Pet food labels contain an abundance of information, if one knows how to read them. Pet food labels are regulated by different rules than are foods for human consumption.

Pet food labeling is regulated at two levels: The federal regulations, enforced by the Center for Veterinary Medicine of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,establish standards applicable for all animal feeds: proper identification of product, net quantity statement, manufacturer's address, and proper listing of ingredients. Some states follow the pet food regulations established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO): covering aspects of labeling such as the product name, the guaranteed analysis, the nutritional adequacy statement, feeding directions, and calorie statements.

The product name is the first part of the label noticed by the consumer, and can be a key factor in the consumer's decision to buy the product. Some manufacters use the name of an ingredient to highlight the presence in the product. The percentages of named ingredients in the total product are dictated by four rules: The 95%, 25%, 3% Rules. With these rules you'll know at least the minimum your pet is getting of the advertised ingredient.

The 95% Rule:

This rule applies to products consisting primarily of meat, poultry or fish, some of the canned products. They have simple names like "Beef for Dogs" or "Chicken for Cats," or "Chicken Cat Food," but must contain 95% or more beef or chicken by total weight of the product.

The 25% Rule:

Foods labeled "Chicken Entree," "Chicken Dinner," "Chicken Feast," or such, must contain 25% to 95% chicken. Combinations, such as "Chicken and Beef Dinner," must contain a total of 25% to 95% of the combined meats, listed in order of quantity, and the second meat listed must comprise at least 3% of the total weight.

The 3% or "With" Rule:

This rule applies to ingredients highlighted on the label, but outside the product name. A food labeled "Kitty Stew with Chicken" must contain 3% or more chicken.

Under the "flavor" rule, a specific percentage is not required, but a product must contain an amount sufficient to be able to be detected. In the example of "Beef Flavor Dog Food," the word "flavor" must appear on the label in the same size, style and color as the word "beef."

The net quantity statement tells you what you're paying for. A bag that may typically hold 40 pounds of food may only hold 35 pounds of a food that is "puffed up."

The "manufactured by..." statement identifies the party responsible for the quality and safety of the product and its location. Not all labels include a street address along with the city, state, and zip code, but by law, it should be listed in either a city directory or a telephone directory. Many manufacturers also include an "800" telephone number on the label for consumer inquiries. If the label says "manufactured for..." or "distributed by...," the food was manufactured by a third party.

The weights of ingredients are determined as they are added in the formulation, with their inherent water content. This latter fact is important when evaluating relative quantity claims, especially when ingredients of different moisture contents are compared.

Ingredients must be listed by their "common or usual" name. Most ingredients on pet food labels have a corresponding common definition in the AAFCO Official Publication.

Further down the ingredient list are vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients, artificial colors, stabilizers, and preservatives.

Examples:

Inexpensive Generic Food Label
Ingredients: Ground Yellow Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal, Poultry By-product Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with GHA), Fish Meal, Meat and Bone Meal, Ground Wheat, Animal Digest, Salt, GHT, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Artificial Coloring, Artificial Flavors.

Premium Food Label
Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Brewer's Rice,Ground Wheat, Ground Yellow Corn, Rice Flour, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), Corn Gluten Meal, Egg, Poultry By-products, Whey, Vitamin A, D-3, E, B-12, Niacin.

Natural Pet Food Label
Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Ground Wheat, Ground Rice, Lamb Meal, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), Ground Oats, Flax Seed, Dried Whole Egg, Lecithin, Fish Meal.

Sample Homemade Diet
Ingredients: Chicken, Rice, Vegetables, Olive or Canola Oil, Natural Vitamin-Mineral Supplement.

Here's how to read them: The first ingredient on the label represents the number-one ingredient, the one that is the largest amount of a particular food. In the generic food, corn in the most plentiful food. In the premium food, natural food, and homemade diet, an animal source of protein (chicken) is listed in the first three ingredients. In the generic food, an animal source of protein is not listed until the fourth ingredient, and is poulty by-product meal.

Manufacturers use a technique called "splitting". On the premium label, chicken is the number-one ingredient, rice is the number-two ingredient. Ingredients number four and five are rice flour, which is a by-product and not desirable as whole rice. Technically, since rice and rice flour are different, they can be listed separately, but are both rice products. Since the amount of rice and rice flour is greater than the chicken, the number-one ingredient is actually rice.

