Using pet food, animal feed, and supplements

You must comply with the requirements for using oral nutritional compounds (ONCs).

The requirements for using oral nutritional compounds (ONCs) such as animal feed, including pet food, and dietary supplements, are set out in the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) (Exemptions and Prohibited Substances) Regulations 2011. 

This means that:

  • you must be confident the animal feed or supplement is fit for use (Regulation 7)
  • unless you have a reason to be suspicious, you can presume other parties have met their obligations and have manufactured or sold to you an animal feed or supplement that is fit for purpose
  • if you have reason to suspect the fitness of the animal feed or supplement, you should either not buy it or take steps to confirm it is fit before feeding to your animals
  • if you do not follow the manufacturer’s instructions or you alter the animal feed or supplement, it is your legal responsibility to ensure it is still fit for purpose (Regulation 8) (this means you must ensure that what you feed your animals is not likely to cause any of the harms listed in Regulation 7)
  • if you make your own animal feed, you are fully responsible for its fitness (Regulation 8).

To avoid problems, we recommend that you follow label instructions carefully and use products as recommended by the manufacturer.

Learn more about what the legislation requires:

Contact MPI

If an adverse event occurs with animal feed, use this form to notify MPI:

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