Processed pet food other than canned pet food - Import Information Note ABP/3B
Published 2 December 2024
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-food-and-feed-for-other-animals-import-information-notes/processed-pet-food-other-than-canned-pet-food-import-information-note-abp3b
1. General information
This Import Information Note (IIN) must be read in conjunction with the IIN for general information for imports of animal by-products (ABPs), which provides information on pre-notifications, veterinary checks, risk categories and more.
References to European Union (EU) legislation within this document are references to direct EU legislation which has been assimilated in Great Britain (assimilated direct legislation), as defined in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 and can be viewed on the UK legislation website.
2. Scope
Import conditions for processed pet food other than canned pet food.
Processed pet food is defined in Regulation (EU) 142/2011 as pet food, other than raw pet food, which has been processed in accordance with point 3 of Chapter II of Annex XIII.
Processed pet food other than canned pet food may be manufactured from:
a) Category 3 material, other than material referred to in Article 10 (n), (o) and (p) of Regulation (EC) 1069/2009
b) in the case of imported pet food or pet food produced from imported materials, from Category 1 material comprising of ABPs derived from animals which have been submitted to illegal treatment as defined in Article 1 (2) (d) of Directive 96/22 (as amended)
3. Production standards
Processed pet food other than canned pet food must have been produced and stored in accordance with the requirements of Annex XIII, Chapters I and II, of Regulation (EU) 142/2011.
It must be packaged in new packaging.
4. Country of origin
Imports are permitted from trading partners listed in a document published by the Secretary of State, with the consent of the Scottish and Welsh Ministers for:
Imports of processed pet food other than canned pet food are permitted from countries listed in the documents for fresh meat of ungulates and:
- Japan
- Ecuador
- Sri Lanka
- Taiwan
- Saudi Arabia (only processed petfood of poultry origin)
In the case of processed petfood derived from fish materials, imports are permitted from countries listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2019/626.
5. Approved establishments
Products must be produced in an establishment approved to export to Great Britain (GB). Importers should check prior to importation that the premises are listed on the correct list.
Find consolidated lists of approved plants (excluding the EU)
Find approved EU food establishments
If the establishment or plant is not listed, importers are urged to contact the company concerned, who should contact their competent authority immediately. If the plant is not included on the appropriate list when veterinary checks are carried out the consignment is likely to be held and could be rejected and re-exported or destroyed.
6. Sampling
Random samples must be taken from processed pet food during production and/or during storage (before dispatch) to verify compliance with the standards laid down in paragraph 5 of Chapter II of Annex XIII of Regulation (EU) 142/2011 in respect of salmonella and enterobacteriaceae.
7. Health certification
Imports to GB must be accompanied by the appropriate health certificate based on the GB model health certificate.
Model health certificates for petfood
This requirement applies to products in the high and medium risk categories. Find information about import risk categories, inspection rates and related rules for animals and animal products imported from:
8. Labelling requirements
If the product is not dispatched in ready-to-sell packages on which it is clearly indicated that the content is destined for feeding to pets only, the product must bear labels indicating ‘NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION’.
9. Contact for further information
For more information about import requirements, contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) imports team:
Centre for International Trade - Carlisle
Eden Bridge House
Lowther Street
Carlisle
CA3 8DX
Email: imports@apha.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 200 301