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Guide

Prohibited Products Policy: Pet foods, supplements, medicines and other products

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Overview
What is the policy?
Policy basics
Frequently asked questions
Helpful resources

Overview

Products subject to the Pet products policy must also adhere to our other prohibited products policies, as applicable, including our policies on animal products drugs, drugs, Hazardous Products (Pesticides) and recalled products.

What is the policy?

Walmart prohibits the sale of, among other things:

Products that are or would be regulated by:
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as animal products that require a prescription; and/or
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as veterinary biological products;

Products that are designed for use only by healthcare professionals in the healthcare setting;
Products marketed as over-the-counter animal drug products that have not secured the necessary FDA approval; and
Pet foods that do not comply with the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) because they would be considered by FDA to be adulterated and/or misbranded pet foods or unapproved animal drugs.

Walmart allows the sale of animal health supplements/dosage forms that carry the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) quality seal. These include but are not limited to, products intended to support maintenance of normal biological structure and function in animals, such as dogs, cats and horses. Joint support products containing glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate or MSM are examples of animal health supplements. These types of products are also called “dosage form" animal health products.

There are also animal products regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that may be considered pesticides or antimicrobial-treated products which are additionally subject to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

Additional Information

Health-related advertising claims about pet foods determine whether they are classified as pet food, nutritional supplements, animal health supplements/dosage forms or animal drugs. Walmart requires evidence that all pet food labeling claims have been reviewed by a state official, by the NASC or that the marketer possesses documentation that the product is exempted from regulation as pet food and is not an unapproved animal drug.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has authority to regulate the advertising of certain FDA regulated products. To avoid making a “false advertisement," the FTC requires that an advertiser possess a reasonable basis to substantiate all plausible interpretations of its advertising claims prior to disseminating the advertisement in question. Statements made about pet food products must be truthful and not misleading and must have adequate substantiation under the “competent and reliable scientific evidence" standard. FTC’s Health Products Compliance Guidance is a helpful tool to determine what kind of claims and substantiation are appropriate for pet food.

Policy basics

Prohibited	Allowed with Restriction	Allowed
Pet foods, supplements/ dosage forms, or medicines that: Require a prescription or a medical professional's supervision, guidance, or direction for their use. Don’t comply with the FD&C Act and FDA’s implementing regulations and guidance, including those that are or would be deemed adulterated or misbranded. Aren’t packaged, labeled or intended for individual retail sale in the United States. Aren’t in their original retail packaging and/or whose packaging has been opened or damaged. Are subject to regulatory action or other enforcement. Aren’t manufactured in an FDA-registered facility. Are marketed as over-the-counter animal drug products but don’t have the necessary FDA approval. Aren’t manufactured in accordance with applicable good manufacturing practice and preventative control requirements . Are named in any FDA recalls, market withdrawals & safety alerts.  Are identified in FDA warning letters or manufactured at facilities identified in an FDA Warning Letter. Have been determined by the FTC to have made false, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims and those claims are still being made. Have advertisements or descriptions using FDA logos or other imagery. Contain hemp and/or hemp by-products. Veterinary biological products (e.g., vaccines, bacteria, antisera, diagnostic kits, home diagnostic tests, and other products of biological origin). Supplements or dosage forms that do not carry the NASC quality seal. Pet foods without evidence of state registration/licensing in the state the product has been manufactured. Pet foods without label approval or exemption from the applicable regulatory authority. Pet foods that are subject to state or local stop sale orders. Any pet foods, supplements/dosage forms or medicines, including treats and chews, containing cannabidiol. Any pet foods, supplements/dosage forms or medicines, including treats and chews, containing restricted ingredients such as certain protected animals/animal parts, insects or protected plants Live feed (e.g. crickets, feeder fish, worms, etc.). Any other pet food that Walmart has determined must be prohibited under this policy. Medical devices or instruments used by veterinary professionals. Non-shelf stable foods, supplements, OTC drugs (i.e. time temperature-controlled foods (TCS), refrigerated, or frozen items).	Pet supplements/dosage forms that carry the NASC quality seal.	Pet Foods (other than dosage forms) that are: Manufactured in facilities registered with FDA and licensed or registered in the state in which they are located;  Labeled in compliance with all relevant U.S. and applicable state laws and regulations, and Compliant with the FD&C Act, FDA regulations and guidance regarding pet food, state and local laws and regulations, and relevant laws and guidance implemented by the FTC. Dosage forms that have been reviewed by NASC and carry the NASC quality seal. Pet medicines that have been approved by FDA for OTC use. Pet dental chews. Non-prescription flea medication, treatments, shampoos (Note: these products may also be subject to FIFRA).

