It happens a lot. You&#;re trying to find a healthy, nutritious dog food. At the pet store, you compare brands, reading lists of ingredients that mean little to you. You search reviews on Amazon but are unsure if you can trust them. You Google &#;best dog food&#; and are bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands, of dog food brands. For us dog parents, it can be difficult to tell the difference between one dog food and the next. But understanding what your dog is eating is imperative to your pup&#;s health.
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While the name on the can or the bag can tell you immediately what the balance of ingredients should be, you need to be able to understand how to read the labels on dog food and what the product names mean. It can be extremely confusing.
Pet food labeling is enforced by the FDA at the federal level, with the agency leaning on the third-party non-government agency Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) to enforce local state laws and regulations. The rules include product names, which are usually a major factor in a customer&#;s decision to buy one product over another. Often for dog food, people buy a product based on a specific ingredient that they know their dog likes, such as beef or chicken. But what does it really mean when a brand lists a certain protein in its ingredients? Can you tell the difference between &#;chicken and rice&#; dog food, dog food with chicken and dog food called chicken dinner? Well, there is a huge difference, and the amount of protein in the dog food dictates what brands can say on the label.
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According to the AAFCO, &#;These rules are referred to as the 100%, 95%, 25%, &#;with&#; and &#;flavor&#; rules.&#;
Let&#;s take a closer look at these rules.
The product must be, for the most part, just one ingredient. For instance, to be labelled 100% Chicken Jerky Treats, the jerky must be made with 100% chicken. The only other products allowed are water for processing, trace amounts of preservatives and condiments, and what&#;s known as &#;decharacterizing agents,&#; which are substances added for color. The only products on the market that meet the 100% rule will most likely be treats since a dog&#;s diet must contain more than meat to be nutritionally balanced.
The 95% rule applies to food containing few ingredients. At least 95% of the product must be the named ingredient, not counting water added for processing and condiments. When you count the water, the named ingredient must comprise 70% of the product. For example, in a product called Spot&#;s Beef Dog Food, beef must make up 95% of the product weight not counting water and condiments. The remaining 5% will be ingredients added for nutritional purposes (like vitamin and minerals) and small amounts of other ingredients needed to formulate the product. Since ingredients are listed in the order of predominance by weight, &#;beef&#; should be the first ingredient listed on the label, followed usually by water, vitamins, and minerals. But keep in mind, the ingredients are listed by weight before being cooked, meaning beef is going to weigh a lot more pre-cooked.
In the case of a mixed recipe like chicken and rice, 95% should be comprised of chicken and rice not counting water; when you factor in water, chicken and rice should make up at least 70%. Also, with chicken listed first in the name, there must be more chicken than rice. The product might break down like this: for a 100-pound batch, 40 pounds chicken, 30 pounds rice, 25 pounds water for processing, and 5 pounds of other ingredients like vitamins and minerals. Interestingly, when you use two ingredients, both ingredients must make up 95% (or 70% with water), but if you had rice and chicken, theoretically, rice could make up a huge chunk of the food, with chicken just making up a tiny amount.
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The rule states that for names that are invented for sales or contracted names, like Buster&#;s Chik&#;n Lik&#;n Dog Food, the product still has to meet the 95% rule, with chicken making up 95% without counting water.
This applies to products often labeled as &#;dinner,&#; &#;entrée,&#; &#;platter&#; or &#;chow,&#; such as &#;Purina Dog Chow&#; or &#;Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner with Beef.&#; To meet the 25% rule, the named ingredient must make up at least 10% of the total weight and at least 25% of the product weight not including water. With food that lists more than one ingredient in the name, like &#;Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Beef Dinner with Garden Vegetables & Sweet Potatoes&#; none of those named ingredients can be less than 3% of the total weight (which means beef could just be 4%).
AAFCO compares this to ordering the salmon dinner entrée in a restaurant that includes vegetables, potatoes, salad and grilled salmon.
This rule applies to food labels like &#;Honest Jack&#;s Dog Food With Chicken&#;; the 3% or &#;With&#; Rule states that this food must contain at least 3% of chicken to the total weight. Any named ingredient must equal at least 3%. For example, &#;Rover&#;s Dog Food with Beef and Rice&#; must contain at least 3% beef and 3% rice. Consumers must be very careful with this rule as there is a major difference between &#;Beef Dog Food&#; (which has 95% beef not counting water) and Dog Food with Beef (which only has 3% beef).
A product that names &#;Flavor&#; as a description only requires that the listed ingredient provides the specific flavor. Both also must be printed in the same font and size. For example, &#;Chicken-flavored Dog Food&#; might have chicken fat providing the flavor; in the ingredient list, both &#;chicken&#; and &#;flavored&#; must appear in the same font and size in the food&#;s name. According to the FDA, &#;Under the &#;flavor&#; rule, a specific percentage is not required, but a product must contain an amount sufficient to be able to be detected.&#;
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It&#;s definitely complicated! And despite this information and oversight, some experts still don&#;t believe the FDA and AAFCO are doing enough.
