What will the latest wave of labeling regulations mean for pet food manufacturers?
Taking stock of how regulatory changes and pressure from consumers are likely to affect pet food packaging in Australia, the US and Europe.
Pet food packaging and labeling must remain flexible and adaptable to keep up with constant innovation in ingredients and technology. Manufacturers must also meet growing consumer demands for transparency and information about their sustainability efforts.
Regulatory changes are emerging in some regions aimed at ensuring this. Meanwhile, in Europe, the use of on-pack QR codes is on the rise.
Fresh legislation in Australia
In June 2024, South Australia announced plans to introduce a bill to regulate the state’s marketing and labeling of pet food. The Pet Food (Marketing and Labelling) Bill aims to address gaps in consumer protection from unfair practices.
The bill also highlights the importance of providing transparency to pet owners with clear and accurate information about pet food products so they can make informed purchasing decisions aligned with their pets’ health condition and wellbeing.
The new rules will also require pet food manufacturers to follow the Australian Pet Food Manufacturing and Labelling Standard (AS5812), which outlines labeling and marketing guidelines for pet food makers, sellers and marketers. The proposal is expected to be debated by the chambers of the Parliament of South Australia later this year.
“If producing pet food in South Australia, companies will need to comply with any future legislation. The bill has been developed with the intention that pet food sold into the province will also need comply,” says Carolyn Macgill, Executive Officer of the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA), when approached by PETS International.
Adopting a nationwide approach
Additionally, all states and territories in Australia are currently discussing pet food regulations through a committee facilitated by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).
In 2022, the ministry’s Agriculture Senior Officials’ Committee (AGSOC) set up a Pet Food Working Group to discuss several policy options around pet food safety. This includes a so-called cost/benefit analysis and mandating the AS5812 pet food labeling standard.
PETS International has learnt that the working group is currently preparing a report that will be forwarded to the agriculture authorities.
New guidelines in the US
In the US, new guidelines issued by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) have implemented new-style labels on the packaging of pet food products, including treats and nutritional supplements.
Pet players will need to reformat the Nutrition Facts box to look more like the one on human food packaging. The label must also display a ‘product purpose’ statement, including details of which type of animal the product is intended for.
The rules also call for modernization of the language used in the ingredient statement. One suggestion is that manufacturers could include new icons to provide consumers with visual cues about how the product should be handled and stored.
Impact and industry response
US industry body the Pet Food Institute (PFI) points out that these new rules mean each pet food manufacturer in the US will need to design new printing plates for all their labels.
“With many pet food makers needing to do this at the same time, the industry could easily run into a logistics supply issue as the printers try to keep up with demand,” comments Pat Tovey, Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at PFI, which held several industry webinars about the new guidelines last year.
According to other industry representatives, these labeling updates for pet food products will also require new and costly laboratory methods for testing.
Transitional period
Pet food manufacturers have until December 2030 to adapt their packaging to the new rules. PFI advises each company to familiarize itself with the label changes and to develop its own transition plan based on both the packaging it has in stock and when it will be able to comply with the new label requirements.
Furthermore, PFI encourages pet players to monitor the actions of individual US states as they proceed to adopt the model regulatory language.
QR codes in Europe
The COVID-19 pandemic drove contactless customer interaction as people sought further information about certain products. The use of Quick Response (QR) codes by businesses has been on the rise ever since with a growing number of manufacturers, including those in the pet industry, adding them to product packaging.
The European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) recognizes that such initiatives are already emerging in some segments of the pet food market. This is primarily driven by two factors: growing consumer demand for transparency and significant levels of investment in packaging-related technological advances.
“QR codes and other interactive technologies could provide a convenient way for pet owners to access further voluntary detailed product information, ingredient sourcing, and sustainability efforts,” states a FEDIAF spokesperson. Despite the growing popularity of this feature on product labels, FEDIAF has not yet issued specific guidance on this matter.
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