Pet food and nutritional information at a glance!

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Minister Song Mei-ryeong, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) has prepared a revised bill on “Standards and Specifications for Feed, etc.” that establishes separate labeling standards for dog and cat food products that were previously managed together with livestock feed in order to strengthen consumers’ right to know in the high-end and diversifying pet food market. This revised bill is scheduled to be announced in the first half of 2025 after going through procedures such as administrative notice.

  The revised “Standards and Specifications for Feed, etc.” prepared this time was promoted as part of the pet-related industry promotion measures announced on August 9th of last year, and was prepared through a survey of the domestic and international pet food industry and the operation of the “Pet Food System Improvement Council.” The main revised contents are as follows.

  First ,  considering that companion animals have difficulty consuming a variety of foods like humans,  nutritional standards are introduced for dog and  cat food .  Products that meet the nutritional requirements for each growth stage of dogs and cats can be labeled as “Companion Animal Food ^*, ” and products that do not meet the requirements are classified as “Other Companion Animal Food.” The “Nutritional Standards,” which are the standards for nutritional requirements, are prepared by the National Institute of Animal Science.

  * (Example) In the case of dog food, if it meets the minimum content standards for a total of 30 essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, etc., it can be labeled as “complete pet food.”

  Second ,  we will add  information that must be labeled on pet food products (product name, pet food type, etc.) that reflects the characteristics of dogs and cats ,  consumer needs ,  etc. In addition, we plan to introduce the concept of a “specialized distribution sales company ^* ,” which is a company that distributes and sells pet food without manufacturing it directly through methods such as original equipment manufacturing (OEM) , so that people can understand how pet food products are produced.

  * A business that does not manufacture or process pet food itself but instead commissions a pet food manufacturer to manufacture and process pet food and distributes and sells the food under its own brand.

  Third ,  specify the labeling standards for the raw materials used .  In the case of premixed raw materials (raw materials mixed with various raw materials such as vitamins as the main raw material), three or more raw materials with high content must be labeled in order of content, and if the name of the raw material is used in the product name or the raw material is indicated to be effective for the health or function of companion animals, the labeling of the raw material content ratio must be made mandatory ^* . In addition, raw material names that are difficult for consumers to understand can be listed in easy-to-understand terms ^{** .}

  * (Example) Product name: Chicken and pollack → Chicken (24% based on mixing ratio), pollack powder (1.5% based on dry matter)

 ** (Example) ‘Donjibak’ → pork fat processing by-product, ‘Sujibak’ → animal fat processing by-product

  Fourth ,  we establish standards for emphasizing labels such as “organic” and  “edible” that can mislead consumers .  In order to be labeled “organic,” certification must be obtained in accordance with the “Eco-Friendly Agriculture and Fisheries Act,” and in order to be labeled “edible food” or similar, the product must comply with laws related to food for human consumption, including the “Food Sanitation Act.”

  In addition, we plan to specify standards for labels that may confuse consumers, such as labels and advertisements that may mislead consumers into believing the efficacy and effects of ingredients added to food or beverages for human consumption are the efficacy and effects of pet food, and labels and advertisements that cite or state research related to manufacturing methods.

  Park Jeong-hoon, director of Animal Welfare and Environment Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, “Pet food has been managed institutionally together with livestock feed, which has delayed the growth of the related industry and has not been sufficient in guaranteeing consumers’ right to know.” He added, “We expect that this system improvement will further expand the product choices for companion animals and enhance the competitiveness of the pet food industry.”

Editor. Hong Se-yeong