How to start a pet food brand

Who regulates pet food in the United States?

The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine regulates pet food under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The law requires that all animal foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances and be truthfully labeled (FDA: Pet Food). There is no FDA pre-market approval for pet food itself; a food for animals does not need FDA review to be sold unless a substance in it is a food additive (FDA's Regulation of Pet Food).

States regulate pet food too, and many expect a product to be registered with the state before it is sold there. Much of the state detail comes from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a voluntary association of local, state and federal feed control officials. AAFCO itself has no regulatory authority, but it writes model regulations and ingredient definitions that many states adopt. Before you sell in a state, look up that state's feed control office.

Which ingredients can go into pet food?

Anything that is added to or becomes part of an animal food must either be approved as a food additive or be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for that use (How do I Start an Animal Food Business?). The FDA also accepts the ingredients listed in AAFCO's Official Publication, as a matter of enforcement discretion, provided there are no safety concerns. Many everyday ingredients, such as meat, poultry and grains, are considered safe and need no pre-market approval.

How the food is made matters as well. Canned pet food has to be processed under the FDA's low-acid canned food regulations, so if you plan a canned food, ask each manufacturer how it meets them.

What has to be on a pet food label?

Federal rules in 21 CFR part 501 require four things on every pet food label (Animal Food Labeling and Pet Food Claims):

• proper identification of the product
• a net quantity statement
• the name and place of business of the manufacturer or distributor
• a list of all ingredients, by their common names, from most to least by weight

The label must be in English. When a contract manufacturer makes your food and your brand is on the label, your name is qualified with a phrase such as "Manufactured for" or "Distributed by". State rules, many based on AAFCO's model pet food regulations, can add more requirements, so check each state where you will sell.

Can I call my food "complete and balanced"?

Only if it qualifies. A food can carry a complete and balanced claim when it meets one of AAFCO's dog or cat food nutrient profiles, or passes a feeding trial run under AAFCO procedures ("Complete and Balanced" Pet Food). Treats, snacks and supplements are typically not meant to be a pet's only diet, so they usually do not make the claim.

Does my manufacturer need to register with the FDA?

Yes. A company that manufactures, processes, packs or stores animal food in the United States must register with the FDA as a food facility, unless an exemption applies. Registration is free and is renewed every two years; the 2026 renewal period runs from October 1 to December 31, 2026 (Animal Food Facility Registration FAQ).

Registered facilities must also follow 21 CFR part 507, the preventive controls for animal food rule, which combines current good manufacturing practice with a written hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls; very small qualified facilities follow modified requirements. When you choose a manufacturer, ask to see its registration and how it meets part 507.

The FDA says a broker who does not manufacture, process, pack or hold food does not have to register. If you keep inventory in your own warehouse, that is holding food, so check whether your location needs to register too.

If a registered facility identifies a food as a reportable food under the FDA's rules, it must report it to the FDA's Reportable Food Registry no later than 24 hours after finding out. Agree with your manufacturer how you will hear about and handle problems, including complaints, which anyone can report through the FDA's Safety Reporting Portal.

What claims can I make about my pet food?

Avoid any claim that your product cures, treats, prevents or mitigates a disease. The FDA says such expressed or implied claims can make the product a new animal drug, which needs approval. Its examples include a product meant to make a cat's urine more acidic to maintain urinary tract health, and one meant to improve joint function in an arthritic dog.

Products sold as dietary supplements for pets do not fall under the human dietary supplement law, and the FDA does not recognize them as a special category: they are regulated as animal food or animal drugs. And "organic" is not an FDA term; the FDA does not regulate the word on food labels, which falls to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Organic on Food Labels).