Reading Feed Labels

  • Food Labels
    • Federal food labels are enforced by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This organization establishes standards applicable for all animal feeds. The standards include the following:
    • Proper ID of Products
    • Net Quantity Statements
    • Manufacturer’s Name and Address
    • Proper Listing of Ingredients
  • The AAFCO Regulates
    • Product name
    • Guaranteed Analysis
    • Nutritional Adequacy Statement
    • Feeding Directions
    • Calorie Statement
  • Eight Required Label Items:
    • Brand and Product Name
    • Suggests the types of ingredients in the feed
    • Name of Species for which the pet food is intended
    • Quantity Statements
    • Net weight of the feed being purchased
    • Guaranteed Analysis
    • Lists the maximum and minimus level of essential nutrients
    • True value may differ slightly from what is listed
    • Ingredient Statement
    • Lists ingredients in order of descending weight (heaviest to lightest)
    • Nutritional Adequacy Statement
    • Informs the consumer that the feed was tested and it performed at acceptable levels
    • The AAFCO determines the standards for testing pet food products during feeding trials
    • Feeding Directions
    • Recommendations for daily feed
    • Only recommendations because feeding differs for every animal
    • Name and Address of Manufacturer of Distributor
  • Product Name
    • Name is a key factor in the consumer’s decision to buy a products
    • Manufacturers often use fanciful names or other techniques to emphasize a particular aspect of the product
    • The “Dinner Rule” applies to many canned or dry products. In the named ingredients comprise at least 25% of the product (not counting water in the processing), but less than 95%, the name must include a qualifying descriptive term such as “dinner” of “beef dinner for dogs”
  • Guaranteed Analysis
    • Regulations require a pet food to guarantee the minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture
    • Crude:
    • Food in its natural state
    • Food that has not been processed or modified
    • Refers to the specific method of testing the product and not to the quality of the nutrients
    • Cat Food Guaranteed Analysis list Includes:
    • Ash
    • Taurine
    • Magnesium
    • Dog Food Guaranteed Analysis list includes:
    • Calcium
    • Phosphorus
    • Sodium
    • Linoleic Acid
    • To compare dry and canned food, one most compare on the same moisture basis
    • AAFCO regulates that 78% is the maximum percentage of moisture for pet food
  • Manufacturer’s Name and Address
    • The “manufactured by…” statement identifies the party responsible for the quality and safety of the product and the location of this responsible party
  • Ingredient List
    • All ingredients are required to be listed in order of predominance by weight
    • The majority of ingredients with chemical-sounding names are usually as follows
    • Vitamins
    • Minerals
    • Other nutrients
    • The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) can act to prohibit or modify an ingredient or additive if scientific data are presented that show a health risk to animals
  • Nutritional Adequacy Statement
    • For nutritional adequacy, “complete” and “balanced” must be substantiated
    • Ensures the product contains the proper amount of recognized essential nutrients needed to meet the needs of the healthy animal
    • AAFCO Feeding Trial Protocol refers that the product has been fed to dogs or cats under strict guidelines and found to provide proper nutrition
    • Nutritional Adequacy Statement will also state product is suitable for “maintenance” or for “growth”
  • Feeding Directions
    • Feeding directions instruct the consumer on how much product should be offered to the animal
    • At minimum, they should include verbiage, such as “feed x cups per x pounds of body weight daily.”
    • The feeding directions should be taken as rough guidelines
    • Factors that can influence food intake include the following
    • Breed
    • Temperament
    • Environment
  • Calorie Statement
    • The number of calories in a product roughly relates to the amount of fat
    • Calorie statement must be expressed on a “kilocalories per kilogram” basis
    • A “kilogram” is a unit of metric measurement equal to 2.2 pounds
  • Other Label Claims
    • Products labeled as premium of gourmet are not required to contain any different or higher quality ingredients, nor are they held up to any higher nutritional standards than are any other complete and balanced products
    • The term “natural” is often used on pet food labels, although that term does not have an official definition
    • Equivalent to lack of artificial flavors, artificial colors, and artificial preservatives
    • For “organic” labeled pet food, there are no official regulations set by the FDA to govern this type of food for pets
  • Net Quantity Statement
    • Tells how much product is in the container
  • DO NOT BE SWAYED BY THE MANY MARKETING GIMMICKS OR EYE-CATCHING CLAIMS WHEN CHOOSING A PET FOOD