Animal Food GRAS: Unpacking the Essentials
Presented by Dr. Adam Orr and Tim Lombardo
June 17, 2026 | 3:00 PM ET
Whether you’re new to the animal feed industry, an industry veteran, or simply interested in learning more about animal food (including pet food), this webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of the essentials of the Animal Food GRAS process.
Key Takeaways:
- Definition, history, and legal basis
- Comparing GRAS to other options such as Food/Feed Additive Petitions, Animal Food Ingredient Consultation (AFIC), and the AAFCO Scientific Review for Ingredient Submission (SRIS) processes
- Breaking down the GRAS requirements, guiding principles, and key elements
- FDA submissions versus Self-Determined GRAS
- Typical submission requirements and timelines
- Cell cultured and other novel ingredients
Registration Coming Soon
About the Presenters
Adam Orr
EAS Consulting Group Independent Consultant
Adam Orr is a Certified Professional Animal Scientist and an Animal Nutritionist with a lifetime of experience in and around multi-species animal agriculture. The past 15 years have been spent at the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine and the Division of Animal Food Ingredients (formerly Division of Animal Feeds) as a Subject Matter Expert working in pre-market review of animal feed ingredients and additives related to utility, target animal safety, protocols, and labeling. Expertise brought to EAS include label reviews, claims, regulatory study design, compilation and review of regulatory submissions including: animal Food Additive Petitions (FAP), Investigational Food Additives (IFA), Food Use (Slaughter) Authorizations (FUA), Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Notifications, Animal Food Ingredient Consultations (AFIC), forthcoming Zootechnical Additives, and Feed Ingredient Definitions of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
Tim Lombardo
Senior Director for Food Consulting Services
Tim is a widely regarded expert in food safety and microbiology with over 25 years of direct experience leading these programs at a variety of manufacturing facilities. Tim’s direct experience includes dairy, infant formula, baked goods, nuts and nut products, fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, spices, color flavors and other ingredients and many others. He is a Lead Instructor through the Food Safety and Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) in Preventive Controls for both Human and Animal Foods, is certified in Thermal / Aseptic Processing and Sterilization through the Better Process Control School and is a Lead Instructor for the HACCP Controls Alliance.
Prior to joining EAS, Mr. Lombardo was the Lead Staff Scientist at Eurofins where he oversaw microbiological harborage site investigations, facilitated Food Safety plan development and validation including Food Security, Food Defense/Intentional Adulteration and Food Fraud Plan Development. He also spent 17 years at Leprino Foods Company, in roles of increasing responsibility, culminating as the Corporate Manager of Sanitation where he provided corporate sanitation leadership and guidance to ten cheese and dairy ingredient manufacturing facilities, three of which manufactured infant formula ingredients. Additionally, he had responsibility for the firm’s Food Safety/Quality Systems including GMPs, HACCP, Environmental Monitoring, Pest Control, Foreign Material Control, Traceability, and Ingredient Monitoring at various plants.
Mr. Lombardo is a published author and international speaker. He is a member of the Institute for Food Technology (IFT), the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) and is a member of the US Hemp Authority Technical Committee. He is also a combat Veteran, having served in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.