Interpreting Pet Food Labels - Part 1: General Rules
My-Dog.info > Dogs, Diet & Food
by David A. Dzanis, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVN
Arguably, Americans are reading food labels and choosing
products more carefully than ever before. Recent amendments to
laws and FDA regulations for nutrition labeling of human foods
are designed to help people make more informed food choices. Many
people are extending this scrutiny to food for their pets as
well, but pet foods are regulated by different rules than are
foods for human consumption. Thus, in order for consumers to be
able to read and understand pet food labels and enable them to
make proper food choices for their pets, they must also be made
aware of the rules regarding pet food labeling.
Pet food labeling is regulated at two levels. The federal
regulations, enforced by the FDA’s Center for Veterinary
Medicine (CVM), establish standards applicable for all animal
feeds: proper identification of product, net quantity statement,
manufacturer's address, and proper listing of ingredients. Some
States also enforce their own labeling regulations. Many of these
follow the model pet food regulations established by the
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). These
regulations are more specific in nature, covering aspects of
labeling such as the product name, the guaranteed analysis, the
nutritional adequacy statement, feeding directions, and calorie
statements.
This article is divided into two parts. Part 1 will cover the
rules that apply to all pet food products, but focuses on
"complete and balanced" pet foods that are intended for
general use in healthy animals. Part 2, which will appear in the
January/February 1999 issue of the FDA Veterinarian, will discuss
the special considerations for the labeling of products intended
for special dietary circumstances, such as treats, veterinary
medical foods and dietary supplements.
Product Name
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. For that reason, manufacturers often use
fanciful names or other techniques to emphasize a particular
aspect. Since many consumers purchase a product based on the
presence of a specific ingredient, many product names incorporate
the name of an ingredient to highlight its inclusion in the
product. Consumers are often confused, however, as to how much of
a named ingredient is actually in the product. The percentages of
named ingredients in the total product are dictated by four AAFCO
rules.
The "95 percent" rule applies to products consisting
primarily of meat, poultry or fish, such as some of the canned
products. They have simple names, such as "Beef for
Dogs," or "Tuna Cat Food." In these examples, at
least 95 percent of the product must be the named ingredient
(beef or tuna, respectively), not counting the water added for
processing and "condiments." Counting the added water,
the named ingredient still must comprise 70 percent of the
product. Since ingredient lists must be declared in the proper
order of predominance by weight, "beef" or
"tuna" should be the first ingredient listed, followed
often by water, and then other components such as vitamins and
minerals. If the name includes a combination of ingredients, such
as "Chicken 'n Liver Dog Food," the two together must
comprise 95 percent of the total weight. The first ingredient
named in the product name must be the one of higher predominance
in the product. For example, the product could not be named
"Lobster and Salmon for Cats" if there is more salmon
than lobster in the product. Because this rule only applies to
ingredients of animal origin, ingredients that are not from a
meat, poultry or fish source, such as grains and vegetables,
cannot be used as a component of the 95 percent total. For
example, a "Lamb and Rice Dog Food" would be misnamed
unless the product was comprised of at least 95 percent lamb.
The "25 percent" or "dinner" rule applies
to many canned and dry products. If the named ingredients
comprise at least 25 percent of the product (not counting the
water for processing), but less than 95 percent, the name must
include a qualifying descriptive term, such as "Beef Dinner
for Dogs." Many descriptors other than "dinner"
are used, however. "Platter," "entree,"
"nuggets" and "formula" are just a few
examples. Because, in this example, only one-quarter of the
product must be beef, it would most likely be found third or
fourth on the ingredient list. Since the primary ingredient is
not always the named ingredient, and may in fact be an ingredient
that is not desired, the ingredient list should always be checked
before purchase. For example, a cat owner may have learned from
his or her finicky feline to avoid buying products with fish in
it, since the cat doesn’t like fish. However, a
"Chicken Formula Cat Food" may not always be the best
choice, since some "chicken formulas" may indeed
contain fish, and sometimes may contain even more fish than
chicken. A quick check of the ingredient list would avert this
mistake.
If more than one ingredient is included in a
"dinner" name, they must total 25 percent and be listed
in the same order as found on the ingredient list. Each named
ingredient must be at least 3 percent of the total, too.
Therefore, "Chicken n' Fish Dinner Cat Food" must have
25 percent chicken and fish combined, and at least 3 percent
fish. Also, unlike the "95 percent" rule, this rule
applies to all ingredients, whether of animal origin or not. For
example, a "Lamb and Rice Formula for Cats" would be an
acceptable name as long as the amounts of lamb and rice combined
totaled 25 percent.
