AAFCO Updated Feline Nutritional Guidelines

The Association of American Feed Control Officials recommended that states coordinate enforcement of updated feline nutrient profiles.

Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Cats

AAFCO Updated Feline Nutritional Guidelines

Live Poll

Should states coordinate enforcement timelines to help pet food companies meet new nutritional labeling requirements?

The Association of American Feed Control Officials has issued a final position advising states to align feline calcium and phosphorus enforcement with the Pet Food Label Modernization timeline. This shift encourages regulators to avoid penalizing manufacturers for reformulation during this transition.

Why it matters

The changes reflect an updated scientific understanding of feline dietary needs and health outcomes to ensure pet food quality. By aligning these rules with the modernization timeline, regulators aim to facilitate a smoother product update process for companies.

The AAFCO expert panel conducted a review of calcium and phosphorus research starting in 2023, followed by a report to the Pet Food Committee in January 2025. These revised profiles apply to all pet food products regardless of whether they use legacy or modern labeling.

The players

Association of American Feed Control Officials

This is a voluntary membership organization that provides model legislation and standards for the regulation of animal feed and pet food in the United States.

Pet Food Committee

This is a specific subgroup within the organization responsible for overseeing policy development and regulatory standards related to pet food industry practices.

The details

The regulatory body suggests that states refrain from pursuing enforcement actions against products undergoing reformulation to meet these new standards during the implementation period. Officials are encouraged to work cooperatively with manufacturers to verify compliance rather than requiring separate registration for the updated products.

An expert panel reviewed feline nutritional research in 2023.
The Pet Food Committee received the panel findings in January 2025.
AAFCO membership approved the revised nutritional profiles in August 2026.

Cats
Oct. 15
Smalls Earns Clean Label Project Certification
Nutrition
Oct. 12
FDA Proposed Food Additive Regulation Changes
Organic Food
Oct. 9
FDA Proposed Traceability Rule Exemptions

Culture Shift

This move reflects the ongoing industry-wide transition toward the Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM) timeline, which standardizes how nutritional data is presented to consumers. By aligning feline-specific nutritional updates with this framework, the industry is prioritizing consistent safety and labeling across all pet food categories.

For cat owners, this regulatory change means that pet food brands will be reformulating products to better align with current nutritional science for calcium and phosphorus. You should not see any disruption in product availability at local stores as states move to cooperate with manufacturers during this transition.

The takeaway

Pet owners can feel more confident that food formulations are being updated to reflect the latest scientific research on feline health. You should monitor labels for future updates to ensure your pets are receiving the most accurate nutritional information as industry standards continue to evolve.