Regulation (EU) 2023/2419 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 October 2023 on the labelling of organic pet food

This Regulation lays down specific labelling requirements for pet food produced in accordance with the rules concerning organic production of feed provided for in Regulation (EU) 2018/848. This Regulation constitutes other specific Union law relating to the placing of products on the market for the purposes of Article 2(5) of Regulation (EU) 2018/848.

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply: (1) ‘pet food’ means feed within the meaning of Article 3, point (46), of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 which is intended for pets as defined in Article 3(2), point (f), of Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council ; (2) ‘prepacked pet food’ means any single item of pet food for presentation as such to the final consumer, consisting of pet food and the packaging into which it was put before being offered for sale, whether such packaging encloses the pet food completely or only partially, but in any event in such a way that the contents cannot be altered without opening or changing the packaging; ‘prepacked pet food’ does not cover pet food which is packed on the sales premises at the final consumer’s request or pet food which is prepacked for direct sale.

1 For pet food, the terms referred to in Article 30(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 may be used: (a) in the sales description and in the list of ingredients, provided that: (i) the pet food complies with the detailed production rules set out in Part V of Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and with the processing techniques laid down in accordance with Article 17(3) of that Regulation; and (ii) at least 95 % of the agricultural ingredients of the product by weight are organic; (b) only in the list of ingredients, provided that: (i) less than 95 % of the agricultural ingredients of the product by weight are organic, and that those ingredients comply with the production rules set out in Regulation (EU) 2018/848; (ii) only feed additives and processing aids authorised pursuant to Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 are used in the processing of the pet food; and (iii) the pet food complies with the detailed production rules set out in points 1.5, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.4 of Part V of Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and with the processing techniques laid down in accordance with Article 17(3) of that Regulation.

2 For pet food containing ingredients stemming from hunting or fishing, the terms referred to in Article 30(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 may be used in the sales description and in the list of ingredients provided that: (a) the main ingredient is a product of hunting or fishing; (b) those terms are clearly related in the sales description to an organic ingredient other than the main ingredient; (c) all other agricultural ingredients are organic; (d) only feed additives and processing aids authorised pursuant to Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 are used in the processing of the pet food; and (e) the pet food complies with the detailed production rules set out in points 1.5, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.4 of Part V of Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and with the processing techniques laid down in accordance with Article 17(3) of that Regulation.

3 The list of ingredients referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall indicate which ingredients are organic. The references to organic production may only appear in relation to the organic ingredients.

4 The list of ingredients referred to in paragraph 1, point (b), and in paragraph 2 shall include an indication of the total percentage of organic ingredients in proportion to the total quantity of agricultural ingredients.

5 The terms referred to in Article 30(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and the indication of the percentage referred to in paragraph 4 of this Article shall appear in the same colour and in an identical size and style of lettering as the other indications in the list of ingredients referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article.

1 The organic production logo of the European Union referred to in Article 33 of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 may only be used in the labelling, presentation and advertising of pet food complying with the conditions referred to in Article 3(1), point (a), of this Regulation.

2 In the case of prepacked pet food which complies with the conditions referred to in Article 3(1), point (a), the organic production logo of the European Union shall appear on the packaging.

Organic pet food labelled in accordance with national rules or, in the absence thereof, private standards accepted or recognised by the Member States in accordance with Article 95(5) of Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 between 1 January 2022 and 30 October 2023 may be placed on the market until stocks are exhausted.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. However, Article 4(2) shall apply from 1 May 2024.