Which act governs the federal regulation of pet foods, according to the FDA?

• A. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
• B. Animal Welfare Act
• C. Federal Food Safety Act
• D. Public Health Service Act

Answer: (A)

Pet foods are treated as foods, so the FDA’s regulatory authority comes from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This act gives the FDA power to ensure foods are safe, properly labeled, and not adulterated or misbranded, which includes pet foods. The Animal Welfare Act is about the care and welfare of animals in research and exhibition, not the safety or labeling of pet foods. There isn’t a separate Federal Food Safety Act that governs pet foods, and while subsequent laws like the Food Safety Modernization Act expanded FDA’s oversight of animal feeds under the same foundational statute, the core authority remains the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The Public Health Service Act governs public health functions and agencies, not pet food regulation.