
In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposed rescinding portions of its December 2024 rule that had established new organic certification standards for pet food under the National Organic Program (NOP). The 2024 rule had introduced long-anticipated regulatory clarity around allowable ingredients, certification consistency, and production standards for organic pet food. With USDA now proposing to withdraw these standards, organic pet food producers may once again face regulatory ambiguity regarding formulation, ingredient eligibility, certification, and labeling. While no final decision has yet been made, the public comment period closed on June 11, 2025, garnering nearly 10,000 comments from interested stakeholders. The commentary below provides a brief summary of what has occurred thus far in the pet food industry surrounding this issue to provide a better understanding of the impact of USDA’s proposed withdrawal of organic pet food standards.