The "3 percent" or "with" rule was
originally intended to apply only to ingredients highlighted on
the principal display panel, but outside the product name, in
order to allow manufacturers to point out the presence of minor
ingredients that were not added in sufficient quantity to merit a
"dinner" claim. For example, a "Cheese
Dinner," with 25 percent cheese, would not be feasible or
economical to produce, but either a "Beef Dinner for
Dogs" or "Chicken Formula Cat Food" could include
a side burst "with cheese" if at least 3 percent cheese
is added. Recent amendments to the AAFCO model regulations now
allow use of the term "with" as part of the product
name, too, such as "Dog Food With Beef" or "Cat
Food With Chicken." It is important to note that even a
minor change in the wording of the name has a dramatic impact on
the minimum amount of the named ingredient required. Sitting on
the store shelf next to each other, a can of "Cat Food With
Tuna" could be confused with a can of "Tuna Cat
Food," but whereas the latter example must contain at least
95 percent tuna, the first needs only 3 percent. Therefore, the
consumer must now be particularly astute and read labels
carefully before purchase to ensure that the desired product is
obtained.
Under the "flavor" rule, a specific percentage is
not required, but a product must contain an amount sufficient to
be able to be detected. There are specific test methods, using
animals trained to prefer specific flavors, that can be used to
confirm this claim. 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 corresponding ingredient may be beef, but more often it is
another substance that will give the characterizing flavor, such
as beef meal or beef by-products. This is different than the
other rules discussed above, wherein the name of the ingredient
in the product name should be the same as that declared in the
ingredient list (For example, a product including "lamb
meal" cannot be called a "lamb" pet food).
With respect to flavors, pet foods often contain
"digests," which are materials treated with heat,
enzymes and/or acids to form concentrated natural flavors. Only a
small amount of a "chicken digest" is needed to produce
a "Chicken Flavored Cat Food," even though no actual
chicken is added. Stocks or broths are also occasionally added.
Whey is often used to add a milk flavor. Often labels will bear a
claim of "no artificial flavors." Actually, artificial
flavors are rarely used in pet foods. The major exception to that
would be artificial smoke or bacon flavors, which are added to
some treats.
In this discussion on the use of ingredients in product names,
it must be noted that the ultimate purpose of dog and cat foods
is to supply needed nutrients, not specific ingredients. Since
the nutritional requirements can be met using a wide variety of
ingredients, the presence or absence of a particular ingredient
doesn’t need to be a driving factor. However, if one chooses
to purchase a product on this basis, it is important to keep
these rules in mind. In addition to scrutiny of the product name,
one should also read the ingredient list to ensure that the
preferred ingredient is present in a desirable amount.
Net Quantity Statement
The net quantity statement tells you how much product is in
the container for what you're paying. There are many FDA
regulations dictating the format, size and placement of the net
quantity statement. None of these do any good if the consumer
does not check the quantity statements, especially when comparing
the cost of products. Today, many canned products are sold in
non-standardized sizes, so even though the products look the same
size, one may be a better buy. For example, a 14-ounce can of
food may look identical to the one-pound can of food right next
to it. Also, dry products may differ greatly in density,
especially some of the "lite" products. Thus, a bag
that may typically hold 40 pounds of food may only hold 35 pounds
of a food that is "puffed up." Thus, a cost-per-ounce
or per-pound comparison between products is always prudent.
New FDA regulations are being considered to require "dual
declarations" on pet food labels (as well as other consumer
goods). Currently, labels must only bear the customary
"pound" or "ounce" declarations. In the
future, a unit of metric measurement, such as
"kilogram" or "gram" ("kg" or
"g"), may also be required to appear on the label. Many
pet food labels already bear both measurements.
Manufacturer's Name and Address
The "manufactured by..." statement identifies the
party responsible for the quality and safety of the product and
its location. If the label says "manufactured for..."
or "distributed by...," the food was manufactured by an
outside manufacturer, but the name on the label still designates
the responsible party. 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 a "800" telephone
number on the label for consumer inquiries. If a consumer has a
question or complaint about the product, he or she shouldn’t
hesitate to use this information to contact the responsible
party.
Ingredient List
As mentioned above, ingredients are required to be listed in
descending order of predominance by weight. The weights of
ingredients are determined as they are added in the formulation,
including their inherent water content. This latter fact is
important when evaluating relative quantity claims, especially
when ingredients of different moisture contents are compared.
