I have pounded my head for well over a year now on what we can do.
The pet food industry won't change until state laws match their advertising head to head:
If they advertise to feed our "family" members then the law needs to be changed.
I'm particularly fond of the California section, and the fact that the Dzanis article that warned the pet food companies to pay attention:
http://www.petfoodindustry.com/ViewArticle.aspx?id=21594"California Senate Bill 1773 requires inspection of an in-state petfood manufacturing facility to ensure proper equipment and sanitary operation prior to registration. With an out-of-state manufacturer, the registration is contingent on certification by a federal, state or local health agency that the petfood conforms to California requirements.""It must be remembered that as of this writing, these bills are not currently law but rather in various stages of deliberation within the respective state legislature. They may be subject to change or even dropped from consideration in the future. However, it behooves you to keep apprised of these matters as they develop."Perhaps that will be the most effective thing I can turn my attention to here in my state that will bring about "real" changes to the pet food industry.
AAFCO would serve us all best if they had spent time addressing the laws for nationwide regulation and uniformity, and pet protection instead of playing footsy for so many years in bed with the industries.
We all know we're down to having laws, written with specificity and clarity, which will be the only way to bring about enforceable real change and the motivation for the pet food industry to change.
Or maybe, the animal feed industry will now object to continuing to allow the pet food companies to hide under their industry and use them like some vampire to avoid the light of law/daylight.
FDAAA failed us, IMO, on that aspect, and led to the FDA/AAFCO/Lobbyists castration of the intent that wasn't supported with language. Letter of the law and intent of the law. Without one, the letter, it's hard to formulate and enforce "intent". That leaves room for the lobbyists to define it. With the letter of the law, it can stop the denaturing of the the law itself. I do not believe for one minute that the authors of the FDAAA were not aware of how flimsy the FDAAA could be made when addressed by our Goverment via the FDA and hiding behind AAFCO.
With all that we've learned, I truly believe that chosing good foods, transitioning where possible to homemade (raw or cooked) in conjunction with lobbying for state laws is the best we can do for our pets.
This pet food industry needs the motivation to change and state laws appear to be the only way to make that happen.
Please contact your state government and help us all take the next step in food safety for our companion animals.
