Louise Calderwood
Title
Director of Regulatory Affairs
Company
American Feed Industry Association
Louise Calderwood will speak on the current state of animal feed additive regulations for pet food on Tuesday, April 30, at 3:00-3:20 p.m. during the “Pet food safety and regulatory updates” concurrent sessions. Register now to hear Louise and 30+ other industry experts speak at Petfood Forum 2024.
What is the single, most important concept you hope attendees will learn from your presentation?
What is the current standing of proposed federal legislative changes required to initiate new regulatory pathways for animal food additives and how can these potential changes to FDA policy to support claims for animal food additives of importance to pets.
Please explain the significance of this concept to the industry and your organization:
Products considered for regulation as zootechnical animal food additives can provide benefits to pets such as assisting metabolism, supporting optimal gut function and stimulating the immune system.
The AFIA has long recognized the value of regulating animal food additives that act solely in the gut of the animal as food and not as drugs.
What are potential next developments or stages in this specific field?
Once the proposed legislation is adopted by Congress the FDA is encouraged to quickly publish guidance materials to aid companies to understand the data requirements, especially if an ingredient is already approved for another use and is wanting to add a new claim.
Presentation Description:
Current state of animal feed additive regulations for pet food — Calderwood shares information on the status of proposed federal legislation to define a new class of ingredients, termed zootechnical animal food substances (ZAFS). She also reviews associated policy changes to support claims for these animal food additives that act in the animal’s digestive tract, with a specific focus on application to pet foods.
Experience:
Louise Calderwood is the American Feed Industry Association’s director of regulatory affairs, providing leadership on regulatory and state issues related to pet food and general regulatory issues. She works closely with committee leadership of the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Formerly Calderwood was the government relations director for the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance and Vermont’s Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Calderwood holds degrees in dairy science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and animal science from the University of Vermont. She is a frequent presenter at state association meetings and public forums related to the animal food industry.
