Marketing of animal feed: EU rules

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 — placing on the market and use of animal feed

SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THIS REGULATION DO?

• It lays down rules on the placing on the market and use of feed for food-producing animals or pets.
• It also lays down labelling, packaging and presentation requirements.

KEY POINTS

Feed

The regulation covers any substance or product, including additives, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed, intended to be used for oral feeding to animals.

It applies independently of and without having any effect on other EU rules in the field of animal nutrition, concerning:

• medicated feedingstuffs,
• undesirable substances,
• transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (such as BSE),
• animal by-products not intended for human consumption,
• genetically modified food and feed,
• the traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms,
• additives,
• the production and labelling of organic products.

Marketing and use

Animal feed must comply with safety and marketing requirements. In particular, it must:

• be safe,
• not have a direct adverse effect on the environment or animal welfare,
• be sound, genuine, unadulterated, fit for its purpose and of merchantable quality,
• be labelled, packaged and presented in accordance with the applicable legislation.

It must not contain materials which are restricted or prohibited from being placed on the market.

Traceability

It must be possible to trace the feed at all stages of production, processing and distribution. Feed business operators must be able to identify who has provided them with:

• feed,
• a food-producing animal, or
• any substance intended to be or likely to be incorporated into feed.

Feed which is or is likely to be placed on the market in the EU must be labelled or identified in such a way that it can be traced.

Labelling and presentation

This regulation establishes general provisions for the labelling and presentation of all feed, such as the obligation to indicate:

• the type of feed,
• the name and address of the feed business operator,
• the batch or lot reference number,
• the net weight,
• the list of additives used,
• the moisture content.

The labelling and presentation must be clearly legible and indelible. It must not mislead the user concerning the intended use or characteristics of the feed.

The European Commission has published further advice to assist companies and authorities in this respect including:

• Guidelines on the distinction between feed materials, feed additives, biocidal products and veterinary medicinal products, and
• Code of good labelling practice for pet food.

Packaging

Feed materials and compound feed must be placed on the market in sealed packages and containers. However, certain feed may be placed on the market in bulk or in unsealed packages or containers. This includes:

• feed materials,
• mixtures of grain and whole fruit,
• deliveries of compound feed between producers,
• feed in the form of blocks or licks.

WHEN DOES THIS REGULATION APPLY?

It entered into force on 21 September 2009.

BACKGROUND

‘Animal nutrition — marketing of feed’ on the European Commission's website

ACT

Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 on the placing on the market and use of feed, amending European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 and repealing Council Directive 79/373/EEC, Commission Directive 80/511/EEC, Council Directives 82/471/EEC, 83/228/EEC, 93/74/EEC, 93/113/EC and 96/25/EC and Commission Decision 2004/217/EC (OJ L 229, 1.9.2009, pp. 1–28).

Subsequent amendments to Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 have been incorporated in the basic text. This consolidated version has a purely documentary value.

RELATED ACTS

Commission Regulation (EU) No 68/2013 of 16 January 2013 on the Catalogue of feed materials (OJ L 29, 30.1.2013, pp. 1–64)

See consolidated version.

last update 24.07.2022