Class 31: Pet Food, Plants, Fresh Produce & Animals
Class 31 covers things that are still close to how nature made them: fresh fruit and vegetables, live plants and flowers, seeds and bulbs, live animals, raw grain and malt, and food and drink for animals. That last part surprises people, because in recent filings it’s mostly a pet food class. It’s the 34th most used of the 45 classes, with 10,935 UK registrations between September 2021 and September 2026, which is about 65% fewer registrations than the average class. Quieter classes usually mean less crowding, but pet food names still clash more often than you’d think.
What class 31 covers
This is the official Nice heading, in full:
Raw and unprocessed agricultural, aquacultural, horticultural and forestry products; raw and unprocessed grains and seeds; fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs; natural plants and flowers; bulbs, seedlings and seeds for planting; live animals; foodstuffs and beverages for animals; malt.
The simplest test is whether the product has been processed for people to eat. A fresh apple, a bag of seed potatoes, a bunch of flowers or a living plant is class 31. Once the fruit is dried, the vegetables are frozen or the grain is milled into flour, it moves to class 29 or 30. Anything made for animals to eat or drink stays here, however processed it is, which is why dog treats sit in class 31 and not with human snacks.
The mistake I see most often
The mistake is assuming that because something comes from a farm, it belongs in the farm class. It doesn’t. Class 31 is about the state the product is in, not where it came from.
Take a fruit farm. The fresh strawberries are class 31. The jam is class 29, the strawberry ice cream is class 30, the pressed juice is class 32, the farm shop is class 35 and the café is class 43. File only class 31 and the name is protected on the fresh fruit, but not on the products that usually carry the brand furthest and earn the better margin.
The same thing happens with pet brands in the other direction. They file class 31 for the food and forget that the toys, collars and beds they add later sit in different classes altogether. It’s worth listing what you sell now and what you’ll realistically add in the next couple of years before you file, because a UK application can’t have classes added later.
When you definitely need class 31
- You make or sell pet food, dog treats, edible chews or animal feed under your own brand
- You grow and sell fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs or mushrooms
- You run a nursery or sell live plants, cut flowers, seeds or bulbs
- You breed or sell live animals
- You supply malt, hops or unprocessed grain to brewers, distillers or millers
When you might need class 31 without realising
The businesses I see miss class 31 usually think of themselves as something else first.
- Pet brands built around accessories. A brand that starts with collars or beds often adds treats, and treats are class 31. Edible pet treats appear on 1,336 registrations and dog biscuits on 747.
- Florists and gift brands. The bouquets and plants you sell are class 31 goods, where natural plants and flowers appear on 1,366 registrations. Dried flowers and wreaths of natural flowers are class 31 too.
- Craft breweries and distilleries with their own maltings. If you sell your malt or grain to others under your brand, that’s class 31, where malt appears on 967 registrations, even though the beer itself is class 32.
- Pet supply shops with an own-label range. The shop is a class 35 service, but own-brand cat litter, bird food and fish food are class 31 goods.
Not sure whether your product is fresh enough for class 31, or processed enough for class 29 or 30? The free class tools below show you where businesses like yours actually file, or you can give us a call.
What businesses actually claim in class 31
These are the terms that turn up most often in recent UK class 31 registrations:
| Term | Marks using it | Share of class 31 | How common |
|---|---|---|---|
| pet food | 1,932 | 17.7% | Most use this |
| natural plants and flowers | 1,366 | 12.5% | Most use this |
| edible pet treats | 1,336 | 12.2% | Most use this |
| dog food | 1,162 | 10.6% | Recommended |
| live animals | 970 | 8.9% | Recommended |
| malt | 967 | 8.8% | Recommended |
| pet food for dogs | 955 | 8.7% | Recommended |
| fresh fruits and vegetables | 876 | 8.0% | Recommended |
| seeds | 848 | 7.8% | Recommended |
| pet foods | 842 | 7.7% | Recommended |
Pet food dominates the class. Pet food is claimed on 1,932 registrations, more than any other term, and the variants around it, edible pet treats, dog food (1,162), cat food (743) and beverages for pets (761), make up much of the rest of the table. If you’re launching a pet food brand, this is where your competitors are, and it’s where a clearance search will find them.