Corn is also listed two times as "ground yellow corn"and "corn gluten meal." Corn gluten meal is a by-product and low in health-promoting amino acids, the building blocks of protein. The combination of corn and corn gluten meal is greater than the amount of chicken in this diet. By reading the label, one can figure out that splitting has occurred and that the first ingredient listed on the label may not be the primary ingredient in the food.

The homemade diet does not require preservatives. The premium diet and the natural diet both use natural preservatives (mixed tocopherols), not chemicals, to maintain freshness of the food. The generic diet uses the chemicals BHA, BHT, and ethylenediamine dihydriodide to preserve the food. However, these diets are extremely hard to get "complete & balanced!"

The premium and natural diets may contain chemical preservatives on the label and not list them. If the manufacturer purchases the chicken or chicken meal from someone else and they add preservatives to the meat or meal, the final manufacturer of the diet does not have to list these preservatives because the final manufacturer did not add these preservatives and may not know what type of preservatives were used. However, there are two companies that do use certified sources free of ALL chemical preservatives!

At minimum, a pet food label must state guarantees for minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. The "crude" term refers to the specific method of testing the product, not to the quality of the nutrient itself.

Maximum ash is often guaranteed, especially on cat foods. Cat foods commonly have guarantees for taurine and magnesium, as well. For dog foods, minimum levels of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and linoleic acid are found on some products.

Comparing the guaranteed analyses of dry and canned products, the levels of crude protein and most other nutrients are much lower for the canned product. Canned foods typically contain 75-78% moisture, whereas dry foods contain only 10-12% water. To make meaningful comparisons of nutrient levels between a canned and dry product, they should be expressed on a similar moisture basis. To roughly approximate this, the guarantees for the canned product should be multiplied by four.

When buying a canned food, look at the moisture guarantee. The maximum moisture content for a pet food is 78%, 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.

A "complete and balanced" pet food must be substantiated for nutritional adequacy by one of two means. The first method is for the pet food to contain ingredients formulated to provide levels of nutrients that meet the AAFCO Dog or Cat Food Nutrition Profiles. The recommendations of the National Research Council (NRC)are no longer considered valid. If a pet food label still bears a "meets or exceeds NRC" claim, that means the product is old or the manufacturer has yet to comply with the new regulations.

The nutritional adequacy statement will also state for which life stage(s) the product is suitable, such as "for maintenance, or "for growth." A product intended "for all-life stages" meets the more stringent nutritional needs for growth and reproduction A maintenance ration will meet the needs of an adult, non-reproducing dog or cat of normal activity, but may not be sufficient for a growing, reproducing, or hard-working animal. An all-life stages ration can be fed for maintenance. Although the higher levels of nutrients would not be harmful to the healthy adult animal, they aren't really necessary, however.

Feeding directions instruct the consumer on how much product should be offered the animal. At minimum, they should include such as "feed ___ cups per ____ pounds of body weight daily." On some small cans, this may be all the information that can fit. However, feeding directions for other pet foods are much more elaborate, especially on dry product labels.

The feeding directions should be taken as rough guidelines, a place to start. Breed, temperament, environment, and many other factors can influence food intake. The best suggestion is to offer the prescribed amount at first, but don't be afraid to increase or cut back as needed.

Feeding directions tend to overestimate requirements more often than underestimate them. Due to the wide variations in energy needs among individual animals, the manufacturers attempt to cover almost all contingencies by setting the directions for the most demanding.

If a calorie statement is made on the label, it must be expressed on a "kilocalories per kilogram" basis. Kilocalories are the same as the "Calories" consumers are used to seeing on food labels. A "kilogram" is a unit of metric measurement equal to 2.2 pounds. Manufacturers are also allowed to express the calories in familiar household units along with the required statement (for example, "per cup" or "per pound"). Even without this additional information, however, consumers can make meaningful comparisons between products and pick the product best suited for their animals' needs. As with the guaranteed analysis, to roughly compare the caloric content values between a canned and a dry food, multiply the value for the canned food by four.

