Download food labels - Westmount Animal Clinic

FOOD LABELS
Reading and understanding a pet food label can be
confusing. What do terms like “ingredient list”, “guaranteed
analysis”, “daily feeding recommendations” and “Association
of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) statements”
even mean?
We wish to take a moment and explain the different components that make up a pet nutrition information
label, along with tips on how to decipher it all.
The ingredient list
All pet food manufacturers are required to provide list of ingredients. Although ingredient lists are commonly
used by people to determine the quality of pet foods, this approach has many pitfalls. Ingredients are listed
on labels in order of weight, including water, so ingredients with high water content (like fresh meats and
vegetables) are listed before similar amounts of dry ingredients, even though they may contribute fewer
nutrients overall.
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Interpretation Tips
A highly digestible protein should be at the top of the ingredient list. That could come from meat as well as
vegetable proteins like soy, pea or other sources.
In addition, ingredients must be listed by their common or usual name, and most ingredients on the pet
food labels have a corresponding definition in the AAFCO Official Publication, which states exactly what
the ingredients are and what can be used in pet foods.
Guaranteed analysis
A pet food label must state guarantees for minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, as well as
maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. The term “crude” refers to the specific method of testing
the product, not to the quality of the nutrient itself. Check the ‘guaranteed analysis’ (comparable to people
food’s ‘nutrition facts’) to see that your pet is getting the protein, carbs and fat your veterinarian
recommends. If there isn’t a list, call the toll-free number on the package to ask for it.
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Interpretation Tips
If you compare the guaranteed analyses of dry and canned foods, for example, you will find that the levels
of crude protein and other nutrients are much lower for the canned product.
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If you look at the relative moisture contents, canned food contains 75-78 percent moisture, whereas dry
food contains only 10-12 percent water. So, when buying a canned food, take in consideration the moisture
guarantee.
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The maximum moisture content for a pet food is 78 percent, except for products labeled as a “stew,” “in
sauce,” “in gravy” or similar terms. The extra water gives the product the qualities needed to have the
appropriate texture and fluidity.
Daily feeding recommendations
This section tells you how much of the food you should feed your pet. The label should instruct you to feed
a certain amount of food per specific body weight per day. The label should also say what life stage the
food is appropriate for.
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Interpretation Tips.
These are only guidelines. Your pet’s breed, age, health status and other factors can influence food intake
It’s important that you work with a veterinarian to determine whether to increase or decrease the amount of
food that is appropriate for your individual pet’s needs.
For more information on pet food labeling visit AAFCO