For example, one pet food may list "meat" as its
first ingredient, and "corn" as its second. The
manufacturer doesn't hesitate to point out that its competitor
lists "corn" first ("meat meal" is second),
suggesting the competitor’s product has less animal-source
protein than its own. However, meat is very high in moisture
(approximately 75 percent water). On the other hand, water and
fat are removed from meat meal, so it is only 10 percent moisture
(what’s left is mostly protein and minerals). If we could
compare both products on a dry matter basis (mathematically
"remove" the water from both ingredients), one could
see that the second product had more animal-source protein from
meat meal than the first product had from meat, even though the
ingredient list suggests otherwise.
That is not to say that the second product has more
"meat" than the first, or in fact, any meat at all.
Meat meal is not meat per se, since most of the fat and water
have been removed by rendering. Ingredients must be listed by
their "common or usual" name. Most ingredients on pet
food labels have a corresponding definition in the AAFCO Official
Publication. For example, "meat" is defined as the
"clean flesh of slaughtered mammals and is limited to...the
striate muscle...with or without the accompanying and overlying
fat and the portions of the skin, sinew, nerve and blood vessels
which normally accompany the flesh." This is pretty close to
what most people would define as "meat," although maybe
not in such terms. On the other hand, "meat meal" is
"the rendered product from mammal tissues, exclusive of any
added blood, hair, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and
rumen contents." Thus, in addition to the processing, it
could also contain parts of animals one would not think of as
"meat." Meat meal may not be very pleasing to think
about eating yourself, even though it's probably more nutritious.
Animals do not share in people’s aesthetic concerns about
the source and composition of their food. Regardless, the
distinction must be made in the ingredient list (and in the
product name). For this reason, a product containing "lamb
meal" cannot be named a "Lamb Dinner."
Further down the ingredient list, the "common or
usual" names become less common or usual to most consumers.
The majority of ingredients with chemical-sounding names are, in
fact, vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients. Other possible
ingredients may include artificial colors, stabilizers, and
preservatives. All should be either "Generally Recognized As
Safe (GRAS)" or approved food additives for their intended
uses.
If scientific data are presented that show a health risk to
animals of an ingredient or additive, CVM can act to prohibit or
modify its use in pet food. For example, propylene glycol was
used as a humectant in soft-moist pet foods, which helps retain
water and gives these products their unique texture and taste. It
was affirmed Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for use in human
and animal food before the advent of soft-moist foods. It was
known for some time that propylene glycol caused Heinz Body
formation in the red blood cells of cats (small clumps of
proteins seen in the cells when viewed under the microscope), but
it could not be shown to cause overt anemia or other clinical
effects. However, recent reports in the veterinary literature of
scientifically sound studies have shown that propylene glycol
reduces the red blood cell survival time, renders red blood cells
more susceptible to oxidative damage, and has other adverse
effects in cats consuming the substance at levels found in
soft-moist food. In light of this new data, CVM amended the
regulations to expressly prohibit the use of propylene glycol in
cat foods.
Another pet food additive of some controversy is ethoxyquin.
Ethoxyquin was approved as a food additive over thirty-five years
ago for use as an antioxidant chemical preservative in animal
feeds. Approximately ten years ago, CVM began receiving reports
from dog owners attributing the presence of ethoxyquin in the dog
food with a myriad of adverse effects, such as allergic
reactions, skin problems, major organ failure, behavior problems,
and cancer. However, there was a paucity of available scientific
data to support these contentions, or to show other adverse
effects in dogs at levels approved for use in dog foods. More
recent studies by the manufacturer of ethoxyquin showed a
dose-dependent accumulation of a hemoglobin-related pigment in
the liver, as well as increases in the levels of liver-related
enzymes in the blood. Although these changes are due to
ethoxyquin in the diet, the pigment is not made from ethoxyquin
itself, and the health significance of these findings is unknown.
More information on the utility of ethoxyquin is still needed in
order for CVM to amend the maximum allowable level to below that
which would cause these effects, but which still would be useful
in preserving the food. To that end, more studies are being
conducted to ascertain a more accurate minimum effective level of
ethoxyquin in dog foods. In the interim, CVM has asked the pet
food industry to voluntarily lower the maximum level of use of
ethoxyquin in dog foods from 150 ppm (0.015 percent) to 75 ppm.
Regardless, most pet foods that contained ethoxyquin never
exceeded the lower amount, even before this recommended change.
Guaranteed Analysis
At minimum, a pet food label must state guarantees for the
minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and the
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.
Some manufacturers include guarantees for other nutrients as
well. The maximum percentage of ash (the mineral component) is
often guaranteed, especially on cat foods. Cat foods commonly
bear guarantees for taurine and magnesium as well. For dog foods,
minimum percentage levels of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and
linoleic acid are found on some products. The company may be
willing to provide additional information on particular nutrients
that are not guaranteed on the label.