If a calorie statement does not appear on the label, the calorie content of a pet food can be roughly estimated by using values given in the guaranteed analysis. To do this, perform the following calculations:

Step 1: Multiply the percent crude protein times 3.5 and write down the result.

Step 2: Multiply the percent crude fat times 8.5 and write down the result.

Step 3: Add the percentages of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, moisture and ash, and subtract the total from 100. This gives you the percent nitrogen-free extract (NFE), which is the carbohydrate portion.

Multiply the percent NFE from Step 3 times 3.5 and write down the result.

Add the results from Steps 1, 2, and 4, and multiply the total times 10.

Example:	Crude protein	24% x 3.5  =  84
	Crude fat	10% x 8.5  =  85
	Crude fiber	3%
	Moisture	10%
	Ash	5%
		52%

Although this calculation will give you a reasonable approximation of calories for most foods, it will likely somewhat underestimate the calorie content of very digestible foods, and overestimate the value of high fiber and low quality foods.

Look at the "Guaranteed Analysis" on a label. Subtract the moisture percentage from 100. Divide the resulting figure into the crude protein figure (disregard decimals when dividing). The result will be a close approximation of protein by dry matter value. (You can use the same formula to calculate the percentage of fat or fiber by dry matter value.)

Example: Here are figures from three different cat foods from three different manufacturers, which shall remain anonymous for purpose of this exercise.

Brand A Premium Canned Food: Protein, 8.5% | Moisture, 78%

Brand B Premium Dry Food: Protein, 32% | Moisture, 10%

Brand C "Supermarket Brand" Canned Food: Protein, 10% | Moisture: 78%

Brand A: Using the formula above, and subtracting the moisture from 100%, we divide the remainder, 22 into the 8.5 protein content for a result of 38.5% protein by dry matter.

Brand B: 100 minus 10 equals 90, divided into 32 gives us 35.5%.

Brand C: 100 minus 78 equals 22 divided into 10 for 45%.

You can see in the example given that the two canned food brands contain more dry matter protein content than Brand B, a dry food, which at first glance seems to contain far more protein. In fact, by this test alone, one might think that Brand C (the "supermarket" brand) is superior for protein content.

Look again!

Actually, the first two listed ingredients on Brand C's label are "meat by-products," and "poultry by-products," The protein quality of this "supermarket" brand simply does not make the cut.

The 95%, 25%, 3% Rules

AAFCO has provided certain other rules for "truth in advertising" in cat foods. Don't let those fancy designations such as "gourmet" or "feast" slip one past you. With these rules you'll know at least the minimum your cat is getting of the advertised ingredient.

Here are the rules:

The 95% Rule: A cat food may not be labeled simply "Chicken for Cats," or "Chicken Cat Food," unless it contains 95% or more chicken by total weight of the product.

The 25% Rule: Foods labeled "Chicken Entree," "Chicken Dinner," "Chicken Feast," or the like, must contain 25% to 95% chicken. Combinations, such as "Chicken and Beef Dinner" must contain a total of 25% to 95% of the combined meats, listed in order of quantity, and the second meat listed must comprise at least 3% of the total weight. (Imagine ordering a "steak and lobster" dinner and finding the "lobster" will barely fill a fork.)

The 3% Rule: A food labeled "Kitty Stew with Chicken" must contain 3% or more chicken. ("With" is the optimum word here.)

Flavor: If you see something similar to "chicken flavored," be assured that the product is unlikely to contain any chicken at all, as long as there is a "sufficiently detectable" amount of chicken flavor. These "flavors" may be the result of digests or by-products of the named animal.

THE FLINT RIVER RANCH DIFFERENCE: Flint River Ranch formulas are all made from the highest quality ingredients and do not contain meat or grain by-products, color additives or chemical preservatives (BHA, Ethoxyquin, or BHT). The food is naturally preserved with mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbic Acid (vitamins E and C). Some authorities indicate that Vitamin C is not required; however, FRR feels it is very important in supporting vitamin balance and to help handle daily stress and environmental pollution.

Cathy, Rainey & Gracie Pup











This site is copyrigted TLR© 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006. Do not take anything written or graphically off any part of this site. I have made graphics from all non-copyrighted pictures to my knowledge. Everything within this site is the research and opinion of this Independent Distributor and not that of Flint River Ranch the company.