WSR 17-09-047
PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
[Filed April 17, 2017, 11:42 a.m.]
Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 16-250 WAC, Commercial feed rules and chapter 16-252 WAC, Commercial feed rulesPet food and specialty pet food, the agency is considering adopting the recent changes to federal regulations and the current Association of American Feed Control Officials official publication regarding feed safety in order to better protect public health and promote uniformity with other states.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: Chapters 15.53 and 34.05 RCW.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: After congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in 2011, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a number of revised and new federal code of regulations necessary to implement FSMA in late 2015 and again in 2016. Revision to chapter 16-250 WAC, Commercial feed rules and chapter 16-252 WAC, Commercial feed rulesPet food and specialty pet food, is necessary to remain uniform with federal regulations so that commercial feed, including pet food produced in Washington may be freely shipped in interstate and international commerce and to ultimately protect consumers from contaminated, adulterated, and/or misbranded animal food.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Washington state department of health; local health jurisdictions; FDA.
Animal food/feed safety officials from these organizations will be notified about the rule-making process through our animal feed safety taskforce committee and outreach notifications. Washington state department of agriculture (WSDA) will ask members from these organizations to participate in our rule-making process.
Process for Developing New Rule: The agency is developing the rule in coordination with stakeholders.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Claudia Coles, Policy/External Affairs Advisor, WSDA, Food Safety and Consumer Services Division, P.O. Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560, email ccoles@agr.wa.gov, phone (206) 321-1124.
April 10, 2017
Dr. Candace A. Jacobs
Assistant Director
Food Safety and
Consumer Services Division