Ginseng Extract Ban in Pet Feed: What Manufacturers Must Do

Key data

If your company manufactures or distributes feed for cats or dogs in the EU and uses ginseng extract in your formulations, you have an active regulatory problem as of March 13, 2026. The Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/585 formally denies authorization of this ingredient as an additive for these species, with immediate effect on the entire production and distribution chain of pet food.

The decision is not a temporary restriction or a warning: it is a definitive denial based on the scientific evaluation of the EFSA, which found insufficient evidence to guarantee either the safety or efficacy of ginseng extract obtained from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer in cats and dogs. Without that scientific backing, European regulations do not permit its use as an additive in feed.

What does this regulation establish?

The regulation establishes the denial of authorization of ginseng extract obtained from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer as an additive in feed intended for cats and dogs. The basis for the denial is the negative opinion of EFSA, which evaluated the ingredient and could not confirm two mandatory requirements under European regulations for feed additives:

• Safety: It could not be demonstrated that the ingredient is safe for the target species (cats and dogs).
• Efficacy: It could not be confirmed that the ingredient fulfills the function for which authorization as an additive was requested.

Under the European regulatory framework for feed additives, both requirements are mandatory for obtaining authorization. The absence of either of them implies automatic denial. The regulation formalizes that denial and creates the obligation to withdraw or reformulate for all operators marketing products with this ingredient in the EU.

Economic and operational impact

The impact is concentrated in two main areas for affected companies:

Product reformulation: Any feed for cats or dogs that includes ginseng extract as an additive must be reformulated. This involves R&D costs, new product testing, labeling updates, and possible changes in raw material suppliers.

Stock withdrawal: Products already manufactured and in circulation that contain this additive must be withdrawn from the market. Depending on the volume of existing stock, this cost can be significant for manufacturers with product lines based on botanical functional ingredients.

The impact extends throughout the chain: from additive manufacturers that supplied ginseng extract to the animal nutrition industry, to distributors that may have product in storage or in sales channels.

The impact is European in scope, so companies that export to other EU member states must also adapt their products for all those markets simultaneously.

Who does it affect?

• Manufacturers of feed for cats and dogs that include ginseng extract (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) in their formulations.
• Manufacturers of feed additives that produce or market ginseng extract intended for companion animal nutrition.
• Distributors and marketers of pet feed in the EU that have in stock products with this ingredient.
• Importers of pet feed from third countries that contain this additive and intend to market them in the European market.
• R&D, quality and regulatory departments of companies in the companion animal nutrition sector, which must manage technical and documentary adaptation.

Practical example

A Spanish manufacturer of premium cat feed has in its catalog a product line with ginseng extract as a functional additive, marketed in both Spain and other European markets. From March 13, 2026, that product line cannot continue to be marketed in the EU with that ingredient.

The company must act on several fronts simultaneously: withdraw existing stock from channels, initiate the reformulation process by removing ginseng extract from the formula, update the product labeling and technical documentation, and notify its European distributors of the situation to coordinate the withdrawal. If the company also purchased ginseng extract from an external additive supplier, that supplier also loses the market for that ingredient in the pet feed segment.

The total cost will depend on the volume of affected product, but the process of reformulation, validation, and relaunch of a feed line can involve months of technical work and significant costs in testing and certifications.

What should companies do now?

1. Audit your product catalog: Identify all feed for cats and dogs that contain ginseng extract obtained from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer as an additive, both in active production and in stock.
2. Halt commercialization: Immediately stop the sale of affected products in all EU markets to avoid sanctions for regulatory non-compliance.
3. Initiate stock withdrawal: Coordinate with distributors and sales points the withdrawal of products containing this additive already in commercial channels.
4. Start the reformulation process: Assign to your R&D team or an external laboratory the reformulation of affected products, replacing ginseng extract with alternatives authorized under European feed additive regulations.
5. Update technical documentation and labeling: Once products are reformulated, update technical sheets, declarations of conformity, and labeling before relaunching to the market.
6. Review contracts with additive suppliers: If ginseng extract was purchased from an external supplier, review supply contracts and notify the cessation of need for that ingredient for pet feed.
7. Consult with specialized regulatory advisory: Given that European feed additive regulations have complex technical and legal implications, it is advisable to have specialized support to manage the transition without additional risks.