&#;Even though we have regulations regarding the names of pet food, to my knowledge rarely are the requirements ever validated by regulatory authorities,&#; says Susan Thixton, the founder of TruthAboutPetFood.com, one of the leading pet food advocacy resources. &#;How can consumers trust a name if validation has never been done by authorities?&#;
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Thixton goes on to tell us that the FDA&#;s rules are very loose, with the agency allowing &#;inferior quality ingredients,&#; including those in canned dog food. She points out that on the FDA&#;s own site, its policy is the following:
&#;Pet food consisting of material from diseased animals or animals which have died otherwise than by slaughter, which is in violation of 402(a)(5) will not ordinarily be actionable, if it is not otherwise in violation of the law. It will be considered fit for animal consumption.&#;
This means that the FDA allows pet food to source meat from a diseased animal, a direct violation of the agency. Thixton calls this &#;selective enforcement&#; by the FDA.
And for those who want to get a deeper dive on ingredients and how they are defined, dog parents can find some information on the AAFCO website, but for in-depth details, we must purchase the organization&#;s Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food Labeling Guide for $200.
&#;It is very difficult for consumers to be smarter about choosing a pet food,&#; says Thixton. &#;Laws and definitions are private and laws that should be enforced to provide consumers honest label information are not enforced.&#;
To keep your dog safe, consumers need to do their research. First, check the ingredient list very carefully. Then, reach out to the pet manufacturers, build relationships and ask questions. &#;If questions are not answered or skirted, find another pet food,&#; says Thixton.
You can also consider cooking for your dog, but this, too, is tricky, as you need to make sure it is a balanced meal.
In the end, it our job to keep our four-legged friend healthy. Do your homework, speak out and ask questions.
Related: Not Safe to Eat: In Past Two Weeks, 8 Brands Recall Their Dog Foods and Treats
We all want the best for our dogs, including nutrition. And anyone who has shopped for dog food knows, there are virtually unlimited options: Hundreds of brands with innumerable ingredients; wet, dry, and raw food; age-specific food; restricted diets, along with all sorts of advertising and marketing claims to decipher. The label is the best tool to use when you make a choice but can often be hard to understand. We&#;re here to demystify how to read a dog food label.
All pet food labels follow roughly the same format:
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Now that you know what&#;s listed, what does it all mean? Let&#;s take them one at a time.
There&#;s more to the product name than clever marketing. The name will actually give you your first clue about the ingredients. Because so many pet owners base their buying decision on a specific ingredient, brands will try to highlight that ingredient in the product name. But it&#;s all in the wording. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has four rules:
At least 95% of the product must be the named ingredient, for example, &#;Chicken for Dogs,&#; or &#;Salmon Dog Food,&#; must include at least 95% of chicken or salmon, respectively. In addition, this main product must be at least 70% of the total product when counting the added water. According to AAFCO regulations, the remaining 5% of ingredients will be those required for nutritional reasons, such as vitamins and minerals, and small amounts of any other ingredients.
When you see products named &#;Beef Dinner for Dogs,&#; &#;Chicken and Sweet Potato Entrée,&#; or &#;Lamb Platter,&#; for example, this is the 25% rule in action. If the named ingredients comprise at least 25% of the product (not counting the water for processing), but less than 95%, the product name must include a qualifying term, such as dinner, entrée, or platter. Counting the added water, the named ingredients still must comprise 10% of the product. If more than one ingredient is included in a &#;dinner,&#; the combination of the named ingredients must total 25% of the product. They also should be listed in the same order as found on the ingredient list.
When you see a dog food label, such as &#;Doggie Dinner with Beef,&#; the &#;with&#;&#; ingredient need only be at least 3% of the product. Just the addition of that one word &#; &#;with&#; &#; dramatically changes the percentage requirement of the ingredient in the food and is a good reason to pay attention to the product name.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), if the label says, &#;Beef Flavor Dog Food,&#; then &#;a specific percentage (of the beef) is not required, but a product must contain an amount sufficient to be able to be detected.&#; For example, the word &#;flavor&#; must appear on the label in the same size, style, and color as the word &#;beef.&#;
The quantity listed on the label tells you how much of the food is in the container. This may be measured by weight, liquid measure, or by count. Products can vary in density (think wet food vs. dry food, for example). So, if you really want to know how much a product costs, do a cost-per-ounce or cost-per-pound comparison.
Many states have regulations requiring the minimum amount of nutrients a pet food must contain, as well as the maximum amount of moisture and crude fiber. Dog food labels must display the percentage of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, and water. For those who like to get technical, the FDA provides a detailed explanation of how the guaranteed analysis is calculated on its website.
If there are specific guarantees, such as that the food is low-fat, then both the maximum and minimum percentage of the item must be guaranteed. If a product claims to have vitamin or mineral supplements, there must be a guarantee of the amount the product supplies.
According to Dr. Jerry Klein, the AKC&#;s chief veterinary officer, the ingredients section is the most important part of the label to read. Ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight. Each ingredient must be listed individually, and, according to AAFCO regulations, terms describing collective ingredients, such as &#;animal protein products&#; aren&#;t allowed. In addition, ingredients must be listed by their &#;common or usual name.&#; The AAFCO has a detailed list of ingredients, their common names, and what they contain.
