At the Midyear Meeting of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), Dr. Mika Alewynse, team leader for nutrition and labeling and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration official responsible for reviewing and approving feed ingredients in the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, announced that krill meal is not shrimp meal and therefore, does not have FDA’s approval for feeding to fish or other animals.  Although this seems to have been their position for some time, it had not been publicly announced.  

Richard Sellers, Vice President American Feed Industry Association, who attended the January 21-24 meeting in Albuquerque, NM, told Aquafeed.com this has long been the agency’s position.  He said, “I’d heard this position in some private meetings, but due to confusion by state feed regulatory officials, FDA decided to announce its position at this national meeting.”  Dr. Alewynse said firms wishing to either market or use krill meal will have to petition FDA to gain approval.  

In the U.S.  feed ingredients must either be prior approved or generally recognized as safe use in feed for any animals.  Approval by FDA usually causes such ingredients to be added to the AAFCO Official Publication, which is referenced in nearly all state feed laws as the official list of ingredient definition. 

Sellers said he will notify AFIA members involved in aquaculture about the announcement.