What you need to know before you start your own pet treat business
Sciantec
Agriculture
Lockdowns and furloughs over the last fourteen months have given many people more time to indulge in hobbies and start new business ventures. Almost a quarter of adults in the UK have welcomed a new pet into their home since the start of the pandemic, and there has been a rise in pet lovers making biscuits, cakes and other treats for their furry friends. As an estimated 59% of UK adults own a pet and £7.9 million pounds was spent on pet products in 2020, the time seems right to let your pet treat business take wing. However, there are things you need to consider to make sure you are compliant with the law.
UK Trading Standards requires products to be tested before they can be sold. Many owners also see their pets as one of the family and carefully inspect the quality of food and treats. For those taking the first step into the pet treat industry, Sciantec offers a friendly, personalised service and can talk you through the whole process, including how to take samples and submit them for testing. Most start-up pet treat companies will need to test for labelling purposes as a minimum, which could include total oil, protein, fibre, ash and moisture analysis. This is required by law so that customers have clear, concise and honest information on the composition, use and characteristics of any product they purchase. Contact your local Trading Standards and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who can provide further information on the requirements for your products.
Microbiology testing will also need to be undertaken if your treats contain animal by-products, which includes anything made from or by animals, such as meat, honey, butter, fish, milk and eggs. You will need to contact APHA for approval before you process these into any kind of pet food. Salmonella and Enterobacteriaceae species, found in raw or undercooked animal by-products, can cause a variety of symptoms in both animals and humans. Salmonella results are reported as either ‘Detected’ or ‘Not Detected’, with the latter given if any subsample contains any Salmonella colonies. You will receive an automatic email alert if Salmonella is detected, and a sample of the culture will be sent to the APHA who will identify the strain and advise you of the next steps. Enterobacteriaceae results are given as either ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’. Once any results are received, we advise that you contact the APHA directly regarding their meaning and what to do next.
How the testing process works
300g worth of treats is needed for labelling testing, plus a separate 200g for microbiology testing if needed. As part of our service, we provide a step-by-step guide to efficiently and correctly taking your samples and packaging them. We can also arrange a courier for collection. Once your samples have arrived and been booked in, you will receive an automated email acknowledgement. Your results will follow by email within 5-7 working days as a Certificate of Analysis. Any failed test must be submitted to the APHA immediately along with your plan to fix the issue.
We also offer a wide range of other tests, tailor-made for the pet food sector, from quality indicator tests to undesirables analysis. If you are considering any of these tests, please contact your local Trading Standards service for advice.
Sciantec can help you with any of your pet treat testing needs. As a leading provider of analytical services to the pet food sector in the UK, we provide nutritional analysis and microbiology testing on finished projects and raw materials. For more information on our pet food testing services, please call Mike or Rachel on 01757 242400. For a quote, or advice on the right testing package for you, please email us at business.development@sciantec.uk.com.
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