The agricultural side of the heading is still there, with natural plants and flowers, live animals (970) and fresh fruits and vegetables (876), but it’s a smaller share of recent branded filings than most people expect.
What class 31 does not cover
Processed, cooked, frozen or preserved produce is class 29. A grower who starts selling dried fruit, frozen vegetables or chutney has moved into class 29, where preserved, frozen, dried and cooked fruits and vegetables appear on 2,142 registrations. Eggs are class 29 as well, on 3,256 registrations, so a poultry farm selling its eggs under a brand needs class 29 even though the hens are class 31.
Flour, rice, coffee, tea and spices are class 30. Unprocessed grain is class 31, but once it’s milled, roasted or prepared for people to eat, it becomes a class 30 staple. Flour appears on 1,736 class 30 registrations and coffee beans on 2,346. A farm that mills its own flour or a beekeeper selling honey is in class 30 for those products.
Services you provide to others, such as vets, grooming and gardening, are class 44. Selling plants is class 31. Designing or maintaining someone’s garden is a class 44 service, and so are veterinary care and pet grooming. Veterinary services appear on 1,424 class 44 registrations and landscape gardening on 501.
Running a farm shop, garden centre or pet shop is class 35. The goods on the shelves may be class 31, but the retail service of selling them is class 35, where retail services in relation to foodstuffs appear on 1,455 registrations. A farm shop with its own produce label usually needs both.
Where these terms actually live
| Term | Belongs to | Marks using it |
|---|---|---|
| eggs | Class 29 | 3,256 |
| preserved, frozen, dried and cooked fruits and vegetables | Class 29 | 2,142 |
| coffee beans | Class 30 | 2,346 |
| flour | Class 30 | 1,736 |
| retail services in relation to foodstuffs | Class 35 | 1,455 |
| veterinary services | Class 44 | 1,424 |
| landscape gardening | Class 44 | 501 |
Each of these is a separate registration. A mark in class 31 does not cover any of them.
Is class 31 the right class for you?
If you sell pet food, animal treats or feed, fresh produce, live plants or flowers, seeds and bulbs, live animals or malt under your own brand, class 31 is very likely yours. If any of your produce is processed, or you run a shop or provide a service, look at classes 29, 30, 35 and 44 as well.
Our free class tools build a specification from wording already accepted on real UK filings, so you can see what businesses like yours claim before you commit.
Common questions about class 31
Are dog treats class 31 or class 30?
Class 31. Food and drink made for animals is class 31, however processed it is, so dog treats, dog biscuits and edible chews all belong here. Class 30 is for biscuits and snacks made for people. Edible chews for animals appear on 527 registrations, which shows how many pet brands claim them separately from the food itself.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEOIs a pet supplement class 31 or class 5?
It depends on what the product is for. Ordinary food, treats and drinks for pets are class 31. Supplements sold for an animal’s health, such as joint or digestive supplements, are usually class 5, alongside veterinary preparations. A pet brand selling both everyday food and health supplements normally needs both classes.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEOAre cut flowers and dried flowers both class 31?
Yes. Natural flowers are class 31 whether they’re fresh, dried or made into a wreath, and dried flowers appear on 429 registrations. Artificial flowers are different: they’re class 26. And if you arrange flowers for weddings or events, that’s a service rather than goods, so think about which services you offer too.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEOWhat class is cat litter?
Class 31. Litter for animals, including cat litter, sits with animal foodstuffs in class 31, even though nobody eats it. The litter tray itself is a different matter: it’s class 21. A pet brand selling litter and trays under one name usually needs both.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEOAbout these figures. Last researched 23 September 2026, from UK trademarks registered between September 2021 and September 2026 whose entry in this class is still active. That is current drafting practice rather than the historical register. Terms shown are those most frequently used in that period.
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