San Francisco Veterinarian Clinic

Deciphering Pet Food Labels

Pet food manufacturers are required to place special labeling on their products. The Official Publication by the Association for Animal Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is responsible for establishing the requirements, which are revised annually.

The name of the food is considered to be indicative of the content. Therefore, the terminology “100%” or “all” cannot be used “if the product contains more than one ingredient, not including water sufficient for processing, decharacterizing agents, or trace amounts of preservatives and condiments,” according to AAFCO. For the label to read 95%, the ingredients derived from animals, fish, and poultry must account for 95% of the product’s weight. It is important to note that all-meat diets do not provide proper nutrition balance. However, due to consumer concerns in high quality meat products, owners are now supplementing their pet’s diet with 95% or 100% meat food.

If the label contains “dinner,” 25% percent of the weight of the product must be attributed to the ingredient. At 10%, it can be labeled a recipe, entrée, platter, or formula. The label is permitted to have a combination of ingredients so long as each is featured by a minimum 3%, and they are listed in a descending order by weight.

Ingredients on the back of the bag must be listed in descending order as well. There are legal definitions for all ingredients. For instance, meat only can refer to cows, goats, pigs, and sheep and designates certain tissues. Amounts of crude protein, fiber, fat, and moisture are required to be listed on the packaging.

If you would like additional assistance in choosing a nutritious food for your pet, contact a San Francisco veterinarian clinic today.