Making Pet Brands Work: Taking The NI Route Into Europe

By Michael McKenna · August 4, 2026 · 9 min read

The pet industry is booming. Global pet care revenue is climbing past $250 billion, UK pet ownership jumped sharply after 2020 and has stayed elevated, and premium pet food is one of the fastest-growing categories in European ecommerce. Brands that have built a loyal following in the UK or the US are looking at Europe and seeing a very large market.

What they are not always seeing is the regulatory wall that sits between them and it.

Pet food and pet products are not general merchandise. They contain animal-origin ingredients, plant-derived materials, and in some cases regulated additives and veterinary substances. Every one of those components brings its own set of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) rules, documentary requirements, and inspection triggers. The Northern Ireland route, which simplifies cross-border trade considerably for most product categories, is at its most complicated here.

This article explains exactly why, what the different product types face, and what brands need to have in place before they ship a single unit.

Why Pet Products Are Different

Most goods moving under the Windsor Framework benefit from a green lane / red lane system. Goods destined for NI from Great Britain that are not going to be onward shipped to the EU travel under simplified procedures with reduced documentation. Goods that might enter the EU face stricter controls.

Pet food and pet products complicate this picture immediately. Because they contain animal-origin or plant-origin materials, they are subject to SPS rules regardless of which lane they are travelling in. SPS controls exist to protect animal health, plant health, and public health from risks that could travel with biological materials. They apply to products, not just live animals.

The EU's SPS framework, which Northern Ireland follows for goods, distinguishes between:

Products of animal origin (POAO) -- meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, and any product derived from them
Products of plant origin -- grains, vegetables, herbs, botanicals, and plant-derived materials
Composite products -- foods containing both animal-origin and plant-origin ingredients processed together
Non-food animal products -- pet accessories, toys, bedding, and grooming products that may contain animal-derived materials

Most pet food sits in the composite product category or the products of animal origin category. Most pet accessories sit in non-food animal products. Each category has different rules, different paperwork, and different inspection thresholds. And the rules for what can move from Great Britain into NI differ from the rules for what can enter the EU from NI as an export.

Most pet food is either a product of animal origin or a composite product. Both categories trigger SPS controls. There is no pet food category that is entirely free from biological materials checks.

The Green Lane Is Not Available for Most Pet Food

The Windsor Framework's green lane is one of its most useful features for general merchandise. Goods moving from GB to NI that are staying in NI and not going on to the EU can use simplified processes with reduced documentation.

Pet food mostly cannot use it.

To qualify for the green lane, goods must not be subject to EU SPS controls at the NI border. Pet food containing meat, fish, dairy, eggs, or any animal-origin derivative is subject to those controls. That means it travels the red lane, with full SPS documentation, regardless of whether it is destined to stay in NI or eventually move to the EU.

What this means operationally:

Pet food containing meat or fish requires an Export Health Certificate (EHC) signed by an Official Veterinarian (OV) for every consignment moving from GB to NI
The EHC must match the specific commodity, species, and processing method -- a single certificate does not cover a full mixed SKU range
Consignments are subject to physical checks at designated Border Control Posts (BCPs) on arrival in NI
The frequency of physical checks depends on the commodity type and risk classification -- some categories face checks on every consignment, others on a percentage basis
Documentation errors, mismatched species descriptions, or incorrect processing certifications can result in hold, redirection, or destruction of the consignment

The Official Veterinarian requirement is a real bottleneck for smaller brands. OVs must be specifically approved by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in GB and must inspect the goods and sign the certificate before shipment. This is not a paperwork exercise that a logistics provider can manage on your behalf. It requires advance planning, booking lead time, and in some cases additional costs per consignment that are meaningful relative to a small brand's margins.

The Composite Product Rule: Where Most Brands Get Caught

Here is the rule that surprises more pet food brands than any other.

The EU has specific regulations governing composite products -- foods that contain both processed animal-origin ingredients and plant-origin ingredients. Under Regulation (EU) 2019/625 and associated implementing rules, composite products are classified based on the total proportion of animal-origin content they contain and the processing method applied to that content.

