Pet food for European Union.
A harmonised feed-law market with FEDIAF guidelines as the nutritional reference, strict additive limits and demanding labelling rules.
Why European Union matters.
Published market data, with sources.
European households own at least one pet
FEDIAF Facts & Figures 2025 ↗annual European pet food sales
FEDIAF Facts & Figures 2025 ↗The rules that apply.
FEDIAF nutritional guidance and the EU feed law framework for complete, complementary and dietetic pet foods.
- FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines 2025 (published September 2025) for complete and complementary cat and dog foods
- Reg. (EC) 767/2009 — placing on the market and labelling of feed; FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice
- Reg. (EC) 1831/2003 — feed additives; Catalogue of feed materials Reg. (EU) 68/2013 as amended
- Reg. (EC) 183/2005 — feed hygiene; animal by-products Reg. (EC) 1069/2009 and Reg. (EU) 142/2011
- Dietetic (particular nutritional purpose) feeds: Reg. (EU) 2020/354
Our services for European Union.
Nutrition, testing and processing.
Last reviewed September 2026. Always confirm the current rules before launch.
| Nutrition reference | FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines 2025 |
| Microbiology | Processed pet food: Salmonella absent in 25 g (n=5, c=0); Enterobacteriaceae n=5, c=2, m=10, M=300 per g. Raw pet food: M=5,000 per g (Reg. (EU) 142/2011, Annex XIII) |
| Contaminants | Undesirable substances (aflatoxin B1, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, dioxins) against Directive 2002/32/EC maximum levels |
| Labels & verification | Analytical tolerances for labelled nutrients: Reg. (EC) 767/2009, Annex IV |
| Processing | Canned pet food: minimum Fc value of 3. Other processed pet food: at least 90 °C throughout unless an authorised alternative applies; dog chews need a treatment that destroys pathogens including Salmonella (Reg. (EU) 142/2011, Annex XIII) |
| Facilities & validation | Pet food plants using animal by-products must be approved |
Selling in more than one market?
Guires Pet Nutrition Lab provides regulatory support and review. Final responsibility for product compliance rests with the brand owner placing the product on the market.
Rules for European Union.
The official regulations, standards and guidelines our regulatory reviews are built on. Rules change; every review is checked against the current text.
Market insights from Guires PNL scientists
Stay ahead with regulation updates, the latest research, ingredient spotlights, recalls and market trends for this market — written by our formulation, testing and regulatory teams.
Guires PNL quality, compliance and safety
Every project at Guires Pet Nutrition Lab runs inside an ISO 9001:2015 certified quality system and FSSAI-licensed operations, with documented methods, calibrated instruments, traceable raw materials and reviewed reports — so the results behind your product can be checked and defended.
Launching in European Union?
Tell us the product and your timeline — we will map the formulation, testing and label work for this market.
Every Guires PNL product is formulated to comply with the FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines and the AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles. Neither body issues certificates to manufacturers, so compliance is verified independently against their published standards — and every product comes with a complete documentation package for regulatory submissions in the EU, US, Australia and Asian markets.
How we verify compliance →