Pet Food Testing & Analysis

Certain food products must contain a minimum amount of crude protein and fat, and a maximum amount of crude fiber and moisture. Only foods that do not contain protein, fat or fiber (e.g., vitamins and minerals) are exempt from the requirement to guarantee that the foods contain those nutrients. In all cases, a guarantee to retain some moisture is required. Other nutrients generally have no requirements for nutritional guarantees, although some products are required to provide additional guarantees to support claims made on the label. If you are making additional claims on your pet food label, such as “high in calcium”, then you will need to include guarantees for the amounts of any nutrients that are included in your claims.

All pet food labels should state that they contain at least a minimum percentage of crude protein and crude fat, and at least a minimum percentage of crude fiber and water. It’s important to note that the term “crude” refers to the way the products are tested, not to the quality of the nutrients themselves.

Federal regulations enacted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) establish the standards that must be met for all animal feeds: proper identification of the product, net quantity statement, manufacturer’s name and address, and listing of ingredients.
Several states enforce their own labeling laws. Many states have adopted the model regulations developed by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). These regulations specify the following: name of product, nutritional adequacy statement, warnings on packaging, and feeding time. These regulations are more specific, and include information about specific things like the product name, the guaranteed analysis, the nutritional adequacy statement, feeding directions, and calories.

Yes, it is regulated by the FDA. FDA regulates finished pet foods (such as treats and chews) as well as their ingredients. Most states require that the products sold in their state registries be registered; in other words, products must conform to strict requirements for the ingredients in their labeling. It is also not legal to use an ingredient in pet food until it has been approved by the FDA and adopted by AAFCO

The FDA & Department of Agriculture regulated dog and cat food.

The product Name and its brand name, the purpose statement for the feed (identifying specific species and animal classes), The guaranteed analysis statement, directions for safe and effective use (commonly known as “Feeding Directions” or “Mixing Directions”, the manufacturer’s or distributors name and address, a quantity or net weight statement in both standard and metric units

• Metabolic Energy
• Minimum Crude Fat:
• Minimum Crude Protein
• Fiber
• Moisture
• Ash
• Ingredient Statement

Product Name, Net Quantity Statement, Manufacturer’s Name And Address, Ingredient List, Guaranteed Analysis, Nutritional Adequacy Statement, Feeding Directions, Calorie Statement, Other Label Claims

According to their website, The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a voluntary membership association of local, state and federal agencies charged by law to regulate the sale and distribution of animal feeds and animal drug remedies.

The only nutrients required to be listed in the Guaranteed Analysis, according to the AAFCO guidelines for pet food labeling, are:

• The minimum percent of crude protein
• The minimum percent of crude fat
• The maximum percent of crude fiber
• The maximum percent moisture

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