From a new pet food range to an official inspection: resolve classification, composition, labelling and distribution questions before they disrupt your business.
Market access and product classification
A complete feed, complementary feed, feed additive and veterinary medicine follow different regulatory routes. We assess the intended use, ingredients, presentation and claims together. Calling a product a supplement does not decide its legal classification. We also address dietetic feed, raw pet food (BARF), insect proteins and other alternative ingredients.
Labels, online sales and supply contracts
A launch review covers mandatory particulars, the responsible operator, species and feeding instructions, claims evidence and the information displayed before an online purchase. Contract work addresses specifications, testing, change control, rejected batches, indemnities and recall cooperation. Organic claims and animal by-products require their own assessment.
Inspections, unsafe batches and recalls
When a laboratory result or complaint raises a safety concern, preserve the batch records, retained samples, supplier certificates and distribution list. The legal response may involve notification, withdrawal, recall, corrective labelling or an appeal against a marketing restriction. We coordinate the legal position with technical specialists; a commercial dispute with a supplier does not suspend public-law obligations.
Example: a joint-support product
A distributor wants to advertise a complementary feed as treating arthritis. Before changing the packaging, the product needs a classification and claims review. The result may be revised wording, a different formulation or a different regulatory route; a disclaimer alone does not cure an unlawful medicinal claim.
Preparing for advice
Please provide the relevant contracts or official correspondence, a dated account of events and any technical or veterinary reports. Identify the parties, the country or German state involved, and every known deadline. We will agree the appropriate next step after reviewing the documents.
Related services
Legal framework & further reading
Reviewed 8 November 2026. Examples are illustrative and do not describe reported client matters.
Discuss your matter
Send a short description, the parties involved and any deadline. We check conflicts and agree the scope and fees before starting work. For urgent matters, telephone our office as well.
Further practical issues
Private labels and contract manufacturing
A private-label arrangement needs a clear allocation of specifications, formulation changes, testing, release and complaint handling. The contract should identify who supplies the supporting documents and who can stop deliveries when a problem emerges. Commercial agreements do not automatically remove the regulatory responsibilities attached to a business’s actual role.
Review the label and the online offer together
Send the actual artwork, not only a typed list of ingredients. Front-label claims, product names, images, instructions and online descriptions can create a combined impression. Advertising should be checked against the intended classification and the evidence for the claimed characteristics. Marketplace descriptions and customer testimonials reused in advertising should form part of that review.
When animals become ill after feeding
The sequence of events is important but does not, by itself, prove that a feed caused the illness. Relevant material can include retained samples, batch and delivery records, laboratory findings, veterinary records, the full ration and storage conditions. Alternative causes need to be considered. We assess contractual claims, alleged losses and the response to supplier or customer demands.
Manage the immediate incident separately from the claim
Trace the affected goods and preserve reliable records. Depending on the circumstances, safety action and communication with the competent authority may need attention before the dispute over compensation is resolved. A legal response should be coordinated with the business’s technical assessment, sampling strategy and operational decisions.