FDA Pet Food Facility Registration & U.S. Agent
Selling pet food, treats, or animal feed into the U.S. means satisfying two rulebooks at once: the FDA's (facility registration, FSMA animal-food preventive controls, safe ingredients) and the state-level AAFCO framework (labeling, ingredient definitions, guaranteed analysis). Axentra handles both sides for foreign manufacturers — registration, U.S. Agent, labels, and import readiness — under one flat fee.
Who must register
Any foreign facility that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds pet food, treats, chews, supplements for animals, or feed ingredients for U.S. distribution must register with the FDA as a food facility (Bioterrorism Act; 21 CFR 1.225) and appoint a U.S. Agent. Registration renews biennially Oct 1–Dec 31 of even years — including 2026.
What we handle
Formats we cover
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kibble & extruded diets
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canned/wet
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raw & freeze-dried
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treats & chews
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toppers & broths
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supplements/premixes
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feed ingredients.
FDA Pet Food & Animal Food Registration— Frequently Asked Questions
Is any pet food "FDA approved"?
No. FDA approves food additives, not finished pet foods, and AAFCO is not a government agency and approves nothing — it publishes model regulations and ingredient definitions that individual states adopt. A claim of FDA or AAFCO approval on a finished pet food is not accurate.
Which rules govern pet food manufacturing?
21 CFR Part 507, "Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals". The definition of animal food expressly includes pet food, animal feed, and raw materials and ingredients. CGMP sits in subpart B and preventive controls in subpart C.
Do I register with FDA or with the state?
Both levels apply. FDA handles facility registration and federal preventive controls. Labeling and product registration are largely enforced by state feed control officials using AAFCO model rules, which vary by state. Selling into multiple states can mean multiple state registrations.