Organic pet food set for clearer labeling as EU Council and Parliament reach agreement

By: Trademagazin editor Date: 2023. 06. 08. 09:57

The European Council and European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on the labeling of organic pet food. The regulation agreed on this week will make it easier for consumers in the EU to buy organic food for their pets.

Under the new regulation, pet food will qualify for the EU’s organic production logo if 95% of its agricultural ingredients are organic, in line with the standards applied to food intended for human consumption.

The regulation also makes it easier for consumers to identify organic ingredients in the pet food they buy, including agricultural ingredients that mostly contain products from hunting and fishing.

Commentators say that the deal resolves an issue that has existed since early 2022 when new, EU-wide criteria came into force that required agricultural ingredients in processed animal feed to be 100% organic in order to qualify for the organic label. This requirement was considered impossible for many pet food producers to satisfy due to a lack of availability of appropriate organic ingredients.

The new rules maintain the EU’s standards for organic products while ensuring that pet food producers are not prevented from using the organic label due to excessively strict criteria.

“For many of us, pets are an important part of our family, and we care about what they eat. As a result of the agreement, it will be easier for pet owners to choose organic food for their pets,” says Peter Kullgren, Swedish Minister for Rural Affairs.

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