Public data shows the pet population in China has exceeded 168 million and China is the 3rd largest dog keeper and the 2nd largest cat keeper worldwide. With the application of more standards and advanced technologies, the growth of pet food business is rooted on the increasing number of young singles and empty nest elderly living in the expanding urban areas.

On 27^th April 2018, China MoARA issued the Announcement 20 of to promulgate series of pet food regulations including the “Administrative Measures for Pet Food”, “Rules on the Labeling of Pet Food” and “Rules on the Sanitary Standard of Pet Food”, etc. This enactment signified China had established a pet food regulation system independent from existing feed regulations. Meanwhile, the provisions for transition from existing feed regulations to new pet food regulations were also specified, using the following timeline:

Being newly defined as pet food, the imported pet formula food and pet food additive premix, together with the previously imported feed additives mixture for pet feeding which had been registered before 1 Jun 2018, shall obtain the new registration as imported pet food from MoARA before 1 September 2019 according to Announcement No. 20.

Starting from 1 September 2019, all pet food circulated in China need to comply with the “Rules on the Labeling of Pet Food” and the “Rules on the Sanitary Standard of Pet Food”, which specified testing methods and 21 maximum limits for pet food contaminants: 8 inorganic and nitrogenous substances, 8 fungimycins, 1 natural plant toxin, 6 organic chlorides and 2 microbes. These limits are the mandatory requirements for pet food and serve as the determining reference for MoARA’s market surveillance.

Obviously, pet food sold online or through cross-border e-commerce will have no exception. According to the Article 21 of the “Administrative Measures for Pet Food”, the e-trade platforms should implement the real-name registration of online sellers and supervise them to fulfill corresponding obligations, as well as ensure that the pet food sold online conform to the Administrative Measures.

Besides, the feed materials used in an imported pet food shall not be included in the black list, namely the “List of Animals and their Products from Animal Epidemic Affected Countries and Regions”. Furthermore, the overseas pet food exporter from the “List of Products and Sourcing Origin Countries/Regions Eligble for Feed Materials and Feed Additives Importation” should complete the company registration formality with the GACC (General Administration of Customs).

Contact Us：

Food Department 

Call: +86-571-87103815

Mail：FCS@reach24h.cn