[ feature]
Understanding Pet Food Labels By Brittany Kleszynski, DVM
P
et food labels provide a great deal of information when you’re choosing a diet for your dog or cat, but they can be quite overwhelming and confusing. A healthy and nutritious diet is what most pet owners desire, but they often don’t know where to begin when looking at each product. Here we will discuss eight important sections of a pet food label that can help you make educated decisions for your pet’s health.
1. Product Names
Each product should clearly state whether it is designed for nutrition or a supplemental treat to an already wellbalanced diet. When selecting a food or treat, you should also understand how the phrasing on the bag relates to its ingredients. American Association of Feed
Control Officials (AAFCO) has established a set of rules that dictates the minimum percentage of the advertised ingredient(s) that must be present within the product in order to include the ingredient(s) in the product name. Most people are unaware of the 100%, 95%, 25%, “with,” and “flavor” rules, but understanding the differences can help you make more informed choices for your pet. Companies may label their product as 100% Beef Jerky only if that product claim is true. You would typically only see this on treats that are used as supplements to an already balanced diet. If you see a product labeled Beef Dog Food without any descriptors, beef must constitute 95% of that diet, excluding any added water content. This would be a great product for dogs because they are natural carnivores,
and a quality protein source is essential for adequate nutrition. If two ingredients are listed, as in Salmon and Rice Cat Food, both salmon and rice must add up to 95%; however, there should be a higher percentage of salmon than rice since it is listed first. If a pet food contains a descriptive term after the listed ingredient, it must contain at least 25% but no more than 95% of that ingredient, excluding added water content. Lamb Entrée, Beef Dinner, and Tuna Platter are all examples of descriptive terms commonly seen. When a pet food advertises “with lamb,” only 3% of the product is required to be lamb. Any products that use the word “flavor” are only required to have added flavoring, not the actual meat product. You can see that the phrasing holds great importance, and there are large differences between
LABEL COURTESY OF LUCY PET PRODUCTS
Reading your pet food label
1. Product Names
4. Ingredient List 2. Species Designation
5. Guaranteed Analysis 3. Net Quantity Statement
44 petcompanionmag.com
6. Calorie Content
7. Nutritional Adequacy Statement 8. Daily Feeding Guide
