K-State Olathe and AAFCO Launch SRIS Ingredient Review Pathway to Accelerate Animal Food Innovation
Monday, October 13, 2025 | Written by Mary Hirtreiter
OLATHE — Kansas State University Olathe, in partnership with the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), recently announced that the Scientific Review of Ingredient Submissions (SRIS) program is now open for applications. This new process enables faster, rigorous scientific review of animal food ingredient definitions—offering industry partners a path to market that is approximately twice as fast as traditional methods.
The SRIS initiative, led by K-State Olathe, will continue to maintain the high standards of safety and scientific integrity required by regulators, while reducing time to evaluation. Submitted ingredients will be received by AAFCO and then passed to the SRIS team for evaluation by a panel of subject matter experts.
“SRIS represents an innovative leap forward for how we bring safe, innovative ingredients to the animal nutrition marketplace. It’s success would not be possible without the partnership that blends K-State's scientific expertise network and AAFCO’s state regulatory membership,” said Haley Larson, Ph.D., SRIS director and assistant professor at K-State Olathe.
How the process works
Through the SRIS process, companies submit proposed new or modified ingredient definitions for review to AAFCO’s ingredient definition committee investigators, along with a scientific justification of the ingredients safety for use in Animal Food This team of state representative regulators then passes the definition and supporting research documentation to the SRIS team at K-State Olathe. While conducting an initial review of the scientific integrity of the submission, the SRIS team assembles a panel of scientific experts from across the nation to evaluate the research that has been submitted Expert review panels will be comprised of two to five subject matter experts with expertise in a diverse range of ingredients, chemistry and/or manufacturing technologies; human food safety; and nutrition of the animal species relevant to the proposed ingredient definition. Panelists will be selected from a pool to ensure balance of expertise and avoid conflict of interests.
Once the evaluation is complete, the expert panel’s recommendations are shared with AAFCO’s state regulator membership for a final vote on ingredient definition approval. Approved ingredients will then be added to AAFCO’s Official Publication, recognized as the most comprehensive list of approved feed ingredients worldwide by state and international regulatory agencies as well as the animal food industry. These ingredient definitions form a fundamental understanding between regulators and by consumers because they provide specifics on each ingredient name to be listed on an animal food label that are based on scientific evidence.
A Model for Public-Private Innovation
The SRIS program is an example of how trade associations, regulatory representatives and higher education can collaborate to modernize scientific processes. By combining AAFCO’s established oversight with K-State’s research expertise, SRIS introduces a transparent, science-driven model that fosters innovation while upholding public trust and safety.
“This collaboration underscores K-State Olathe’s role as a convening hub within the Animal Health Corridor, connecting academia, government and industry to solve real-world challenges,” said Ben Wolfe, Ph.d., K-State Olathe dean and CEO. “It reflects the university’s commitment to creating value through research, engagement and innovation — key drivers of the Next-Gen K-State vision.”
Applicants, regulatory stakeholders and industry partners are invited to visit sris.k-state.edu to learn more, submit proposals or apply to serve as reviewers.