UK Pet Food sets priorities to 2029, with focus on sustainability and regulation

UK Pet Food has launched its 2026-2029 Strategy, structured around 3 pillars: nutrition, safety & standards, and sustainability. The pet trade association aims to be more proactive in engagement with policymakers, partners and the public, according to the Deputy CEO, Nicole Paley.

Nutrition goals

The objectives for nutrition are to provide clear, evidence-based knowledge for professionals and the general public, build an expert community and advance nutritional standards within the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF).

According to Paley, this will be supported by more comprehensive and accessible data and evidence across the sector, from pet ownership and industry trends to sustainability and nutrition.

“We’re building a more detailed and representative picture of pet ownership, including changing demographics and trends in breed size, among other factors. Data over the last couple of years has highlighted that smaller dogs are growing in popularity,” she says.

Based on these statistics, the association aims to increase understanding of small-animal nutrition. For instance, it is developing a nutrition guideline for fish in collaboration with FEDIAF to complement guidelines for cats, dogs and rabbits.

Regulatory challenges

“Champion robust, modern and science-based safety and regulatory frameworks that enable agility and protect pets” is one of the goals under the safety & standards pillar, as well as to “strengthen the regulatory environment through early, constructive engagement with Government.”

Paley explains that the main regulatory challenges for the sector involve sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and sustainability-related regulation, such as packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR).

The UK and the European Union are negotiating an SPS agreement to establish a “Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area,” which they agreed to pursue in May 2025. It covers trade and production of goods, including animals and their products, as well as food and feed safety, but the two sides haven’t yet defined a deadline for conclusion.

UK Pet Food is involved in these negotiations and has participated in a number of roundtable discussions with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Food Standards Agency to represent the interests of the sector, Paley adds.

Complexity

But while greater alignment on SPS will ease trade, increasing divergence in areas such as packaging and sustainability will add complexity, she notes. Since the UK and the EU have different rules covering packaging and waste management, these differences can lead to discrepancies for exporting and importing companies.

Paley also highlights an increasing scrutiny around claims, marketing and evidence standards for pet food within the UK. One such example occurred recently. On 16 April, the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) issued advice to pet food producers regarding “misleading” claims.

“Marketers of pet food should ensure that their ads are not misleading, including comparisons with other pet food manufacturers and any environmental claims. Advertisers should also ensure they hold robust evidence for any objective claims, including clinical evidence for health claims,” ASA published.

Sustainability ambition

Last year, UK Pet Food launched its Sustainability Ambition 2030 roadmap, focusing on 5 areas: net-zero commitments, nature restoration, packaging, sustainable commodities and circular food systems.

To advance in these areas, the association included goals to reduce packaging waste, increase the use of responsibly sourced ingredients and contribute to a 50% reduction in emissions across the agrifood supply chain by 2030.

Under the new strategy, the sustainability agenda is becoming more data-driven. “We’re developing a system to measure, monitor and report on progress across the roadmap. For example, giving members clearer ways to track their sustainability progress and benchmark against the wider sector,” Paley explains.