Council Directive 93/74/EEC sets the rules for the marketing and labelling of feedingstuffs intended for particular nutritional purposes, so called "dietetic feedingstuffs", as opposed to ordinary or medicated feedingstuffs. An example of this would be special feed for cats and dogs with diabetes.

The Directive provides that a list of the intended uses to meet specific nutritional requirements for dietetic feedingstuffs be set up, and that such feedingstuffs may be marketed only if their use is listed in the Directive, if the product is appropriate for the intended nutritional purpose and if it is appropriately labelled. Commission Directive 94/39/EC established the positive list of the intended uses of animal feedingstuffs for particular nutritional purposes.