Which agency regulates pet and livestock foods?

• A. FDA
• B. USDA-FSIS
• C. USDA-APHIS
• D. EPA

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that in the United States, pet foods and animal feeds are regulated as foods by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA applies the same safety and labeling rules to animal foods as it does to human foods, under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, to prevent adulteration and misbranding and to ensure ingredients are appropriate for the intended use. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service handles meat, poultry, and egg products, not general pet foods or livestock feeds. The USDA-APHIS focuses on animal health and welfare, not feed regulation. The EPA oversees environmental protection and pesticides, not routine animal feeds. In practice, feed labeling often follows guidelines from industry groups like AAFCO, but the federal regulatory authority over pet and livestock foods is the FDA.