§ 19356 Pet Food Labeling Rules

Food and Agricultural Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

Key Takeaways

•You can't sell pet food with meat or horsemeat if the label lies about what's inside.
•The package can't trick people by looking bigger or different than it really is.
•If the label is honest and approved by the director, it's okay.

Example

A company sells dog food labeled '100% Beef' but it's actually made of horsemeat.

This is against the law because the label is lying about what's in the pet food.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 19356 Pet Food Labeling Rules

No meat or meat byproduct or horsemeat or horsemeat byproduct shall be sold or offered for sale as pet food or for pet food purposes by any person under any name or other marking or labeling which is false or misleading, or in any container of a misleading form or size, but established trade names and other marking and labeling and containers which are not false or misleading and which are approved by the director, are permitted. (Added by Stats. 1969, Ch. 815.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

meat meat byproduct horsemeat horsemeat byproduct pet food false or misleading director

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Food and Agricultural Code. Section 19356.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References