Key Takeaways
- ▸EU Regulation 1069/2009 sorts animal by-products into three risk categories
- ▸CAT 3 comes from animals fit for human consumption at slaughter
- ▸Only CAT 3 material may lawfully become pet food, feed or pharma inputs
- ▸One EU CAT 3 listing serves all 27 member states
INSIDE THE INDUSTRY
Every kilo of pet food raw material that enters Europe carries a label that decides its entire life: Category 3. Get the category wrong and the cargo is not late — it is illegal.
EU Regulation 1069/2009 splits all animal by-products into three categories by risk. It is one of the most consequential pieces of law in our industry, and it fits in a table:
| Category | What it is | Allowed destiny |
|---|---|---|
| CAT 1 | Highest risk — specified risk materials, contaminated material | Disposal / incineration; strictly limited technical uses |
| CAT 2 | Fallen stock, manure, digestive content, some rejects | Fertilizers, biogas, technical uses — never pet food |
| CAT 3 | By-products from animals fit for human consumption at slaughter | Pet food, feed, fertilizers, technical & pharma uses |
Simplified — Reg. (EC) 1069/2009 with implementing Reg. (EU) 142/2011
The elegance of CAT 3 is the source rule: the animal was healthy and approved for human food — the by-product simply took a different commercial path. Chicken hearts to a German kibble plant, bovine trachea to a Danish pharma lab: same principle, same paper trail.
▮ The paper trail
The detail people miss
EU approval is bloc-wide: one CAT 3 listing serves all 27 member states. The differences that remain (like France's extra certificate) are national add-ons — solvable, not walls.
The 4DW Angle
Our plant operates exactly here: CAT 3 processing with EU listing, shipping pet food and pharma-grade raw materials to Europe routinely. If the paragraph above reads like your compliance checklist, we speak the same language.
▮ Frequently asked questions
What is a Category 3 animal by-product?
Category 3 (CAT 3) covers animal by-products from animals passed fit for human consumption at slaughter that simply took a different commercial path. Under EU Regulation 1069/2009, only CAT 3 material may lawfully become pet food, feed, fertilizers, and technical or pharmaceutical inputs. Get the category wrong and the cargo is illegal.
What are the three EU animal by-product categories?
EU Regulation 1069/2009 sorts by-products by risk. CAT 1, the highest risk, goes to disposal or incineration; CAT 2, such as fallen stock and manure, becomes fertilizers or biogas but never pet food; CAT 3, from human-food-fit animals, can go to pet food, feed and pharma uses.
How does CAT 3 material clear EU borders?
Each shipment needs an approved establishment — a SIF number under MAPA in Brazil — an official health certificate plus origin documents, a TRACES notification, and documentary, identity and physical checks at a border control post. Once cleared at first entry, the cargo circulates freely across all 27 member states.
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SOURCES