Mississippi direct-to-consumer compliance, guide 19 of 24

Pet Food & Treats

Pet food is regulated as commercial feed and must be registered with MDAC.

State License Required
$100annual feed permit
$25per product, packages under 10 lbs
1 labelsubmitted per product as PDF
Tonnagefees for 10 lb and larger packages

What is covered

  • Registered pet treats and food with compliant labels
  • Products sold in small packages under 10 lbs
  • Products sold in 10 lb and larger packages, with tonnage reporting

Needs a different path

  • Unregistered pet products sold at markets
  • Cottage food claims for pet treats
  • Raw meat pet food without verifying meat sourcing rules

Three compliance steps

  1. A

    Get the permit

    Apply for the annual feed permit ($100) through MDAC's online registration system.

  2. B

    Register each product

    Submit one label per product as a PDF with $25 per product for packages under 10 lbs.

  3. C

    Report tonnage

    For 10 lb and larger packages, pay yearly tonnage fees due each January for the previous year.

Quick reference

ItemRuleRegulator
Feed permit$100 per yearMDAC Bureau of Plant Industry
Product registration$25 per product for packages under 10 lbsMDAC
Large packagesTonnage fees due January for prior yearMDAC
LabelOne label per product, PDF formatMDAC / AAFCO
StatuteMiss. Code tit. 75, ch. 45, art. 5; pet food rule 2 Code Miss. R. 1-3-02MDAC
FederalFDA food-safety and labeling law for animal foodFDA

Common questions

Do pet treats count as feed?

Yes. Mississippi regulates pet food and treats as commercial feed under the Bureau of Plant Industry.

Do I register each flavor?

Registration is per product, with one label submitted for each.

Does cottage food cover dog biscuits?

No. Cottage food covers human food; pet products go through feed registration.

Printable checklist