Guarantees are declared on an "as fed" or "as
is" basis, that is, the amounts present in the product as it
is found in the can or bag. This doesn’t have much bearing
when the guarantees of two products of similar moisture content
are compared (for example, a dry dog food versus another dry dog
food). However, comparing the guaranteed analyses between dry and
canned products, one will note that the levels of crude protein
and most other nutrients are much lower for the canned product.
This can be explained by looking at the relative moisture
contents. Canned foods typically contain 75-78 percent moisture,
whereas dry foods contain only 10-12 percent water. To make
meaningful comparisons of nutrient levels between a canned and
dry product, they should be expressed on the same moisture basis.
The most accurate means of doing this is to convert the
guarantees for both products to a dry matter basis. The
percentage of dry matter of the product is equal to 100 percent
minus the percentage of moisture guaranteed on the label. Thus, a
dry food is approximately 88-90 percent dry matter, while a
canned food is only about 22-25 percent dry matter. To convert a
nutrient guarantee to a dry matter basis, the percent guarantee
should be divided by the percentage of the dry matter, then
multiplied by 100. For example, a canned food guarantees 8
percent crude protein and 75 percent moisture (or 25 percent dry
matter), while a dry food contains 27 percent crude protein and
10 percent moisture (or 90 percent dry matter). Which has more
protein, the dry or canned? Calculating the dry matter protein of
both, the canned contains 32 percent crude protein on a dry
matter basis (8/25 X 100 = 32), while the dry has only 30 percent
on a dry matter basis (27/90 X 100 = 30). Thus, although it looks
like the dry has a lot more protein just from the label, when the
water is counted out, the canned actually has a little more.
This method, although the most accurate, can be cumbersome
when trying to compare products at the time of purchase. Even
with a calculator, comparing multiple products in the middle of a
grocery or pet store aisle by this means can be time consuming
and inconvenient. An easier way is to remember that the amount of
dry matter in the dry food is about four times the amount in a
canned product. Thus, to compare guarantees between a dry and
canned food, multiply the guarantees for the canned food times
four first.
It is especially important to look at the moisture guarantee
for canned foods, even when comparing a canned food with another
canned. Under AAFCO regulations, the maximum percentage 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. Some of these exempted products have been found to
contain as much as 87.5 percent moisture. This doesn’t sound
like much difference until the dry matter contents are compared.
For example, a product with a guarantee of 87.5 percent moisture
contains 12.5 percent dry matter, only half as much as a product
with a 75 percent moisture guarantee (25 percent dry matter).
Although water is a "nutrient," it is virtually free
and easy for the consumer to provide himself or herself, so the
dry matter content of the product contains all the nutrients for
which it is being purchased. Less dry matter may mean less
nutrients per can, so more food may have to be fed to meet the
pet’s needs. Thus, in addition to price, the amount of
moisture in a canned food should be considered in any purchase.
Nutritional Adequacy Statement
Any claim that a product is "complete,"
"balanced," "100 percent nutritious," or
similarly suggests that a product is suitable for sole
nourishment that is not, in fact, nutritionally adequate is a
potentially unsafe product. For this reason, an AAFCO nutritional
adequacy statement is one of the most important aspects of a dog
or cat food label. 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 an
established profile. Presently, the AAFCO Dog or Cat Food
Nutrient Profiles are used. Products substantiated by this method
should include the words, "(Name of product) is formulated
to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO (Dog/Cat)
Food Nutrient Profiles." This means the product contains the
proper amount of protein, calcium, and other recognized essential
nutrients needed to meet the needs of the healthy animal. The
recommendations of the National Research Council (NRC) were once
used as the basis for nutritional adequacy, but they are no
longer considered valid for this purpose.
The alternative means of substantiating nutritional adequacy
is for the product to be tested following the AAFCO Feeding Trial
Protocols. This means that the product, or "lead"
member of a "family" of products, has been fed to dogs
or cats under strict guidelines and found to provide proper
nutrition. These products should bear the nutritional adequacy
statement "Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures
substantiate that (name of product) provides complete and
balanced nutrition."
Regardless of the method used, 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.
On the other hand, 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. Occasionally a product may be labeled for a more
specific use or life stage, such as "senior" or for a
specific size or breed. However, 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.
A product that does not meet either of these methods must
state that "This product is intended for intermittent or
supplemental feeding only." The only exception to this is
for products conspicuously identified as a "snack" or
"treat," which by common understanding aren’t
usually fed exclusively. This regulation is to prevent a consumer
from misconstruing that a product is suitable as a long-term sole
source of nourishment when it is not. For example, a can of
"Tuna Cat Food" may contain added vitamins and minerals
to make it complete and balanced, or it may not. This additional
requirement helps differentiate the two. This statement may also
be found on labels for some "veterinary medical foods,"
which are described in detail in Part 2.
