Understanding Pet Food Compliance

Pet food compliance can be a real challenge, especially if you do not understand the landscape. Partnering with Pet Food Compliance makes every step of compliance easier for manufacturers, distributors and guarantors.


What is the Purpose of Pet Food Compliance?

Simply put, the rules and regulations in place for pet food and animal feed products is to keep pets and livestock safe. 

Compliance is the first line of defense against harmful products. It allows states to keep those products from reaching the marketplace, and helps them trace negligent products back to their source.

It also gives consumers peace of mind that the products they purchase for their animals are safe for consumption. All in all, compliance is a benefit for all parties involved in the sale of pet food.

Pet & Animal Products That Require Compliance

Pet Food
Treats
Edible
Chews
Dietary
Supplements
Animal Feed

What Counts as Pet Food?

While every state regulates dog and cat food, the definition of “pet food” differs between states.  

Some states also regulate specialty pet food for pet fish, rabbits, hamsters and reptiles, among others.

What Counts as Animal Feed?

Animal feed includes any food intended for livestock, including chickens, cows, pigs and others. It also includes any food intended for wild animals like deer, wild birds and more.

The Risks of Noncompliance

If your products are found to be noncompliant, you risk much more than a slap on the wrist. There are serious implications for companies whose pet food products are not compliant, including:

  • Products pulled from shelves 
  • Costly fines and off-sales 
  • Damaged relationships with distributors and pet owners

50 Governing Bodies.
One Major Headache.

Unlike human food products which are governed by the FDA, there is no single governing body for pet food. Instead, every state has their own set of regulations for registration, renewals, fees and ongoing compliance considerations.

Pet Food Compliance makes sure your products are compliant wherever they are sold, from the time you bring them to market through each annual renewal period. Our long-standing relationships with regulatory officials make us uniquely qualified to handle your compliance issues quickly and efficiently.

Compliance Takes Time Your Team Doesn’t Have

Compliance is a full-time job, but we understand that your team is already stretched thin. When you work with Pet Food Compliance, we handle the administrative burden and make compliance simple, transparent and hassle-free.

We act as your single point of contact for all matters related to compliance. Together we can stay ahead of compliance mistakes that may expose you to costly fines and off-sales.

Don’t Risk Your Reputation

At the end of the day, the complicated web of rules and regulations for pet food is for one very important reason: to ensure the safety and wellbeing of pets and livestock.

If your products are not compliant with all of the regulations in place to keep those animals safe, you risk losing the trust of customers, retailers and distributors alike. Partnering with Pet Food Compliance is the easiest way to protect your reputation and keep your products compliant.

Keep Your Paw On the Pulse

Pet food compliance is always changing. Laws and regulations are driven by a number of major players in the industry, and Pet Food Compliance has close relationships that keep us informed about changes that could impact your business.

Our experts are attendees, exhibitors and members of industry-leading associations including PIDA, Pet Food Forum, AAFCO and Global Pet Expo, among others. Our inside knowledge keeps our clients on the cutting edge of compliance.

Don’t Face Compliance Alone

Partner With Us