Prohibited

Allowed with Restriction

Allowed

Pet foods, supplements/ dosage forms, or medicines that:

Require a prescription or a medical professional's supervision, guidance, or direction for their use.
Don’t comply with the FD&C Act and FDA’s implementing regulations and guidance, including those that are or would be deemed adulterated or misbranded.
Aren’t packaged, labeled or intended for individual retail sale in the United States.
Aren’t in their original retail packaging and/or whose packaging has been opened or damaged.
Are subject to regulatory action or other enforcement.
Aren’t manufactured in an FDA-registered facility.
Are marketed as over-the-counter animal drug products but don’t have the necessary FDA approval.
Aren’t manufactured in accordance with applicable good manufacturing practice and preventative control requirements .
Are named in any FDA recalls, market withdrawals & safety alerts. 
Are identified in FDA warning letters or manufactured at facilities identified in an FDA Warning Letter.
Have been determined by the FTC to have made false, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims and those claims are still being made.
Have advertisements or descriptions using FDA logos or other imagery.
Contain hemp and/or hemp by-products.

Veterinary biological products (e.g., vaccines, bacteria, antisera, diagnostic kits, home diagnostic tests, and other products of biological origin).
Supplements or dosage forms that do not carry the NASC quality seal.
Pet foods without evidence of state registration/licensing in the state the product has been manufactured.
Pet foods without label approval or exemption from the applicable regulatory authority.
Pet foods that are subject to state or local stop sale orders.
Any pet foods, supplements/dosage forms or medicines, including treats and chews, containing cannabidiol.
Any pet foods, supplements/dosage forms or medicines, including treats and chews, containing restricted ingredients such as certain protected animals/animal parts, insects or protected plants
Live feed (e.g. crickets, feeder fish, worms, etc.).
Any other pet food that Walmart has determined must be prohibited under this policy.
Medical devices or instruments used by veterinary professionals.
Non-shelf stable foods, supplements, OTC drugs (i.e. time temperature-controlled foods (TCS), refrigerated, or frozen items).

Pet supplements/dosage forms that carry the NASC quality seal.

Pet Foods (other than dosage forms) that are:

Manufactured in facilities registered with FDA and licensed or registered in the state in which they are located; 
Labeled in compliance with all relevant U.S. and applicable state laws and regulations, and
Compliant with the FD&C Act, FDA regulations and guidance regarding pet food, state and local laws and regulations, and relevant laws and guidance implemented by the FTC.

Dosage forms that have been reviewed by NASC and carry the NASC quality seal.
Pet medicines that have been approved by FDA for OTC use.
Pet dental chews.
Non-prescription flea medication, treatments, shampoos (Note: these products may also be subject to FIFRA).

Frequently asked questions

How is pet food regulated?

The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) regulates pet food, under the FD&C Act and FDA’s implementing regulations. The FD&C Act requires that food for animals be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, free of harmful substances and truthfully labeled. Pet foods must be manufactured with approved ingredients for their stated function. The ingredient definitions as they appear in the Official Publication of the Association of American Feed Control Officials, Inc. (AAFCO) are generally regarded as constituting the common or usual name for animal feed ingredients, including pet food. Additionally, each state has a program responsible for regulating animal feed, including pet food, under the laws and rules of their specific jurisdiction, usually associated with the State Departments of Agriculture.

How are pet foods and other pet products classified?

There is no classification of pet foods under the FDC Act or FDA implementing regulations. Walmart’s policy regarding pet food applies to:

Pet Foods: All products that are labeled with guaranteed analysis and provide nutrients such as fiber, protein, vitamins, etc.
Pet Treats: The FD&C Act does not define animal treats, chewies or similar products. Products that have no nutritional value generally are exempt from state regulation as pet food
Nutritional supplement: Product intended to provide nutritional value as a component of a complete and balanced diet. (Ordinarily, nutritional supplements qualify as pet foods and are expected to conform to all requirements that apply to pet food. Examples of nutritional supplements would include vitamin and mineral supplements)
Animal health supplement/dosage form animal health product: A product intended to support maintenance of normal biological structure and function in animals which are not intended for human consumption.
Pet Medicine: Articles recognized in the official United States Pharmacopoeia, official Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, or official National Formulary; articles intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease in animals; and articles other than food intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of animals.