Last week, U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (FEED) Act of 2023 (S.1842), bipartisan legislation that would establish a new pathway at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for novel feed additives to increase livestock efficiency and production.
This bill would create new regulations for feed additives to increase livestock efficiency, production, and increase sustainability in the industry. The FEED Act of 2023 would allow the FDA to create a new category of animal food substances that act in the animal’s gut microbiomes or the feed they are digesting to provide non-nutritive benefits.
“The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) commends Senators Marshall, Baldwin, Moran, and Bennet for introducing the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (FEED) Act, which will modernize the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to enable innovative products to reach the market and advance improvements in food safety. We strongly endorse this bill that would promote the availability of animal food products with novel benefits, such as improving the environment and reducing human foodborne illness.” – David Fairfield, Senior Vice President, NGFA
Building on this effort, the Innovative FEED Act (S.1842 ) would modernize the approval process by establishing a new pathway for manufacturers to receive approval for feed additives that improve efficiency in meat and dairy production while also reducing byproducts. The legislation also establishes strict guardrails to ensure only qualifying products are eligible for this pathway while also ensuring products are safe to use.
“While producers in Europe and South America are using innovative feed additives to stay competitive, bureaucratic red tape has left America’s cattlemen and dairy farmers without any options. We need to create a level playing field for Colorado’s livestock industry by giving them every available tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the sustainability of their farms and ranches, while ensuring health and safety,” Senator Bennet said.
Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, commented on the bill saying that "U.S. dairy farmers benefit from access to safe and effective feed additives as they continue to innovate on multiple fronts, including bolstering their ongoing voluntary, producer-led sustainability efforts. The bipartisan initiative led by Senators Marshall, Baldwin, Moran, and Bennet will help them do just that, and we look forward to working with them to enact their bill into law".
