Malaysia Pet Food Regulations and Labelling Guide: Feed Act 2009, DVS Registration and Guaranteed Analysis

To sell pet food or animal feed into Malaysia, the core of compliance comes down to a single sentence: it is governed by the Feed Act 2009, the competent authority is the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), and whether you are an importer, a manufacturer or a seller, you must first register with the DVS and obtain a licence — importers must additionally apply for an import permit — while the product label must comply with the Feed (Labelling of Feed or Feed Additive) Regulations 2012. In other words, getting a bag of dog food or cat food legally onto the shelf is not a single action, but three lines that must all be in place at once: "entity registration + import permit + labelling compliance." This guide takes each line apart and explains it clearly: who has to register, exactly which fields must be printed on the label, how to understand and declare guaranteed analysis values, what to watch out for with pork-source materials and Halal, why medicated feed is special, and the key differences in process between imports and local production.

Why is pet food regulated in Malaysia? Who should read this?

Many brand owners intuitively assume that "pet food isn't for human consumption, so it should be more lenient than food for people." The truth is exactly the opposite: the quality and safety of feed directly affect animal health, and animals may in turn enter the food chain (for example livestock feed), so Malaysia treats feed as an item requiring upfront gatekeeping, regulating it under a dedicated law (the Feed Act 2009). "Feed" here is broadly defined, covering pet food for companion animals such as dogs and cats, feed additives and premixes.

The following groups especially need to understand this article:

• Overseas brands / traders: those wanting to bring foreign dog food, cat food, treats or health additives into Malaysia to sell.
• Local manufacturers / contract factories: those producing pet food or feed additives within Malaysia.
• E-commerce sellers / channels: those listing and selling in Malaysia — even mere resellers may fall within the scope of "sellers must register."

Three common misconceptions need to be cleared up first. First, "having an overseas manufacturer's certificate of conformity means I can sell directly" — no; the compliant entity and registration are on the Malaysian side. Second, "small packs, samples or small test quantities don't need registration" — the regulations govern the acts of importing and selling themselves, not the quantity. Third, "just print the label using the original manufacturer's English text" — mandatory items, pork-source declarations and other requirements must comply with Malaysia's local regulations.

Competent authority and regulatory framework

Clarify the legal basis, and everything that follows will point in the right direction:

The key point to remember is: the Feed Act 2009 is the parent law, regulating "conduct" (who may import, manufacture and sell); the 2012 Labelling Regulations are the subsidiary law, regulating "what the label looks like." Neither can be missing — no matter how beautifully the label is done, you still cannot sell if the entity is not registered; conversely, if you are registered but the label omits a mandatory item, the product will still be asked to correct it or be rejected. For the details and wording of each labelling field, we recommend reading it alongside the extended article Mandatory items for pet food labelling.

Line one: entity registration and licensing (Feed Act, Section 9)

Importers, manufacturers and sellers must all register with the DVS's Secretariat of the Animal Feed Board and obtain a licence under Section 9 of the Feed Act. This is the prerequisite for every subsequent action — without this licence, you are not even eligible to apply for an import permit.

The kinds of information typically required for registration include:

• Legal registration details of the company / business (business registration, information on the person in charge).
• A description of the business type (whether you import, manufacture, or purely sell).
• A product list and manufacturer information (imported goods in particular must be traceable to the overseas original manufacturer).
• Warehousing / operating location information, so the competent authority can grasp the supply chain.

In practice, first confirming which category of entity you belong to and then following the correct registration and SOP process for it will save you a lot of wasted effort. If your main task is importing, we recommend referring directly to The process for importing pet food and the DVS permit to plan entity registration and the import permit together in one go, so you don't get halfway through registration only to find you are still missing import-side documents.

Line two: mandatory labelling items (2012 Labelling Regulations)

The label is the only compliance evidence that consumers and the competent authority can "inspect together with the goods." Under the 2012 Labelling Regulations, a pet food / feed label must cover at least the following items:

A few details that are most easily overlooked yet often lead to rejection:

• The target animal must be stated clearly. Cats and dogs have different nutritional needs; writing only "pet food" without specifying the target may be regarded as insufficient information.
• Feeding guidelines are not decoration. They are mandatory information, and should be specific (recommended feeding amount, frequency, a reminder to provide clean drinking water) — not just "feed in moderation."
• Function claims must be measured. Claims such as "coat care" or "joint care" must have a basis and must not be exaggerated into "treatment" or "therapeutic effect," or they may be deemed overstepping claims.
• The imported product's name/address, batch number and date must be consistent across three places — the label, the customs clearance documents and the DVS registration data must all match; any mismatch anywhere may get you stuck during inspection.

To check your label field by field, you can cross-reference the checklist version in Mandatory items for pet food labelling and tick off each item one by one.

An in-depth look at guaranteed analysis

Guaranteed analysis is the core of pet food labelling, and the set of numbers that best reflects "just how nutritious this bag of feed really is." It is not an advertising slogan, but a nutritional guarantee range the manufacturer makes to the competent authority and to consumers, and it must be verifiable during sampling inspections.

