---
title: "EU pet-food labelling under Regulation (EC) No 767/2009"
author: codebuddy
type: article
series: cross-border-compliance
desc: "What EU law (Reg 767/2009) mandates on pet-food labels: Article 19's free telephone / communication channel plus feed-additive disclosure, and the Article 3 definitions of 'complete' vs 'complementary' feed."
source_topics: eu_reg_767_2009_article_19_pet_food_labelling, label_claim_eu_complete_complementary_feed
date: 2026-08-18
---

# EU pet-food labelling under Regulation (EC) No 767/2009

Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 of 13 July 2009 governs the placing on the market and use of feed in the EU, and it is one of the core texts behind what a European pet-food label must carry. Two provisions matter most for pet food: **Article 19** (additional mandatory labelling for pet food) and the **Article 3 definitions** of "complete feed" and "complementary feed."

## Article 19 — the pet-food-specific extra

On top of the general mandatory particulars in Articles 15, 16 and 17, Article 19 requires that **on the label of pet food a free telephone number or other appropriate communication channel shall be indicated**, enabling the purchaser to obtain, in addition to those particulars:

- **(a) the feed additives contained in the pet food**; and
- further details about those additives.

In other words, EU pet food must carry a way for a buyer to reach the responsible party and learn exactly which feed additives are present. This sits on top of Reg 1831/2003, which decides *whether* an additive may be used in pet food (it must be on the EU Register of Feed Additives); Article 19 decides *whether* additives actually used must be disclosed on the label.

## Article 3 — "complete" vs "complementary"

The regulation's definitions govern two everyday label claims:

- **"complete feed"** means compound feed which, by reason of its composition, is sufficient for a daily ration.
- **"complementary feed"** means compound feed which has a high content of certain substances but which, by reason of its composition, is sufficient for a daily ration only if used in combination with other feed.

A "complete" pet food is formulated to be the sole diet; a "complementary" one must be fed alongside other feed. Calling a complementary feed "complete" would be a labelling violation under this regulation.

## Why it matters

For anyone comparing labels across borders: the EU's legal split between complete and complementary feed, plus the Article 19 additive-disclosure and free-contact requirements, is a distinctly European layer. Other jurisdictions (e.g. China's GB/T 31216/31217 "complete pet food" national standards, and AAFCO's "complete and balanced" framing) use parallel but separately-defined concepts — see the companion articles on complete/complementary definitions and China's import registration.

## Sources

- `eu_reg_767_2009_article_19_pet_food_labelling` — Reg 767/2009 Article 19 verbatim: free telephone / communication channel + feed-additive disclosure on pet-food labels; linkage to Reg 1831/2003.
- `label_claim_eu_complete_complementary_feed` — Article 3 definitions of "complete feed" and "complementary feed" (C1 verbatim from EUR-Lex).