The Feeding Stuff Regulations 1991

Labelling Requirements

• What are the requirements?
• How do I pass the 'Statutory Statement' on to my customers?
• Are there any other requirements?

This fact sheet covers all animal feeds including household pet food on sale, other than certain very basic pet foods known as 'straight feeds'. (Straight feeds are single ingredient vegetable or animal products such as seeds, dried meat and bones, they may be fresh or preserved and may contain permitted levels of additives, eg. colourants and preservatives).

What are the requirements?

Animal feed which is covered by this Fact Sheet must be labelled with a 'statutory statement' which must be given by your supplier, either on the package in which the feed is supplied, or in an accompanying document. The statutory statement contains information, such as:

1. The name and address of the person who  guarantees that the statement is accurate (normally the manufacturer).
2. The name and description of the feed, clearly indicating it is a mixture of ingredients.
3. The type of animal it is intended for.
4. The amount of protein, oil, fibre and ash which is present.
5. Directions for use.
6. The presence of anti-oxidants, colours or  preservatives.
7. The presence of certain minerals.
8. The amount  of certain vitamins and the date up to which they remain present.
9. If the moisture content of a feed is high it may need to be declared in the statutory documents.
10. Also the following information must be on the  statutory statement, unless the statement states where it may be found:
    
    a) Net quantity, in units of mass or volume should be marked eg. kg or lbs etc.*
    b) Storage life expressed as a best before date  (month, year), or use by date (day, month, year) where the feed is highly perishable.*
    c) A batch number if the date of manufacture is not declared.*

* This information must be on the statutory statement, unless the statement states where it may be found.

How do I pass the 'Statutory Statement' on to my customers?

1. When selling loose product, or pre - packing  on the premises, a statutory statement, or a copy of  it, must be displayed as closely as possible to  the material it relates to. Where more than 25kg of material is sold in this manner, the purchaser must be provided with the statutory statement, or a copy of one.
2. When selling pre-packs, these should be checked to ensure that the required labelling has been attached by the manufacturer.
3. If you sell unlabelled tins of pet food which the  manufacturer has rejected, you must label each tin with the appropriate statutory statement in  full.

Are there any other requirements?

Also compound feeds for cats and dogs must have all the ingredients declared in the statutory settlement.

Any scales used to pre-pack feed must be accurate, and need to have been stamped by an Inspector of Weights and Measures. 

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