Pet food quality requirements

Pet food in EU countries is regulated at every stage, from the ingredients used, through the production process and through to marketing and sales. Much of the legislation applies to pet food in the same way as it does to other product categories like, for instance, human food. Often more specific regulations cover both farm feed and pet food with specific legal provisions that are only applicable to pet food.

In order to take a sufficiently comprehensive and integrated approach to food safety, there should be a broad definition of food law covering a wide range of provisions with a direct or indirect effect on the safety of food and feed, including provisions on materials and articles in contact with food, animal feed and other agricultural inputs at the level of primary production.

In order to ensure the safety of food, it is necessary to consider all aspects of the food production chain as a continuum from and including primary production and the production of animal feed up to and including sale or supply of food to the consumer because each element may have a potential impact on food safety.

Council Directive established the conditions and arrangements applicable to certain categories of establishments and intermediaries in the animal feed sector, to enable them to exercise their activities. Experience has shown that these conditions and arrangements constitute a sound basis for ensuring feed safety. That Directive also established conditions for the approval of establishments producing certain substances listed in Council Directive concerning certain products used in animal nutrition.