AAFCO: PURR Act Places Pet Food Transparency on the Chopping Block

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) on Feb. 21 issued a press release sharing its concerns about a bill that could have negative ramifications for pet food industry companies and pet parents. 

The bill—H.R. 597, the “Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform Act of 2025” or PURR Act of 2025 for short—was reintroduced in Congress on Jan. 23 by Arkansas Representative Steve Womack (R-3). It was first introduced as H.R. 7380 by Kansas Representative Jake LaTurner (R-2) in February 2024.

In essence, the PURR Act aims to centralize the regulation of pet food in the United States under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Historically, pet food has been regulated at both the state and federal levels, with local officials contributing years of experience and state-level expertise to the process. Under a unified, federal system, state government officials would be prohibited from participating in this process as it relates to the marketing and labeling of pet food products.

According to AAFCO, these changes “could negatively affect consumer protection, reduce transparency in pet food labeling, and jeopardize the safety of pet food products.”

"The PURR Act would remove the ability for state-level regulators to provide the oversight that U.S. pets and pet owners deserve,” said Austin Therrell, Executive Director of AAFCO. “Today, state feed programs are the first line of defense protecting consumers from misleading or mislabeled pet food products by inspecting products and labels to ensure that any marketing claims on the label or packaging are accurate and have the necessary scientific data to validate the statements.”

A key concern with the PURR Act of 2025 is the potential for loopholes when it comes to transparency, an increasingly important purchasing factor for today’s dog and cat owners. A recent survey of more than 800 pet parents across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and France indicated accurate and transparent labeling is “very important” to 60% of consumers. Yet, the PURR Act would allow manufacturers to describe ingredients in their pet food formulations in more vague terms.

The bill would permit manufacturers to claim when ingredients are “sometimes present” in a pet food formulation, opening the door for “and/or” statements, “containing one or more of the following” claims and other verbiage indicating a listed ingredient may or may not be included in the formulation. 

The inclusion of this language in the bill would warrant ingredient swaps and formulation changes without properly notifying the end consumer. In addition, the 2025 version of the PURR Act would also allow pet food manufacturers to not list ingredients in order of predominance used in their pet food and treats as long as they make up 2% or less of the formulation. These clauses pose veritable concerns for pet parents whose companions have specific health needs that are mitigated or controlled by their diets.

“Many consumers purchase pet foods and treats based on dietary needs or allergen requirements of their pets,” Therrell added. “Lack of transparency would leave pet owners unable to know, for certain, which ingredients their pets may or may not be consuming, leading to potential health risks.”

The potential for misleading labeling is just one of several red flags raised by the PURR Act of 2025. For the industry, smaller and mid-sized companies may face regulatory bottlenecks that could slow innovation and inflate costs, as all pet food oversight would be centralized. This could also lead to weaker oversight of marketing claims, potentially opening pet food companies up to consumer scrutiny that too often ends in litigation. 

On the other hand, consumers and their pets will also feel the burden of weakened labeling oversight as federal agencies potentially become overwhelmed, as well as a lack of clarity around ingredient substitutions, both of which ultimately impact pets’ health, well-being, and access to trusted, high-quality nutrition.

While harmonization of regulations is a reasonable goal, a lack of oversight protections, reduced state enforcement, and regulatory loopholes allowed by the PURR Act of 2025 could lead to reduced transparency for consumers, higher pet food safety risks, and financial burdens for smaller pet food brands.

As the debate over this legislation unfolds, it’s critical for stakeholders to weigh the potential benefits against the risks. Pet food transparency, safety, and trust should remain top priorities when it comes to pet nutrition.

BSM Partners will continue to keep all pet industry stakeholders informed about the latest developments with the PURR Act and other legislation impacting the way we feed and care for our beloved pets. Stay tuned for an upcoming episode of the Barking Mad podcast, in which we will explore this and other key concerns within the PURR Act of 2025 with Austin Therrell and longtime industry advocate Dr. Charles Starkey.

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest updates on all things happening here at BSM Partners.

About the Author

Jordan Tyler is the Director of Media at BSM Partners. She has more than five years of experience reporting on trends, best practices and developments in the North American pet nutrition industry. Jordan resides in Bentonville, Arkansas, with her husband and their four furry family members.