Learn to look past clever marketing and how to read pet food labels. Understand which ingredients to avoid to keep your furry little friends healthy and happy.
I’m a label reader. I pause in grocery store aisles and in front of drug store displays to puzzle my way through ingredient lists on everything from yogurt (sugar added?) to Q-tips (organic cotton?). However, the labels on my pets’ food bags have led to more confusion than clarity. Is “human-grade” really better? And what exactly is the difference between “meat byproducts” and “beef meal”? The following primer on common pet food labeling requirements, ingredient definitions, and marketing terms will answer those questions and more, empowering conscientious pet owners to put as much consideration into their companions’ diets as they do into their own.
Pet Food Label Basics
Pet food is regulated on both a state and federal level, while labeling requirements and ingredient definitions are created by the nonprofit Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the same organization that oversees livestock feed. According to the AAFCO’s website, every pet food container must include eight designations. The first requirement — the brand and product name — provides one of the biggest clues about the ingredients within. The AAFCO has strict guidelines that a product’s name must accurately reflect how much of the key ingredient is included in that particular recipe. According to Marion Nestle and Malden C. Nesheim’s book Feed Your Pet Right, a meal labeled “all-tuna cat food” must contain 100% tuna (except for the water used in processing and minor additives). A bag labeled “tuna cat food” without the “all” precursor must contain 95% tuna (70% if water is used for processing). Titles such as “chicken dinner” or “chicken entrée” imply that chicken is at least 25% of the ingredients’ weight. Bags that claim that a pet food “contains tuna” or is “made with beef” need to contain only 3% of the advertised ingredient. Foods labeled “meat-flavored” must simply include the flavoring agent somewhere in the ingredient list.
If you’re rushing through the store and want to grab a pet food based on the name alone, skip the “dinners,” “entrées,” and “flavored with” bags, and opt instead for foods that include higher percentages of the advertised ingredient that caught your eye in the first place. Always double-check that the ingredient list verifies the label’s claim.
The AAFCO also requires that pet food containers clearly state the species for which the meal is intended. Commercial pet foods are carefully formulated to meet each species’ unique nutrient needs, which is why you shouldn’t regularly feed cat food to dogs or vice versa. For example, cats, but not dogs, need a supplement of the amino sulfonic acid taurine for vision and heart health.
The third labeling requirement is a quantity statement, such as “10 lbs.,” so consumers know the net weight of the product they’re purchasing. The fourth obligatory statement is a guaranteed analysis, which conveys the mixture’s minimum percentage of crude protein and fat, and its maximum percentage of fiber and moisture. Lab analysis determines the amount of each nutrient. Claims on the label may necessitate other guarantees. Brands can list vitamins and minerals voluntarily but are required to include them if they’re part of the advertising claim.
A nutritional adequacy statement indicates that food is “complete and balanced” for a certain life stage — such as adult, growth, or reproduction– or is meant as a supplement or snack. Feeding directions are required for any food that’s labeled “complete and balanced,” and the directions should organize the feeding frequency and amount of product to feed by the weight of the pet. The name and address of the manufacturer or distributor must be present, and the final (and arguably most important) requirement is the ingredient list.
Decoding Pet Food Ingredient Lists
Just like products made for human consumption, the ingredient list for pet foods is where you can glean the most accurate information about the contents of your companion’s kibble. Learn some key words to look for on pet food labels by studying this infographic from Petco.
The AAFCO requires that all ingredients for pet food be listed in order by percentage of total weight (highest to lowest), and that all ingredients are either “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), are approved food additives, or are authorized for use in animal foods. Foods certified as GRAS, such as peas, oats, or potatoes, are easy to recognize and understand. However, the unique formulations specifically approved for animal foods and defined by the AAFCO, such as meat byproducts or poultry meal, are a bit murkier.
As a rule of thumb, favor pet foods that list whole, fresh meats or single-source meat meals, such as beef or lamb meal, at the top of their ingredient lists. Obscure terms, such as “meat,” may include a number of animal species that you won’t be able to track back to their sources. This rule applies to labels for fat as well: “Beef fat” is preferable to “animal fat.”
According to the Whole Dog Journal, research has revealed that whole ingredients in dry dog foods tend to be processed and stored more carefully (kept clean and cold) than lower-cost byproducts are.
Let’s compare two ingredient lists to review pet food label terminology: Taste of the Wild’s Wetlands Canine Formula with Roasted Fowl lists both duck and duck meal as the first two ingredients. Its species-specific terminology, which doesn’t include the word “byproduct,” indicates that it’s a higher-quality item than what’s available from Whiskas’ Meaty Selections: Chicken and Turkey Flavor (note the word “flavor”). This chicken-flavored, dry cat food lists the more convoluted poultry byproduct meal as its first ingredient, followed by ground yellow corn.