Some manufacturers may state that one method is superior to
another. In truth, either method has its good and bad points. For
example, the "profile" method is not as good in
assessing the bioavailability of nutrients or palatability as the
"feeding test" method. On the other hand, not all
products that bear the "feeding test" claim are the
ones actually tested. Some may be members of a
"family," formulated to be nutritionally similar to the
product tested. However, since these "family member"
products aren’t directly tested, either, they have the same
potential disadvantages as the "profile" products.
Regardless, both methods offer excellent assurance that the
products will meet the nutritional needs of the dog or cat.
Feeding Directions
Feeding directions instruct the consumer on how much product
should be offered to the animal. At minimum, they should include
verbiage 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. Feeding directions tend to
overestimate requirements more often than underestimate them.
There can be several explanations for this phenomenon. The more
suspicious in nature will assume that the manufacturers simply
want to sell more food. However, a more understanding explanation
is that 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.
The best suggestion is to offer the prescribed amount at first,
and then to increase or cut back as needed to maintain body
weight in adults or to achieve proper rate of gain in puppies and
kittens. A nursing mother should be offered all the food she
wants to eat.
Calorie Statement
Pet foods can vary greatly in calorie content, even among
foods of the same type (dry, canned) and formulated for the same
life stage. Feeding directions vary among manufacturers, too, so
the number of calories delivered in a daily meal of one food may
be quite different from another. The number of calories in a
product roughly relates to the amount of fat, although varying
levels of non-calorie-containing components, such as water and
fiber, can throw this correlation off. Thus, the best way for
consumers to compare products and determine how much to be fed is
to know the calorie content. However, until recently, calorie
statements were not allowed on pet food labels. New AAFCO
regulations were developed to allow manufacturers to substantiate
calorie content and include a voluntary statement.
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 can"). 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, the calorie
statement is made on an "as fed" basis, so corrections
for moisture content must be made as described above. 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.
Step 4: Multiply the percent NFE from Step 3 times 3.5 and
write down the result.
Step 5: 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% |
|
| NFE (100-2 = 48) |
|
|
| |
48% |
X 3.5 = 168 |
| |
|
total 337 |
| Calorie content |
= |
337 X 10 |
| |
= |
3370 kcal/kg |
Other Label Claims
Many pet foods are labeled as "premium," and some
now are "super premium" and even "ultra
premium." Other products are touted as "gourmet"
items. However, none of these terms have any official regulatory
standing. Products labeled as premium or gourmet are not required
to contain any different or higher quality ingredients, nor are
they held up to any higher nutritional standards than are any
other complete and balanced products.
The term "natural" is often used on pet food labels,
although that term does not have an official definition either.
For some human foods, it is used to denote that the product is
minimally processed. No pet food meets this criterion. It could
also mean that the product approximates the natural diet of the
animal. Wild dogs and cats eat whole bodies of birds and small
mammals. A quick purview of any pet food label will fail to
disclose these ingredients. Some interpret it to be equivalent to
"no artificial ingredients." However, all complete and
balanced products must contain some chemically synthesized
ingredients, such as vitamin supplements. Thus, some products
will include the disclaimer "natural ingredients with added
vitamins and minerals."
For the most part, "natural" can be construed as
equivalent to a lack of artificial flavors, artificial colors, or
artificial preservatives in the product. As mentioned above,
artificial flavors are rarely employed anyway. Artificial colors
are not really necessary, except to please the pet owner’s
eye. If used, they must be from approved sources, the same as for
human foods. Especially for high-fat dry products, some form of
preservative must be used to prevent rancidity. Natural-source
preservatives, such as mixed tocopherols (a source of vitamin E),
can be used in place of artificial preservatives. However, they
may not be as effective.
"Natural" is not the same as "organic."
The latter term refers to the conditions under which the plants
were grown or animals were raised. There are no official rules
governing the labeling of organic foods (for humans or pets) at
this time, but the United States Department of Agriculture is
developing regulations dictating what types of pesticides,
fertilizers and other substances can be used in organic farming.
Under this plan, a food would have to be comprised of prescribed
minimum percentages of organic ingredients to be labeled with
claims such as "organic" or "with organic
ingredients."
Summary
Pet owners and veterinary professionals have a right to know
what they are feeding their animals. The pet food label contains
a wealth of information, if one knows how to read it. Do not be
swayed by the many marketing gimmicks or eye-catching claims. If
there is a question about the product, contact the manufacturer
or ask an appropriate regulatory agency.
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