The classification matters because it determines whether a composite product can enter NI or the EU at all from a third country (which Great Britain is now treated as for these purposes), and if so, what documentation and checks apply.

Product type	NI / EU entry status	Documentation required
Processed pet food with heat-treated meat at less than 50% of content	Permitted with conditions	Health certificate confirming heat treatment, TRACES NT notification, BCP checks
Processed pet food with more than 50% meat or fish content	Permitted -- stricter controls	Full EHC per consignment, signed by OV, BCP physical inspection likely
Raw or minimally processed pet food containing meat	Severely restricted	Largely prohibited from GB to NI and EU. Raw meat products from GB cannot enter NI under Windsor Framework rules without specific authorisation.
Pet food containing dairy or egg derivatives	Permitted with conditions	Heat treatment certification required. Source country must be on EU approved list.
Grain-based or plant-only pet food (dry kibble with no animal protein)	Simplest pathway	Phytosanitary certificate if containing certain regulated plant material. No EHC required if genuinely free of animal-origin content.
Pet treats with meat, fish, or hide content (rawhide, jerky, dried fish)	Restricted or prohibited	Many dried or cured meat-based treats are prohibited from entering NI from GB. Specific exemptions exist but require careful verification by commodity.

Raw pet food brands: read this carefully. Raw meat, raw bones, and raw offal cannot legally move from Great Britain into Northern Ireland under current Windsor Framework SPS controls. This applies to the entire DTC raw pet food subscription market. The NI route does not exist for this category in its current form. Attempting it will result in goods being seized or destroyed at the border.

TRACES NT: The System Every Pet Brand Must Know

TRACES NT (Trade Control and Expert System New Technology) is the European Commission's online platform for health certification of animals and animal products moving in and out of the EU, and between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

For pet food and pet product brands, TRACES NT is not optional. Any consignment of animal-origin goods moving from GB to NI must be pre-notified on TRACES NT before it departs. The Border Control Post must receive the notification in advance -- typically at least 24 hours before arrival, and longer for certain commodity types.

What this means in practice:

Your logistics provider or customs agent must be registered with TRACES NT and capable of submitting Common Health Entry Documents (CHEDs)
The CHED must be completed with the correct commodity codes, species information, processing descriptions, and health attestations before the goods move
The OV-signed EHC must be uploaded to TRACES NT and match the CHED in every material detail
Any discrepancy between the physical consignment, the EHC, and the TRACES NT entry can result in the BCP rejecting the goods

Smaller brands frequently discover TRACES NT at the point of their first attempted shipment rather than in their pre-launch planning. The system requires registration, approved operator status in some cases, and a workflow that adds time and cost to every consignment. Factoring this in before launch is not optional.

TRACES NT is not a form you fill in after the goods are packed. It is a pre-movement notification system that has to be completed before the vehicle leaves. Missing it, or getting it wrong, stops the shipment.

Pet Accessories and Non-Food Products: Not as Simple as You Think

Pet accessories -- toys, leads, collars, beds, grooming tools, litter -- look like straightforward general merchandise compared to pet food. For many categories they are. But the category is wider than most brands assume, and several subcategories carry SPS implications.

The specific categories that can trigger checks:

Rawhide chews and natural hide products. These are animal products and are treated as products of animal origin for trade purposes. They face the same restrictions as pet food containing animal-origin content.
Feather and down-filled pet beds. Products containing feathers or down from birds may be subject to avian-origin checks, particularly if the feathers are not treated to a heat or chemical standard that renders them pathogen-free.
Wool and animal hair products. Pet beds, toys, and grooming products containing untreated wool or animal hair may be subject to controls depending on the species and treatment status.
Natural bone and antler products. Chews and toys made from bone, antler, or hoof material are animal by-products under Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009. They cannot move from GB to NI without appropriate certification and in some cases cannot move at all.

Synthetic and plastic pet accessories, fully processed rubber toys, and products made entirely from non-biological materials are not subject to SPS controls and can use standard customs procedures. The key question to ask about any pet product before planning the supply chain is simple: does this contain any part of an animal or plant in an unprocessed or lightly processed form? If the answer is yes, SPS rules apply.