A word about byproducts: While we may not want to eat them, byproducts aren&#;t necessarily a bad addition in dog food. They include parts such as the liver, which is rich in vitamin A. Other byproducts include blood, brains, bone, stomach, and cleaned intestines. Meat meal may also contain ingredients we consider byproducts. It sounds gross, but your dog might not agree.
Look for the fine print on the side or back of the package. Many dog foods claim to be &#;complete and balanced&#; or &#;100% nutritious.&#; These aren&#;t just marketing terms. Dr. Klein says, &#;The phrase means that the food has met specific government standards and provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages of adult dogs, as determined by AAFCO.&#; The food must contain the proper amount and ratio of essential nutrients for the needs of a healthy dog.
Often the nutritional adequacy statement identifies the life stage the food is appropriate for. AAFCO recognizes these stages:
Some products are labeled for a more specific use or life stage, such as &#;senior&#; or for a specific size or breed. The FDA says, &#;There is little information as to the true dietary needs of these more specific uses, and no rules governing these types of statements have been established. Thus, a &#;senior&#; diet must meet the requirements for adult maintenance, but no more.&#;
The nutritional adequacy statement must be in a standardized format, which makes it easy to compare products.
This is pretty straightforward &#; the label tells you how much you should feed your dog. This is listed either by the weight of the food per pound or measure of food per cup. However, as the FDA says, breed, temperament, environment, and many other factors can influence food intake. Feeding directions are guidelines, not regulations. Regardless of what the package says, consult your vet if you have any questions.
According to Dr. Klein, it&#;s also important to note the &#;sell-by&#; or &#;best-used-by&#; statement. He says, &#;Due to the nature of the ingredients used in all dog foods, including fats and proteins, the food can go rancid. Expired dog food offers less nutritional value and can grow harmful bacteria or mold that can sicken your dog.&#;
There are so many new trends in pet food that it can be difficult to know exactly what you&#;re getting. Is &#;organic&#; the same as &#;natural&#;? What does &#;lite&#; mean? Is &#;grain-free&#; a good thing? Does my dog need &#;new proteins&#;?
There are currently no official regulations specific to the labeling of organic foods for pets, although the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is developing some. In the meantime, dog foods that claim to be organic must meet the ingredient, production, and handling requirements of the USDA&#;s National Organic Program to be considered organic. In simple terms, organic dog food is defined the same way organic human food is:
Is organic pet food better? The jury is still out on this. High-quality commercial dog food meets the AAFCO&#;s stringent nutritional guidelines and lists any type of fillers fairly low on the ingredient list. Sometimes dogs with sensitive stomachs do better with organic food, and some organic foods have beneficial antioxidants. Organic food is, however, more expensive. Frankly, it&#;s your call.
&#;Natural&#; isn&#;t the same as &#;organic.&#; The latter term refers to the conditions under which plants are grown or animals are raised. For the most part, you can construe &#;natural&#; as equivalent to a lack of artificial flavors, artificial colors, or artificial preservatives in the product.
There is little veterinary science to support the benefits of grain-free dog food. That being said, Lisa Freeman, veterinary nutritionist and professor of clinical nutrition at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, notes that there&#;s a possibility that an increase in a heart disease called cardiomyopathy is &#;associated with eating boutique or grain-free diets, with some of the dogs improving when their diets are changed.&#; Some dogs actually do better with the high-fiber content of grains.
The FDA is also reviewing grain-free diets because there&#;s concern of a possible link between certain breeds of dogs and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) &#; a type of canine heart disease that affects the heart muscle in certain dogs or breeds of dogs.
No, they&#;re not really new. They derive from sources such as bison, kangaroo, rabbit, and other &#;exotic&#; animals. It&#;s tough to rate their benefits because they have different digestibility and nutrient profiles than the more common proteins. They may be suitable for dogs that have difficulty eating chicken, beef, or other meats.
The FDA and USDA highly regulates human-grade food, defined as a food that is legally edible and approved as nourishment for humans. However, according to the AAFCO, for a product to be &#;human grade,&#; all ingredients in the product must be human edible and the product must be manufactured, packed, and held in accordance with federal regulations in 21 CFR 110, Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food.
Also, human-grade dog food isn&#;t necessarily safer, tastier, or less expensive than high-quality pet food. These products must also be clearly labeled for their intended use as animal food, such as including the phrase &#;dog food&#; in the same size as the phrase &#;human-grade&#; on the packaging.
To use any of these terms, the food must have a significant reduction of calories or fat compared to standard pet food. The AAFCO requires that labels making these claims must show the percentage reduction in calories or fats and must name a product for comparison.
You probably now know more than you ever thought possible about all those words on your dog&#;s food packaging. This information should make you a better-informed consumer, helping you to choose the best possible diet for your pup. Here&#;s a quick cheat sheet to help you remember all of this when you&#;re standing in the dog food aisle:
*Labeling is regulated on the federal level by the FDA, which establishes standards for all animal food. Some states have their own regulations, which are often adopted from the regulations of the AAFCO.
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