In 2008, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) approved a recommendation for organic standards specific to pet food. The recommendation aims to align pet food composition and labeling with the USDA organic regulations, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements, and State pet food regulations. The NOSB recommendation was enabled by the work of the Pet Food Task Force, which included individuals from pet food manufacturing, organic consulting, and federal agencies.
The pet food industry and other organic stakeholders eagerly await standards providing clear and consistent composition and labeling requirements for organic pet food. NOP has prioritized the completion of this rulemaking, which includes completion of an Economic Impact Statement. It's hard to predict exactly when a proposed will be published. OTA will continue to monitor the process and engage members in the comment process as soon as the proposed rule is released.