To help industry players navigate these compliance hurdles, CIRS Group has compiled the Guide to U.S. Animal Food Ingredient Regulatory Submissions: Animal Food GRAS Notices, Food Additive Petitions, FDA Animal Food Ingredient Consultation (AFIC), and AAFCO Scientific Review of Ingredient Submissions (SRIS).

On August 19, 2026, the U.S. Federal Register Vol. 91, No. 159 published notices announcing the acceptance of three food color additive petitions. At the same time, the WTO issued SPS notifications G/SPS/N/USA/3592, G/SPS/N/USA/3594, and G/SPS/N/USA/3595. The three petitions concern safflower extract, gardenia (genipin) blue, and acetone as a processing solvent for carrot oil, respectively. All three applications are currently under technical review.

On August 3, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued Notice No. 2026-15761, revising the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for isofetamid in certain foods. The notice was officially published in the Federal Register on August 4, 2026, and took effect on the date of publication.

As an important feed and pet food consumption market, the United States has a complex regulatory framework for market access. With multiple submission pathways—including FAP, GRAS, AFIC, and SRIS—many exporting companies find it difficult to determine the most appropriate route. To help companies address compliance challenges when entering the U.S. market, CIRS Group provided an in-depth overview of the U.S. feed regulatory framework, requirements for each submission pathway and a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the four major pathways.

Following the launch of our first guidance - Guide to U.S. GRAS Notification, CIRS Group is proud to unveil our second guidebook in our Global Ingredient Compliance Series: Guide to U.S. New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) Notifications. This guide rounds out the essential compliance roadmap for companies bringing new dietary ingredients (NDI) to the U.S. market.

On August 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of HHS officially issued a proposed rule on mandatory GRAS notifications. The FDA proposes to change the current voluntary GRAS notification process to a mandatory system, directly targeting the Self-GRAS pathway.

On August 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially released the proposed GRAS rule, which is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on August 11. Either electronic or written comments on the proposed rule must be submitted by December 9, 2026. The core of the proposed rule is to eliminate the Self-GRAS pathway and require companies to submit GRAS notices to FDA.

Navigating the regulatory landscape for exporting food and feed ingredients to the United States requires a clear understanding of the FDA compliance pathways, safety assessments, and procedures. Backed by U.S.-based toxicologists and a 100% success rate, CIRS Group provides comprehensive global regulatory submissions for GRAS, NDI, and novel food ingredients.

The FDA is issuing a final order revoking the authorized use of Orange Bas a color additive in food and is proposing to revoke the authorized use of Citrus Red No.2 as a color additive in food.

In 2025, the U.S. Congress introduced three proposals related to food substances “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS): S.2341, H.R.4958, and S.3122. These proposals all focus on improving the GRAS evaluation process, substance safety, and regulatory requirements for self-GRAS.