Laws on Selling Homemade Dog Treats

If you want to sell homemade dog treats, you may have to jump through a few hoops. Any time you try to sell a homemade goodie, sanitation is of great concern to the powers that be, such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Overarching rules from the FDA will apply. While you don't have to get pre-approval from the FDA to sell your goodies for canines, you do have to comply with its requirements for processing, additives and labeling.

  1. Processing

    • According to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, pet foods, like human foods, have to be safe to eat and processed under sanitary conditions. Additional processing requirements depend on which state you live in. Some states, such as California, require that anyone making food for sale must use a commercial kitchen. Check with your county health department for the most accurate information on the requirements in your area.

    Additives

    • Ingredients used in pet food must be safe and have an appropriate function for the product. According to the FDA, "Substances such as sources of minerals, vitamins or other nutrients, flavorings and preservatives, or processing aids may be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for their intended use or must have approval as food additives." If a food additive is not already on the FDA's safe or GRAS list, then you must complete and submit a food additive petition to the FDA to explain the additive you want to use.

    Labeling

    • The FDA requires several things on the label for any food product, including pet foods. The label must identify the product and include a net quantity. You must include your name, address of your business location, and all of the ingredients in your product. List ingredients in order of weight according to how much you used of each, listing the ingredient you used most, first, and the one used least, last.