Another dubious ingredient that appears on pet food labels — especially in lines designed for pets with allergies — is feather meal. Highly processed feather meal (sometimes listed as “hydrolyzed poultry byproducts aggregate”) is added as a cheap protein replacement. Hydrolyzed feather meal does contain more nutritionally available amino acids than feathers in their true form, but it’s a highly processed ingredient that many folks prefer to avoid.
Other red-flag additives include artificial preservatives, such as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin. Look instead for vitamin E and rosemary extract, both of which are healthful preservative choices. Avoid artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners, just as you would when shopping for yourself. Bone-shaped kibble in various bright colors is created as a marketing ploy for buyers’ enjoyment; your pet will appreciate a well-balanced, tasty meal regardless of its shape or color. Consult the AAFCO’s definitions for a number of other common pet food ingredients, including “animal byproduct meal” and more.
Meaningful Marketing Terms
As you’re learning how to read pet food labels and decode terms, keep in mind that food companies pay big bucks to target consumers. You can avoid greenwashing attempts and artificially spiked prices by following a few pointers. If a labeling term isn’t defined by the AAFCO, then it’s essentially nothing more than a marketing term, and the AAFCO prefers that it not be used. Words that fall into this category are “premium,” “human-grade,” and “holistic.” A company can put “veterinarian recommended” on its product if it surveyed a “statistically sound” number of veterinarians for their opinions. It only takes one veterinarian, however, to support the claim “veterinarian formulated” or “veterinarian developed.” “Veterinarian approved” isn’t allowed because only state regulatory agencies can approve pet food.
Unfortunately, clear organic regulations for pet foods don’t exist. According to Nestle and Nesheim, the AAFCO basically states that pet food companies should do the best they can to follow the standards for human foods, and if they do, then they’ll avoid scrutiny. Following those guidelines, pet food products that display the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Certified Organic seal should contain at least 95% organic ingredients. If a pet food product claims it’s “made with organic ingredients,” then it should be 70% organic ingredients — if it’s following the National Organic Program’s rules, which it’s not required to do. In a deceitful twist, pet food brands can insert the word “organic” into their brand names even if they don’t include a single organic ingredient in their products. If you find organic pet food labeling guidelines confusing — in which case, you’re not alone — your best bet will be to refer to the ingredient list rather than unregulated labeling claims.
Interestingly, one of the few labeling terms that the AAFCO does define is the word “natural.” According to the AAFCO website, “natural” is a loose term, but pet foods labeled as natural shouldn’t include artificial flavors or colors, or BHA or BHT preservatives. In contrast with foods meant for human consumption, the term “natural” on dog food packages does hold some weight.
To provide your pets with first-rate fare that won’t break the bank, look past catchy names and showy packaging to analyze the ingredient list yourself. High-quality food, combined with enough activity and plenty of love, can help your companions — and you! — live fuller, happier lives.
Paleo Pets and Other Unconventional Options
In today’s pet food market, we have the option to choose a number of specialty diets for our pets, including vegetarian, grain-free, raw, and even homemade, but are we doing our pets any favors by removing certain ingredients from their meals?
Dogs are omnivores and have evolved to eat humans’ leftover or unwanted edibles. Although many dogs do prefer animal-based protein, they can thrive on a vegetarian diet that includes at least 10 percent calories from protein. Cats, however, are carnivorous animals that should derive most of their protein from meat, fish, and other animal products. The Humane Society of the United States says, “It’s unfair and unrealistic to impose human ethical standards on cats. And forcing a cat to eat a diet that isn’t based on meat imperils its health and its life.” Vegetarian cat food brands claim to supplement their feed with the mandatory nutrients typically found in meat products, including B-12 and taurine, but it’s difficult to know whether the products truly contain as much as they claim. If you insist on feeding your cat a vegetarian diet, consider personally adding vitamin and mineral supplements to its food.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are grain-free diets, which are based on cats’ and dogs’ evolution from meat-eating ancestors. However, when our pets’ ancestors were eating carcasses of wild animals, including the organs and intestines, they inadvertently ate what their meal ate — including wild grains and grasses. Similar to a vegetarian diet, a feeding regimen for modern cats and dogs that’s based solely on meat must be supplemented with essential nutrients from other food groups.
Also from an evolutionary perspective, our pets’ ancient ancestors would have subsisted on an entirely raw diet. Raw diets, such as the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet, should provide adequate levels of fat, protein, and calories, along with other essential nutrients if supplemented properly. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) concern with raw pet food diets, however, is the sanitation issue they create in the owner’s home because of the potential introduction of salmonella, which isn’t as harmful to cats and dogs as it is to humans.
Pet owners with a little extra time and kitchen know-how may want to consider providing their pets with homemade pet food. As with human diets, it’s important to introduce variety into our pets’ meals, and homemade meal plans offer the widest array of options, from pumpkin and sweet potatoes to oatmeal, turkey, and probiotic-rich yogurt. Make sure you feed your pet the correct proportion of grains, meat, fat, vegetables, and more; don’t skip the supplements.
