Health claims on pet food: what is allowed? UK & EU rules explained

Two categories, two regulatory frameworks

All commercial communication regarding animal products falls into two legal worlds:

Animal feed (including supplements) may carry functional claims — such as "supports joints" or "contributes to a healthy coat" — but must not make any medical or therapeutic claims [2].

Veterinary medicinal products are registered products with demonstrated efficacy and safety; advertising for these is subject to strict separate rules [1][4].

The core principle: as soon as a claim states that a product prevents, treats or cures a disease, the product is legally a medicinal product and requires an authorisation [1].

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What may a claim on animal feed state?

The NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) distinguishes three types of claims on animal feed [2]:

• Nutritional claims — refer to the composition (e.g. "rich in omega-3")
• Functional claims — describe a physiological effect (e.g. "helps with normal digestive comfort")
• Disease risk reduction — permitted only to a very limited extent, exclusively for recognised categories

Therapeutic language such as "cures", "treats" or "heals" is prohibited on animal feed and supplements. A product claiming to "help with arthritis" or "lower blood pressure" crosses that boundary and legally falls under the definition of a veterinary medicinal product [1][2].

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NVWA supervision: how does this work in practice?

The NVWA actively inspects claims on supplements and feed. Published inspection results show that a substantial proportion of the supplements examined on the Dutch market make unauthorised claims — particularly therapeutic language that falls outside the legal framework [3].

In the event of an infringement, the NVWA may issue a warning or impose a penalty payment, order products to be withdrawn from the market and publish enforcement reports publicly [3].

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Advertising for veterinary medicinal products: separate rules

Specific advertising restrictions apply to registered veterinary medicinal products [4][5]:

• Advertising for prescription-only products is permitted only directed at veterinary surgeons and pharmacists
• Public advertising for non-prescription veterinary medicinal products is permitted, but must be accurate and not misleading
• All claims must correspond with the approved product information

The KNMvD (Royal Dutch Veterinary Association) emphasises that advertising for veterinary medicinal products must not lead to incorrect expectations among owners [5].

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As a consumer: what should you look out for?

If you doubt whether a product makes claims it is not permitted to make, or if you wish to know whether a product is useful for your animal? Always consult a veterinary surgeon — treatment advice is legally reserved to veterinary surgeons in the Netherlands.