Kentucky’s commercial feed law (KRS 250.491-250.631) dates from 1906 and was last revised in 1996. This feed law provides protection for the state’s livestock, poultry, and pet owners by regulating all feed materials offered for sale or for mixing into a feed. Products falling under regulation include all types of pet foods, livestock minerals, complete animal and poultry feeds, protein or mineral blocks, supplements, feed ingredients, specialty materials such as drug premixes, vitamin and mineral supplements, liquid feeds, pet supplements, pet treats, and other specialized pet foods. The law does provide for exemptions for whole and unprocessed grain, raw meat, hay, straw, stover, silage, cobs, husks, and hulls when not processed.
Revisions in law and regulations are primarily in response to more varied livestock feeding practices, changes in feed manufacturing technology, and new feed ingredients. Our regulations were last revised in 2018 to better align with the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) model bill and regulations. In the coming year, we will be revising our regulations to adopt AAFCO’s Pet Food Label Modernization regulations.