Its logic is one of "guaranteed minimums / maximums": for nutrients that benefit the consumer (protein, fat) you declare a minimum value, meaning "there is at least this much"; for items that are detrimental to quality, where less is better (fibre, moisture), you declare a maximum value, meaning "there is no more than this much." Typical fields are as follows:

(The figures in the table above are illustrative of the wording only; the actual numbers must be filled in according to your own formula.)

A few key points to understanding this set of numbers:

• "Minimum" and "maximum" must not be reversed. Declaring moisture as a "minimum" contradicts itself and goes against the very purpose of guaranteed analysis.
• The values must match the actual formula. Guaranteed analysis values can be sampled and compared by the competent authority; exaggeration or falsehood will result in a demand for correction, and in serious cases affect your reputation and subsequent review.
• It is the basis for verifying nutritional claims. If the front of the pack touts "high protein," then the crude protein figure in the guaranteed analysis must be able to support that claim, otherwise it is a case of the name not matching the reality.

For the full wording, units and common errors of guaranteed analysis, we recommend reading it alongside the example-oriented article How to declare guaranteed analysis (with examples) and applying the format as shown — that is the least error-prone approach.

Handling pork-source ingredients and Halal

For religious reasons, Malaysia is especially sensitive to whether feed contains pork-source materials. There are two practical principles:

1. Honest disclosure: pork-source ingredients (such as pork meal, lard, pork-source gelatin, etc.) must be clearly labelled so that consumers can identify them. This is a basic requirement of honest labelling, and it is a separate matter from "whether you can sell" — clear disclosure is the precondition for legal sale.
2. If you want to enter the Halal supply chain, you have to play by Halal's rules: if the product is to be labelled Halal or to enter the Halal channel, it must comply with JAKIM rules and avoid cross-contamination with pork-source or other non-Halal materials at every stage — raw materials, production line and warehousing. Halal is not just about printing a mark; it is verification of the entire supply chain.

A special reminder: you must not make or counterfeit the Halal mark yourself. Halal certification has its own formal application and audit procedure, and labelling it without authorization is a violation. If your pet food contains animal-source ingredients and you also want to expand into the Halal market, we recommend planning "pork-source disclosure" and "Halal certification" as two separate pieces of work.

Why medicated feed is special

Since 2015, medicated feed containing antibiotics / drugs and some premixes have been regulated by the DVS under the Feed Act, with additional rules for labelling and sale. This line has to be pulled out separately because it involves two attributes at once — "feed" and "drug." Once a drug ingredient is added to feed, the intensity of compliance jumps up a level: the labelling must disclose the drug ingredient and its purpose, the sales channel may be restricted, and the record-keeping and traceability requirements are stricter.

To judge whether your product is a medicated feed, you can start with three questions: Does the formula contain antibiotics or other drug ingredients? Do the claims involve preventing / treating disease? Is it a regulated premix? If the answer to any one is "yes," you should treat it as a medicated feed and refer to The rules for medicated feed in Malaysia to confirm the additional labelling and sales conditions. Note: veterinary drugs with a therapeutic purpose are yet another level — they fall under the category of veterinary medicinal products and require separate registration; they cannot be treated merely as ordinary feed additives.

Line three: the import process, step by step

If you are an importer, the whole process can be broken into four steps, and the order cannot be reversed:

1. Register the entity and obtain the licence: first register with the DVS Secretariat of the Animal Feed Board and obtain a licence under Section 9 of the Feed Act. This is the eligibility prerequisite.
2. Fill in the import application form: download and fill in the "Application for Importation of Pet Food into Malaysia" form on the DVS website, and have the overseas manufacturer complete the product data (formula, specifications, manufacturer information).
3. Prepare supporting documents: prepare documents such as the certificate of origin and health / veterinary certificates, and comply with animal quarantine requirements. These documents prove the product's source is legal and hygienically sound.
4. Ship after obtaining the import permit: only arrange shipment after obtaining the import permit, and ensure the label of the arriving product already complies with the 2012 Labelling Regulations (including guaranteed analysis, the importer's name and address, etc.).

A common timing mistake is "order first, gather documents later" — the goods reach the port only for you to discover the permit hasn't come through or the label doesn't comply, and you get stuck at the border. The correct order is to first settle entity registration and the import permit, confirm the label proof is compliant, and then arrange bulk shipment. For the full document checklist and schedule planning, see The process for importing pet food and the DVS permit.

Imported vs. locally produced: where's the difference?

This is where many brand owners are most easily confused, but the key difference is actually quite clear:

To sum it up in one sentence: imported goods have an entire extra layer of "cross-border gatekeeping" compared to local production — an extra import permit, border inspection, cross-border certification documents, and the obligation to add the country of origin and the importer's name and address on the label; locally produced goods have no import process and only need the manufacturer's name and address. So if you are bringing an overseas brand into Malaysia, be sure to list "import permit" and "adding the country of origin + importer's name and address on the label" as separate must-do items, and don't think about them using the local-production process.

