Thinking of starting a pet food business?

 

Some key information to help you get started as a UK business!

Thinking about starting a pet food business? UK Pet Food is a members' association, so our technical, regulatory, and nutritional advice is provided to member companies only.

However, we've put together some key information to help you get started.

Legislation

If you're looking for information on pet food manufacturing legislation, a great starting point is the Food Standards Agency (FSA). They offer guidance on key topics such as legislation, labelling, and the composition of animal feed – including pet and bird food.

Codes of Practice

Industry Codes of Practice are recognised in EU legislation and help you with manufacturing and labelling enquiries.

Visit our Industry guidelines & codes of practice page for links to relevant industry bodies and to download guidance documents.

Pet food labelling

We've compiled a useful factsheet on pet food labelling to help break down the requirements.

Nutritional requirements

Our pet nutrition hub is a great place to start if you want to learn more about pet nutrition. For more details on dog and cat nutrition and minimum and maximum recommended nutrient levels, please check Fediaf's advice.

Approval to use animal products

You will need approval from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to process animal by-products (ABPs) into pet food. More information is available from Defra and APHA.

Registering your business

For information on putting your product on the market and to learn more about how to register and apply for approval as a feed business as required under Animal Feed Legislation, refer to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).