States and territories have primary responsibility for overseeing the manufacture and sale of pet food in Australia. For any information on current requirements, please contact the relevant authority in your state or territory.
In 2018, following a number of pet food safety incidents, a Senate inquiry on Regulatory approaches to ensure the safety of pet food was undertaken. The findings of the inquiry were released in October 2018. The Australian Government response to the Senate inquiry tabled in Parliament can be found here.
A Pet Food Review Working Group was established in November 2018 at the request of the then Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. The Working Group membership consisted of:
- The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
- The Australian Veterinary Association
- RSPCA Australia
- The Pet Food Industry Association of Australia
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
- Safe Food Production Queensland
- Animal Health Committee
- Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
- The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
- The Department of Health
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand
The Working Group reviewed the recommendations of the Senate inquiry and the current regulatory system governing pet food, considered options to manage the health and safety of pet food in Australia and reported back to agriculture ministers. After completing its work, the Working Group was stood down.
As the Working Group report did not cost the various options proposed, ministers asked for a jurisdictional working group to be formed, consisting of representatives from all states and territories and the Department. The jurisdictional group analysed and costed policy options for managing pet food safety in Australia, drawing on the findings of the 2018 Senate inquiry and the Working Group’s review. The outcomes of this work were provided to ministers to inform their consideration of pet food safety management arrangements in Australia.
On 24 April 2026, agriculture ministers considered the management of pet food safety in Australia and agreed that a regulatory approach is not warranted at this time, based on the available evidence. Ministers noted that current arrangements provide mechanisms to manage pet food safety incidents and recourse for affected consumers. Jurisdictions will continue to engage closely with industry on monitoring and surveillance to ensure emerging risks are identified and managed appropriately.
Documents
- Managing the health and safety of pet food in Australia – 2021 report of the pet food review working group - PDF 638 KB
- Managing the health and safety of pet food in Australia – 2021 report of the pet food review working group - DOCX 1 MB
- Pet food safety in Australia: Report to Agriculture Ministers - PDF 835 KB
- Report to Agriculture Ministers on pet food safety in Aus (incl CBA report) - PDF 1.6 MB
- Report to Agriculture Ministers on pet food safety in Aus (incl CBA report) - DOCX 3.5 MB
If you have difficulty accessing these files, contact us for help.
Publication of these reports were deferred while ministers considered policy options for the management of pet food safety in Australia. They are now being published following the ministers’ decision on 24 April 2026.