spiritdogs

 UPDATE - Here is the email I received from the Pet Food Institute regarding the six month window for label changes:

"Most ingredient changes are very minor, and if so, a short allowance is made for using up packaging.  MAJOR changes require that labels be changed As Soon As Practical.  It takes several weeks to get packaging changed, depending on the difference in the label.  If it is just an ingredient, itself, that is a much simpler change than if you’re making a statement about that ingredient (“Calling it out”).  Basically there’s about a 6 month allowance to get ALL packaging changed, because of distribution and logistics issues.

Significant label changes – those dealing with the first 6 or so ingredients have a much higher threshold to meet before labeling can be changed, with formulations, palatability challenges, digestibility challenges, etc., so ingredient changes are pretty rare in the grand scope of pet food."

 

I think that's just flat out wrong.  The person who wrote that mentions absolutely nothing about individual state laws--which as we've already established are what really matter.  Nor does he (she?) cite any source at all to confirm what he says.

I went to AAFCO's site, followed some links and read through most of the pet food labeling requirements for my state, and couldn't find any reference to a grace period for updating labeling after an ingredient change.  The statutes that addressed the issue were pretty straightforward in their requirement for accurate ingredient listings.

(But I'm thinking this discussion is probably kind of pointless anyway.  Because do any of us actually believe that our state officials are really keeping a very close eye on pet food ingredients/labeling???)