Australian Pet Food Standards

Unfortunately, you can’t always trust who you buy your pet food and treats from in Australia.

The Australian pet food industry is not regulated nationally, it is regulated state by state with a national standard (Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production of Pet Meat AS 4841:2006 PISC Report 88 — Amended 2009) that “should” be adhered to.

It’s ok to ask questions to pet food and pet treat manufacturers, the more we know, the more educated we become around pet food and can be confident we are feeding our pets the best. Unfortunately, this can become a pretty heated topic sometimes, but we will continue to fight for what’s best for our pet’s health.

EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK MANUFACTURERS:

• What are the ingredients?
• What is the nutritional breakdown of the food?
• What licenses/certifications do you hold?
• How are you audited?
• Where do you manufacture?
• Do you manufacture to Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production of Pet Meat AS 4841:2006 PISC Report 88 — Amended 2009?
• Are you registered for GST?

These questions are not unreasonable, and in our opinion should be available to customers for complete transparency, however, it is important to note that legally, companies do not need to disclose this information.

If businesses are hesitant to give this information out, it is always a red flag for us. At Laila and Me, we work hard for our licencing and certifications and are put through regular gruelling audits to maintain them, so are proud to share this info and tell anyone who will listen! In fact, please see our answers below:

LAILA AND ME MANUFACTURING FAQS:

What are the ingredients?
All ingredients are listed on our website under each product and listed on each bag of treats.

What is the nutritional breakdown of the food?
This is also listed on the website and on each bag of treats.

What licences and certifications do you hold?
We hold a Primesafe license #PF31 and HACCP certification

How are you being audited?
We have a quality manual HACCP plan and are audited twice a year.

Where do you manufacture?
Our warehouse in Bendigo, Victoria.

Are you registered for GST?
Yes, we are.

Are you manufacturing to standard for the hygienic production of Pet Meat: PISC Report 88 — Amended 2009?
Yes, our quality manual and HACCP plan are written to specification.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?
If you are a business in the pet sector stocking food and/or treats, we recommend conducting regular desktop audits of suppliers they are working with. Examples of this are asking the questions above, checking GST registration, and checking ABN’s match invoices.

We recommend pet parents to familiarise themselves with the ingredients lists of the food and/or treats they are feeding their pets. The longer the list and the harder it is to read, the more red flags that should be raised.

Never be afraid to ask questions, and if you would like any help or advice, please always feel free to reach out to us on admin@lailaandme.com.au

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