evaluation summary is the culmination of that process, which sought input on how to better serve public health and improve the review process for new animal food ingredients. 

In response to stakeholder feedback, FDA is implementing several targeted process improvements that preserve the scientific rigor of FDA’s internationally recognized animal food reviews while aiming to deliver faster, more predictable outcomes for submitters. 

As part of these improvements, FDA has issued a CVM Program Policy and Procedures Manual (PPM) 1244.3425: Animal Food Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Notice Evaluation Timeline. PPM 1244.3425 provides transparency into the GRAS Notice evaluation process, describes updates made to increase engagement with submitters, and is intended to improve successful outcomes within the evaluation window. 

Animal food stakeholders are encouraged to review the Summary: Evaluation of Pre-market Animal Food Ingredient Review Programs and Webinar: Evaluation of Pre-market Animal Food Ingredient Review Programs for a full account of public feedback, FDA’s conclusions, and practical details on how process changes will affect animal food submissions moving forward.

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