Common rejection / error scenarios

Here are the pitfalls we've stepped in; avoid each one before launch:

• Selling before registering: not registering with the DVS / obtaining a licence before importing or selling is the most fundamental and most fatal mistake.
• Omitting guaranteed analysis or the target animal: both are core mandatory items, and omitting either means insufficient information.
• Reversing or exaggerating guaranteed analysis: declaring moisture as a "minimum," or inflating crude protein to a level that doesn't match the formula, is exposed the moment it is sampled and compared.
• Missing importer's name/address, batch number or date: especially common for imported goods, and most likely to get stuck at the border.
• Not disclosing pork-source content: this violates honest labelling; wanting to label Halal without JAKIM certification is a double violation.
• Function claims overstepping: writing "coat care" as "treats skin disease" is claiming the feed to be a drug.
• Selling medicated feed as ordinary feed: containing drug ingredients but not following the additional rules for medicated feed.

Pre-launch self-check checklist

• [ ] The importer / seller / manufacturer has registered with the DVS and obtained a licence (Feed Act, Section 9)
• [ ] (For imports) the import application form has been completed, and the import permit and necessary supporting documents obtained
• [ ] Product name and target animal (for dogs / cats, junior / adult) are clearly labelled
• [ ] Guaranteed analysis (crude protein / crude fat / crude fibre / moisture) is complete and "minimum / maximum" declared correctly
• [ ] Net weight, manufacturer / importer name and address, batch number, manufacturing / expiry date are complete
• [ ] (For imports) the country of origin and local importer's name and address have been added
• [ ] Feeding guidelines are specific (recommended feeding amount, frequency, clean-drinking-water reminder) along with necessary warnings
• [ ] Pork-source content is clearly disclosed; to label Halal, JAKIM certification has been obtained and cross-contamination avoided
• [ ] If it is a medicated feed, it has been labelled and its sales channel planned according to the additional rules
• [ ] Function claims have a basis and are not exaggerated into therapeutic effects

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q: Do pet health supplements also count as feed? Most animal health products and feed additives (those that are not drugs) are regulated by the DVS under the Feed Act and fall within the feed category; but veterinary drugs with a therapeutic purpose fall under veterinary medicinal products and require separate registration — they cannot be treated as ordinary feed additives. The key to the judgment is "whether there is a therapeutic / drug attribute."

Q: What documents do I need for importing? Mainly four kinds: DVS entity registration / licence, the import permit application (including the completed import application form), the certificate of origin and health / veterinary certificates, and a compliant label meeting the 2012 Labelling Regulations. We recommend having all four ready and confirming a proof before placing a bulk order.

Q: Must guaranteed analysis be declared? Can I declare only protein? It must be declared, and it is the core of feed labelling. It usually covers at least crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre and moisture, expressed as "minimum / maximum." Declaring only protein and omitting the other items is insufficient information; the values must also be verifiable during sampling inspection.

Q: How does the local manufacturing process differ from importing? The biggest difference is "cross-border gatekeeping." Imported goods must go through border inspection, obtain an import permit, and add the country of origin and local importer's name and address on the label; locally produced goods have no import process and only need the manufacturer's name and address. Both require registering with the DVS and obtaining a licence.

Q: Can products containing pork-source ingredients still be sold? They can be sold, but you must clearly label the pork-source materials so that consumers can identify them — honest disclosure is the precondition for legal listing. It's just that such products cannot be labelled Halal, nor can they enter the Halal channel; to go for the Halal market, they must comply with JAKIM rules and avoid cross-contamination.

Q: In what situations will my product be classified as medicated feed? As long as the formula contains antibiotics or other drug ingredients, or it is a regulated medicated premix, it will be regarded as medicated feed, regulated by the DVS under the Feed Act since 2015, with additional rules for labelling and sale. Medicated feed and veterinary drugs with a therapeutic purpose must be kept distinct; the latter requires separate registration.

Q: Must the label be in Malay? Can I use the original manufacturer's English label directly? Mandatory items, pork-source disclosure and other requirements must comply with Malaysia's local regulations; you cannot just carry over the original manufacturer's English label. Imported goods in particular must additionally add the country of origin and local importer's name and address, and confirm that core information such as guaranteed analysis is presented in full.

Conclusion

The compliance formula for pet food entering Malaysia is clear: Feed Act 2009 + DVS registration / licence (Section 9) + import permit + labelling (including guaranteed analysis, target animal, feeding guidelines) + pork-source disclosure / Halal attention + separate rules for medicated feed. By breaking it into three lines — "entity registration, import permit, labelling compliance" — and completing each, then ticking off each item with the pre-launch checklist, you can reduce the risk of rejection and getting stuck to a minimum. For imported goods, don't forget the extra layer of cross-border gatekeeping compared to local production — the import permit, border inspection, and country of origin and importer's name and address.

Want to first see exactly which mandatory items your pet food label is missing? Run a free label check now; we can also help you get your label fully in order before DVS registration.

This article is compiled from official regulations and is for reference only; actual compliance is subject to the latest official text and review by the competent authority.