Notice to industry: Proposed changes to import requirements for heat-treated pet food products from the United States

2026-09-15

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is proposing updates to the import requirements for commercial shipments of heat-treated pet food products from the United States (U.S.). We are seeking feedback from industry and importers on these proposed changes.

Why changes are needed

The current import requirements include a facility questionnaire that must be signed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The questionnaire was developed based on supply chains where ingredients or finished pet food products are heat-treated in Canada or the U.S.

Today, pet food supply chains are more complex. In some cases, ingredients are heat-treated in another country, imported into the U.S., and used in pet food that is then exported to Canada. Importers have reported challenges getting USDA certification for these products under the current requirements.

The CFIA is proposing updates to:

better reflect current global supply chains and manufacturing practices
allow certification of pet food products that contain ingredients from additional animal species, and
use more outcome-based requirements for heat treatment, rather than limiting manufacturers to a small number of specific time and temperature combinations

These proposed changes would provide greater flexibility for industry, while continuing to support Canada's animal health protections.

Proposed changes

The CFIA is proposing to change 2 footnotes in the USDA questionnaire. No other changes are planned, unless requested by industry.

Current requirements

"Processed" includes products where the animal origin ingredients or the finished product have been sufficiently thermally processed to destroy pathogens of concern and the heat processing occurred in the United States or Canada (other than for certain highly processed ingredients as listed below).
Pet food products include pet food, pet treats, compound chews, and pet supplements.
These ingredients are: albumin (including bovine serum albumin), amino acids, animal glue, bone charcoal, bone oil, chondroitin sulphate, collagen, collagen casings, dicalcium phosphate, enzymes of animal origin (for example, rennet, phosphatase, peroxidase), fatty acid, fibrin, gelatin, gelatin capsules, glucosamine, glycerides, glycerol, glycolipids, hormones of animal origin (for example, insulin, adrenocorticotropic hormone), lactic acid, lactose, lactulose, oleostearin, ossein, peptides, peptone, phospholipids, serum substitutes (for laboratory purposes), sorbitan esters, tricalcium phosphate (bone ash), triglycerides, vitamin A made from porcine gelatin and vitamin D made from lanolin from sheep's wool.
Pet chews are non-nutritive animal origin material intended mainly for the activity of chewing. The Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) defines compound pet chews as rawhide products that contain additional animal origin ingredients. Simple pet chews do not require APHIS facility inspection and listing. Examples of simple pet chews include such items as only rawhide, bones, tendons, hooves, horns, ears, pizzles, etc. Addition of flavorings, colorants, and/or preservatives does not cause a simple chew to be classified as compound, unless the additions are animal origin.
CFIA defines a pet supplement as a highly processed nutritional product whose purpose is to provide additional protein, vitamins, minerals, or other products, such as chondroitin sulphate or glucosamine, to pet animals; supplements may be in pill, capsule, powder, or liquid form, and either be added to food or given directly (orally) to the animal.
Animal origin ingredients or finished pet food products must be heat processed at this facility or at another facility in the United States or Canada (other than for certain highly processed ingredients as listed in footnote 3) according to the following parameters:
- Egg: 57°C for 27 min [or 90°C internal temperature]
- Poultry: 65°C for 14 minutes, or 74°C for 5 minutes [or 90°C internal temperature
- Bovine, ovine, caprine, or porcine: 70°C for 30 min, 79°C for 30 seconds, or 90°C internal temperature
- Dairy/fish/other species: no time/temperature requirement but must be heat processed

