Selling pet food: the rules by market
The rules pet food must meet before going on sale in the EU, the UK, Switzerland, the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia: who writes them, who enforces them, and what has to be registered, tested and labelled, with the official source for each. Compliant Always shows which of them apply to your product.
Europe
- European UnionIn the EU, pet food is animal feed. Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 sets the rules for placing it on the market and labelling it, Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 requires feed businesses to be registered and follow hygiene rules, feed additives must be authorised, and Directive 2002/32/EC sets maximum levels for undesirable substances.Selling pet food in the EU
- United KingdomIn Great Britain, pet food is animal feed. It follows assimilated feed law on safety, hygiene, labelling and additives, with labels in English. Pet food made from animal by-products needs approval from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, and imports need health certificates. Local trading standards register feed businesses; in Northern Ireland, DAERA does.Selling pet food in the UK
- SwitzerlandIn Switzerland, pet food is feed, not food. The Feed Ordinance (FMV) and the WBF ordinance on feed (FMBV) set registration, hygiene, labelling and packaging, and the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG, BLW) enforces them, with Agroscope running official feed control. Labels are in at least one official language.Selling pet food in Switzerland
The Americas
- United StatesIn the US, the FDA regulates pet food much as it regulates other animal food. Under the FD&C Act it must be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances and be truthfully labelled. Labels follow 21 CFR 501, facilities follow the animal food preventive controls rule, and many states enforce their own labelling rules.Selling pet food and treats in the US
- CanadaIn Canada, pet food is not comprehensively regulated like human food or livestock feed. The CFIA controls the import and export of pet food containing animal products to keep out animal disease. Prepackaged pet food carries a bilingual common name, metric net quantity and dealer details under the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, enforced by the Competition Bureau.Selling pet food and treats in Canada
- MexicoIn Mexico, pet food is a product for animal use or consumption under the Federal Animal Health Law, administered by the Secretaría de Agricultura (SADER) and SENASICA. Depending on its ingredients it needs registration, authorisation or neither. Labels follow NOM-012-ZOO-1993 in Spanish, and imports need a zoosanitary certificate at the point of entry.Selling pet food in Mexico
- BrazilIn Brazil, pet food is animal feed, regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) under Law 6.198/1974 and Decree 12.031/2024. Establishments that make, import or sell it are registered with MAPA, each product is registered, cadastrado or exempt, and labels in Portuguese follow the Decree and IN 30/2009.Selling pet food in Brazil
Asia and the Pacific
- AustraliaIn Australia, pet food sits outside the Food Standards Code, which covers food for human consumption. A product represented to prevent or treat disease or modify an animal's physiology can be a veterinary chemical product under the Agvet Code. Imports of animal or plant material face biosecurity conditions, and packaged pet food follows trade measurement and consumer law.Selling pet food and treats in Australia
- New ZealandIn New Zealand, pet food sold on the domestic market must meet the legal requirements notified under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997. Imported pet food containing animal products needs biosecurity clearance under an import health standard issued under the Biosecurity Act 1993. Net quantity and fair trading rules also apply.Selling pet food and treats in New Zealand
- JapanIn Japan, food for dogs and cats falls under the Pet Food Safety Act, run by the agriculture and environment ministries. Importers and manufacturers notify before they start, keep record books for two years, label five particulars in Japanese, and meet limits for contaminants and some additives. Drug-like claims can bring in pharmaceutical law.Selling pet food in Japan
- South KoreaIn South Korea, feed for animals the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) has publicly notified falls under the Control of Livestock and Fish Feed Act. Manufacturers register their business, manufacturers and importers register each feed's ingredients with the Mayor/Do Governor, labels show the registration and expiry date, and notified imports are reported to MAFRA.Selling pet food in South Korea
- SingaporeIn Singapore, pet food is regulated by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) of the National Parks Board, not the Singapore Food Agency. Each consignment of pet food, treats and supplements needs a Cargo Clearance Permit. Food containing meat needs a veterinary health certificate, and from most countries pre-import approval of the product and plant.Selling pet food in Singapore
- IndiaIn India, pet food is not food under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which excludes animal feed. Pet food products of animal origin are live-stock products under the Live-stock Importation Act, 1898, so imports are controlled by the Central Government and cleared after quarantine. Packs carry the Legal Metrology declarations.Selling pet food in India
The Middle East
- United Arab EmiratesIn Dubai, pet food sold by pet food establishments must be registered with Dubai Municipality's Veterinary Services Section. Shipments carry a government health certificate, embassy-attested if the authorities ask, and labels give the target species, feed analysis, dates, ingredients and the words "animal food – not fit for human consumption". Pet and human food are kept apart.Selling pet food in the UAE
- Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, pet food is feed, regulated by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) under the Feed Act and its Regulation. Importers and establishments are licensed in SFDA's National Feed Registration System (AFNR), products are registered before they are handled, and labels follow SFDA's registration guide. Imports need an import licence and registered products.Selling pet food in Saudi Arabia
Other products
- Food
- Supplements
- Beverages
- Alcohol
- Infant formula and baby food
- Cosmetics and beauty
- Cleaning products and detergents
- Toys
- Electrical and electronics
- Clothing, footwear and textiles
- Kitchenware and food contact articles
- Consumer goods
Selling pet food somewhere not listed here? Tell us the product and the market, and we will come back to you with the rules that apply.
Tell us where you sellCompliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.