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Food For Thought™ Technical Bulletin No. 67R
Innovative Research in Dog and Cat Nutrition™ |
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What information do pet food labels contain?
Pet food labels provide limited information regarding the nutritional value of the package contents. It is important for customers to know what can and cannot be determined from the label, and what information is particularly important. Major components of a pet food label include:
- Guaranteed Analysis
- Company/Customer Service Information /Satisfaction
- Ingredient Panel
- Manufacturing Code, Expiration, or "Best Used By" Information
- Feeding Instructions
- AAFCO Statement of Nutritional Adequacy
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Guaranteed analysis
Values in the guaranteed analysis are expressed as either minimum or maximum. A maximum guarantee (% max) means at most this specific amount of the nutrient is included in the formula. A minimum guarantee (% min) means at least this specific amount of the nutrient is included in the formula. The following four nutrients must be included on all pet food labels:
- Crude Protein (% min)
- Crude Fiber (% max)
- Crude Fat (% max)
- Moisture (% max)
For example, a food with a 25% minimum crude protein guarantee should contain at least 25% protein, but could contain much more. The only way to determine the actual amount is by laboratory analysis.
Other information may be guaranteed, such as magnesium (% max), taurine (% min), ash (% max), and linoleic acid (% min), on both cat- and dog-food products.
- The guaranteed analysis is an important tool when beginning to compare pet-food formulas. However, it doesn’t provide meaningful nutritional information. Using information on the energy content and nutrient density of a food is the only way to properly compare pet foods. This information is available from the manufacturer.
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Ingredient panel
Ingredients must be listed in order of abundance (largest quantity listed first)
- Because ingredient definitions and designations are standardized, it is difficult to determine the quality of ingredients. Ingredient quality can only be determined from laboratory analysis and animal feeding tests.
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Feeding guidelines
Pet-food labels must include recommended feeding amounts, expressed as the daily quantity to feed the cat or dog. Good, detailed feeding instructions help eliminate the need for confusing calculations that may result in improper feeding.
Due to the critical nutrient requirements for growth, puppy and kitten products should provide specific feeding rates related to age and weight.
- Feeding instructions are average recommendations. Sometimes, less or more food may be required to maintain proper condition of an individual dog or cat.
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AAFCO Statement of Nutritional Adequacy
AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements are required on all pet foods. Products may either be formulated or tested according to AAFCO procedures and recommendations.
- A "formulated" statement means the product has been manufactured according to AFFCO nutritional guidelines, but not actually fed to cats or dogs prior to sale.
- A "tested" statement indicates the product has been formulated, then fed to dogs or cats prior to sale to ensure it meets important criteria related to growth, maintenance, and/or reproduction.
Veterinary-exclusive products include statements such as, "This product is intended for intermittent feeding only" and "Use only as directed by your veterinarian."
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Manufacturing and "Best Used By" codes
Manufacturing codes allow the company to track product for quality and inventory issues. In order to quickly and efficiently handle a customer inquiry, the company’s customer service department will usually ask the customer for this code.
Expiration or "Best Used By" dates are optional, but are helpful in determining product freshness and shelf life. (See Technical Bulletin No. 41R "Product Code Dates and Product Shelf Life".)
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Company information and satisfaction guarantee
The manufacturer’s information should include company name, address, and phone number so customers can quickly and easily obtain product information.
A toll-free telephone number should be provided as a convenience to the customer and to ensure that a charge is not incurred when calling for information.
- The satisfaction guarantee should be an "active" statement. This means that in addition to stating the product is guaranteed, the company should indicate what action will be taken to meet customer expectations (replace product, money returned, etc.)
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