CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has created an online self-study course for members and non-members interested in learning more about the registration, approval and definition processes for pet food and animal feed ingredients.

The organization recommends this three-part course for new hires at ingredient manufacturing companies, research firms interested in the regulatory space, current employees wanting to learn more, and other staff involved with defining pet food and animal feed ingredients for their companies.

AAFCO shared the course can also be used for personnel development and team competence.

“We are delighted to be able to offer this easy-to-use but comprehensive online program,” said Susan M. Hays, executive director of AAFCO. “It lets learners come up to speed quickly on their own, saving management training time while staff gain competence in completing the AAFCO process.”

The course includes three progressive modules spanning the ingredient definition process, how to communicate with AAFCO investigators and involved parties at the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), how to submit a Food Additive Petition for the FDA, how to notify the CVM that an ingredient has been deemed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), and other information on regulatory definitions and ingredient safety from AAFCO and the FDA.

There are retention checks built into the course so participants can solidify their understanding of the materials.

The course fee is $150 for employees of ingredient manufacturers, research organizations, universities, industry companies and other non-member or non-regulatory registrants. For AAFCO members, the fee is $99. Interested participants can register online through AAFCO.

Read more about the ingredient approval process and trends for pet food products in the United States.