EU Pet Food Labeling Regulations: 9 Key Points

As a significant player in the global pet food market, the European Union's pet food labeling regulations play a crucial role in regulating the market and ensuring pet health. This article will explore the EU's specific requirements for pet food labeling, based on original content from the Feed Compliance Service Center, providing readers with a detailed interpretation.

First, the brand name must be indicated on the formal layout of the product packaging. Next, the product name should clearly specify the applicable animal species and age stage, distinguishing whether it is a complete food or supplemental food. Common product names include "Complete feed for adult dogs," "Complete pet food for dogs," and "Compound feed for kittens."

The labeling of net content must also follow specific rules. For solid products, the units should use grams (g) or kilograms (kg), while liquid products should use liters (l) or milliliters (ml). Additionally, the font size is regulated based on net content; for example, if the net content is greater than 1000g/ml, the font must not be less than 6mm.

The labeling of ingredient composition should be led by the term "composition" and use categories as defined in 82/475/EEC. When dehydrated or dried components are involved, their physical properties must be explicitly indicated, such as "Tomato powder," "Dried apple flakes," and "Chicken liver powder."

The labeling of additive composition should be led by the term "additives," clearly indicating additives that have legal maximum limits, including the additive name and amount. For additives without limit requirements, optional labeling is permitted. For functional additives like "preservatives, antioxidants, flavoring agents," and "coloring agents," if they have legal maximum limits, only the group name may be indicated.

Guaranteed values for product composition analysis have different requirements for complete pet food and mineral supplements. Complete pet food must specify crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat, moisture (if greater than 14%), crude ash, calcium, sodium, and phosphorus. Mineral supplements must indicate calcium, sodium, phosphorus, and moisture (if it does not contain organic matter and is greater than 5%, or contains organic matter and is greater than 10%).

The labeling of feeding guidelines typically uses the animal's weight plus feeding amounts, and for dry food, it must additionally state "Fresh water should always be available."

The labeling of storage conditions varies by product type. Wet food should indicate it can be consumed at room temperature, with any leftovers needing refrigeration. Dry food should indicate that it needs to be resealed and stored in a cool, dry place after opening.

When making claims about the ingredients in pet food products on the label, there are six main scenarios. For example, "all" or "only" indicates the product contains only one ingredient; "XX and YY dinner," "XX menu," or "XXYY" indicates that the XX/YY component content is greater than or equal to 26% (after moisture reduction); "rich in/high in/with extra XX, YY" indicates that XX/YY content is greater than or equal to 14% (after moisture reduction); "with XXYY" or "contains XXYY" indicates that XX/YY content is greater than or equal to 4% (after moisture reduction); "flavoured with xx" indicates that the xx content is between 0% and 4% (after moisture reduction); claims of "xx flavour" must have the added flavoring substances indicated in the ingredient list.

Any ingredients (raw materials, additives) emphasized in text, images, and tables on the product packaging must be explicitly indicated in the ingredient list. Furthermore, the labeling of genetically modified ingredients must also follow specific rules, including products composed of or produced from genetically modified materials. Factory information, such as product batch number, company registration number, and name and address of the producing company, must also be provided.

Finally, the labeling of the production date should differ based on whether the product contains microbial ingredients. Products without microbial ingredients only need to provide the year and month of production, while products containing microbial ingredients must specify year, month, and day.