A Senate committee has called on the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to clarify and simplify the regulatory pathway for eligible hemp-based pet nutrition products following evidence of industry confusion about product classification.
Australian hemp-based pet nutrition company HempPet has welcomed the recommendation.
“Pet owners need clear information about what a product is, what it is intended to do and what claims can legitimately be made about it,” HempPet co-founder Arthur Wajs said.
“This could help them understand the difference between a nutritional product intended to complement their pet’s normal diet and a veterinary medicine intended to treat or prevent a health condition, and make better-informed decisions for their pets.”
The Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee released its report, Opportunities for the development of a hemp industry in Australia, on 30 July 2026. It found industry confusion about product classification and said changing interpretations from the APVMA had not helped.
Recommendation 5 calls on the APVMA to clarify the requirements and simplify the process for hemp-based products to be declared “excluded nutritional or digestive” (END) products. It also recommends that the regulator proactively assist producers with applications and publish clear, easy-to-follow guidance.
END products do not require APVMA registration when they meet specific requirements relating to their ingredients, manufacture, labelling and claims. Whether a product qualifies depends on whether it meets all the relevant requirements.
How a product is classified determines whether an eligible pet nutrition product can be supplied without APVMA registration or must be registered as a veterinary chemical product. This affects how manufacturers develop and label products, what retailers stock, and the information available to veterinary professionals when pet owners ask about the difference between hemp-based nutritional products and veterinary medicines.
Integrative veterinarian Dr Kathy Cornack, founder of Holistic Vets Newcastle, which stocks HempPet products, said pet owners are often confused about the difference between hemp-based nutritional products and products containing cannabidiol (CBD). In Australia, CBD products for animals can legally be obtained only through a veterinarian.
“The regulatory framework, legalities and differences are poorly understood by both the general public and veterinarians,” she said.
“Many people purchase nutritional products, such as hemp seed oil, when what they are actually seeking is a product containing CBD.”