Proposed updates

Current requirement	Proposed update
1. "Processed" includes products where the animal origin ingredients or the finished product have been sufficiently thermally processed to destroy pathogens of concern and the heat processing occurred in the United States or Canada (other than for certain highly processed ingredients as listed below).	1. "Processed" includes products where the animal origin ingredients or the finished product have been sufficiently thermally processed to destroy pathogens of concern, and the heat processing occurred in the United States, Canada, or a country evaluated and approved by the CFIA for the import of animal products and by-products (other than for certain highly processed ingredients as listed below in Footnote 3).
6. Animal origin ingredients or finished pet food products must be heat processed at this facility or at another facility in the United States or Canada (other than for certain highly processed ingredients as listed in footnote 3) according to the following parameters: Egg: 57°C for 27 min [or 90°C internal temperature] Poultry: 65°C for 14 minutes, or 74°C for 5 minutes [or 90°C internal temperature Bovine, ovine, caprine, or porcine: 70°C for 30 min, 79°C for 30 seconds, or 90°C internal temperature Dairy/fish/other species: no time/temperature requirement but must be heat processed	6. Animal origin ingredients or finished pet food products must be heat processed at this facility or at another facility in the United States, Canada, or a country evaluated and approved by the CFIA for the import of animal products and by-products (other than for certain highly processed ingredients as listed in footnote 3) according to the following parameters: Eggs and non-rendered poultry ingredients: treated to mitigate highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle Disease as per the WOAH Terrestrial Code (TC) Rendered poultry ingredients / processed animal proteins: treated to mitigate highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle Disease as per the TC and, if imported, originating from a country approved by the CFIA for import of rendered non-ruminant materials, per Annex 10 of the Animal Products and By-Products Import Policy Bovine, ovine, caprine, cervid or porcine meat: 70°C for 30 min, 79°C for 30 seconds, or 90°C internal temperature Bovine, ovine, caprine, or cervid rendered ingredients / processed animal proteins: legally imported into the USA from Australia or New Zealand Porcine rendered ingredients / processed animal proteins: treated to mitigate African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever, Foot and Mouth Disease, and Swine Vesicular Disease, and, if imported, originating from a country approved by the CFIA for import of rendered non-ruminant materials, per Annex 10 of the Animal Products and By-Products Import Policy Dairy: pasteurized in the United States or Canada or a country evaluated and approved by the CFIA for the import of animal products and by-products Meat of equines, rabbits or other species: no time/temperature requirement, but must be heat treated Fish meal, liquids, and digests or other aquatic rendered ingredients / processed animal proteins: heat treated in the United States, Canada, or a country with a BSE Negligible Risk Status per WOAH Fish and reptilian meat: no requirements, can originate from any country Insect meals: no requirements, can originate from any country

Current requirement

Proposed update

1. "Processed" includes products where the animal origin ingredients or the finished product have been sufficiently thermally processed to destroy pathogens of concern and the heat processing occurred in the United States or Canada (other than for certain highly processed ingredients as listed below).

1. "Processed" includes products where the animal origin ingredients or the finished product have been sufficiently thermally processed to destroy pathogens of concern, and the heat processing occurred in the United States, Canada, or a country evaluated and approved by the CFIA for the import of animal products and by-products (other than for certain highly processed ingredients as listed below in Footnote 3).

6. Animal origin ingredients or finished pet food products must be heat processed at this facility or at another facility in the United States or Canada (other than for certain highly processed ingredients as listed in footnote 3) according to the following parameters:

Egg: 57°C for 27 min [or 90°C internal temperature]
Poultry: 65°C for 14 minutes, or 74°C for 5 minutes [or 90°C internal temperature
Bovine, ovine, caprine, or porcine: 70°C for 30 min, 79°C for 30 seconds, or 90°C internal temperature
Dairy/fish/other species: no time/temperature requirement but must be heat processed

6. Animal origin ingredients or finished pet food products must be heat processed at this facility or at another facility in the United States, Canada, or a country evaluated and approved by the CFIA for the import of animal products and by-products (other than for certain highly processed ingredients as listed in footnote 3) according to the following parameters:

Eggs and non-rendered poultry ingredients: treated to mitigate highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle Disease as per the WOAH Terrestrial Code (TC)
Rendered poultry ingredients / processed animal proteins: treated to mitigate highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle Disease as per the TC and, if imported, originating from a country approved by the CFIA for import of rendered non-ruminant materials, per Annex 10 of the Animal Products and By-Products Import Policy
Bovine, ovine, caprine, cervid or porcine meat: 70°C for 30 min, 79°C for 30 seconds, or 90°C internal temperature
Bovine, ovine, caprine, or cervid rendered ingredients / processed animal proteins: legally imported into the USA from Australia or New Zealand
Porcine rendered ingredients / processed animal proteins: treated to mitigate African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever, Foot and Mouth Disease, and Swine Vesicular Disease, and, if imported, originating from a country approved by the CFIA for import of rendered non-ruminant materials, per Annex 10 of the Animal Products and By-Products Import Policy
Dairy: pasteurized in the United States or Canada or a country evaluated and approved by the CFIA for the import of animal products and by-products
Meat of equines, rabbits or other species: no time/temperature requirement, but must be heat treated
Fish meal, liquids, and digests or other aquatic rendered ingredients / processed animal proteins: heat treated in the United States, Canada, or a country with a BSE Negligible Risk Status per WOAH
Fish and reptilian meat: no requirements, can originate from any country
Insect meals: no requirements, can originate from any country

Provide your feedback

We invite Canadian importers and pet food manufacturers to review the proposed changes and share their feedback. The USDA is also gathering feedback from U.S. producers and companies on the same proposed changes.

Please send your comments on the proposed changes to APABPImport@inspection.gc.ca by October 15, 2026.

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