Starting a cat food business requires navigating complex regulatory frameworks designed to ensure pet food safety, nutritional adequacy, and consumer protection. Regulatory compliance isn’t optional. Failure to meet legal requirements can result in fines or legal action.
Understanding and adhering to regulatory requirements from day one protects your customers, builds brand credibility, and establishes a foundation for sustainable business growth.
What Government Agencies Regulate Cat Food Production?
The Food Standards Agency, or FSA, regulates the cat food production in the UK, specifically for policy and legislation. Then, the Animal and Plant Health Agency or APHA regulates the processing of animal by-products, and the Local Authorities enforce rules and registration, making sure that every cat food business adheres to the safety, hygiene and compliance rules from raw materials to the finished product.
How Can Cat Food Businesses Ensure Ongoing Regulatory Compliance?
To make sure your cat food business always follows the strict compliance laws, whether you operate a subscription model for cat food or are simply an online store or otherwise, you need to implement strong Food Safety Management Systems based on HACCP principles, follow the FEDIAF guidelines, conduct audits regularly, and have a clear recall procedure. You should do all of this while keeping up with the ever-changing regulations set out by the FSA and the local authorities.
What Penalties Exist for Non-Compliance?
If your cat food business doesn’t follow the strict rules and regulations surrounding compliance, it can lead to severe penalties. This includes fines, director disqualification, forced product recall, and, in extreme cases, your business will have to close.
7 Regulatory Requirements Every Cat Food Business Must Meet
It is extremely important that your cat food business follows the strict rules and regulations surrounding compliance. This ensures that you will not receive any penalties or legal actions. Here are the top 7 regulatory requirements every cat food business must meet:
1. Local Authority Registration
All pet food businesses must be registered or approved by their local authority, regardless of the size of the business. The local authority where you can do this is usually the Trading Standards Service or the Environmental Health Service. You must register your cat food business as a Feed Business Operator. If you operate your business without this registration or approval, you can face jail time.
2. APHA Approval for Animal By-Products
If your cat food or treats use any products of animal origin like meat, eggs, milk, etc., even if they are fit for human consumption, you need APHA approval. These products are usually classified as ABPs, and strict health rules surrounding their sourcing, transport, and processing apply.
3. HACCP Feed Safety Management System
Cat food businesses must have a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plan to be able to identify or control potential food safety hazards at any and all stages of production. This preventive approach is extremely important to ensure your cat food products meet the safety and hygiene regulations.
4. Compliance With Feed Hygiene Regulations
Every step of your production must be carried out in hygienic conditions and comply with the assimilated regulation. This Feed hygiene regulation covers operating standards for your business, personnel, equipment, storage, transport, record-keeping, and any other area of your production process.
5. Strict Labelling Requirements
Your cat food must have a clear and accurate label in accordance with the assimilated Regulation. Your cat food labels must include a statutory statement with mandatory information. Some of the mandatory information your label needs include the product type, species it is intended for, the manufacturer’s name and address, a best-before date, a batch number, a list of ingredients, and a list of any additives used.
6. Traceability and Record-Keeping
Your cat food business needs a robust internal system to ensure full traceability of all the ingredients used and your finished products. You need to keep records, including the records of the manufacturing process and the sourcing of materials, which must be kept for a minimum of two years.
7. Prohibition of Misleading and Medicinal Claims
The labelling on your cat food packaging and marketing of your product can not mislead clients. Cat food businesses are prohibited from making any medicinal claims. These claims can only be made on labels and marketing for licensed veterinary medicines.