What Good Compliance Looks Like for a Pet Brand

Given everything above, here is what a pet brand needs to have in place before attempting to use the NI route or enter the EU market with animal-origin goods.

A complete ingredient-level audit of every SKU, identifying all animal-origin and plant-origin components, their species, their country of origin, and their processing method. This is the foundation of every subsequent compliance step.
Classification of each SKU against the composite product rules to determine which category it falls into and whether movement from GB to NI is permitted at all.
A contracted relationship with an Official Veterinarian registered with APHA who can inspect goods and sign Export Health Certificates. OV availability varies by region and should be confirmed well before launch -- some have significant lead times.
Registration on TRACES NT or a contracted customs agent with TRACES NT access and experience in animal-origin commodities.
A clear understanding of which Border Control Posts in NI can accept which commodity types. Not all BCPs handle all categories. Specific accepted categories should be confirmed for each commodity before routing is locked in.
For brands planning EU onward distribution from NI, confirmation that the specific products are eligible for EU entry from NI under Windsor Framework provisions.

When the NI Route Is the Right Answer for Pet Brands

It would be wrong to conclude that the NI route is not viable for pet brands. It is viable for a significant portion of the category. The brands that can use it effectively are those that have done the compliance groundwork properly and whose products sit in categories the rules actually permit.

The NI route works well for:

Fully processed, heat-treated wet pet food from approved manufacturers, with proper certification in place
Dry kibble and grain-based pet food with no animal-origin protein, or with minor amounts of fully-processed animal derivatives clearly below threshold
Pet supplements and nutraceuticals where ingredients are processed to the standard required by EU rules
Synthetic and non-biological pet accessories including plastic toys, nylon leads, and fully synthetic bedding
Pet grooming products, shampoos, and conditioners classified as topical products rather than animal-origin goods

For these categories, NI-based 3PL partners with BCP access and established SPS workflows can make the route genuinely efficient. The compliance overhead is real but manageable once the systems are in place, and the operational advantages of NI-based fulfilment -- dual UK and EU market access from a single inventory pool -- are as valuable for pet brands as for any other category.

The Five Mistakes Pet Brands Make

Assuming that because the food is processed, it is cleared. Processing is necessary but not sufficient. The type of processing, the temperature reached, the duration, and the specific commodity all determine whether a product is eligible. "We cook it" is not a compliance statement.
Not knowing the species in the product. EHCs and TRACES NT entries require species-level identification. "Meat" or "fish" is not enough. If your label says chicken and beef, your documentation must separately identify both. If your supplier uses different species batches at different times, each batch may require a different certificate.
Planning the NI route for raw pet food. Raw meat, raw bones, and raw offal cannot move from GB to NI under current Windsor Framework rules. This applies to the DTC raw pet food subscription box market specifically. The route does not exist for this category. Attempting it will result in goods being seized at the border.
Assuming accessories are unregulated. Rawhide chews, natural bone toys, feather toys, and untreated animal-hair products are regulated animal by-products. They are not general merchandise. Shipping them without the correct documentation is a compliance breach regardless of the value or volume.
Starting TRACES NT setup after the first shipment is booked. TRACES NT registration, OV contracting, and BCP confirmation need to happen weeks before the first unit moves. Brands that treat these as admin tasks to complete after agreeing commercial terms routinely miss their launch window by a month or more.

Selling pet products into the UK or EU?

The SPS rules for pet food and pet accessories are genuinely complex, and they differ by product type in ways that are not always obvious from the label. Getting the classification wrong at the planning stage is significantly cheaper than correcting it after a shipment is held at a Border Control Post.

North Channel Logistics works with pet brands to map every SKU against the applicable SPS rules before any shipping or logistics decisions are made. We identify which products can use the NI route, which require alternative structures, and what documentation and operational setup each category needs.

Book a free 30-minute call or take our NI Route Readiness Audit to get a clear view of your specific product compliance position before you commit to a fulfilment structure.

This article is intended as a practitioner overview and does not constitute legal, veterinary, or regulatory advice. SPS rules for animal-origin products are subject to change and vary by commodity type, species, processing method, and destination market. Brands must confirm their specific product compliance position with a qualified customs advisor or Official Veterinarian before moving goods.