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When shopping for a dog food, do you ever wonder just what some of the information printed on the label means? Do you understand what the nutritional information really means for your dog’s health?
To help you make sense of it all, petMD, in partnership with Hill’s Science Diet has developed a special tool to teach dog owners about balanced diets. This tool is called MyBowl, an interactive method of teaching dog owners what to look for on the dog food label.
There is a wealth of information to be found on a dog food label. The two main parts of a label are the principal display panel (PDP) and the information panel. The PDP is the part of the label that is typically shown facing out on the retail shelf. Information required by law to be included on a dog food label includes:
Other information that is optional and may be found on the label include various claims, graphs or pictures, veterinary recommendations, and more.
Labeling for dog food in the United States is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has established specific rules and regulations relating to product labeling. These regulations are enforced by individual states.
The AAFCO has rules for how names are applied to dog foods. Take, for example, a name like "Beef Food for Dogs." Proclaiming beef in the product name means it must be made up of 95 percent beef (not including water for processing). Dog foods with this amount of meat in the product name are usually canned foods.
The 25 percent, or "dinner" rule applies to both canned and dry dog foods. In this case, products including a descriptor in the product name, such as a "dinner," must be made up of at least 25 percent of the ingredient in the name. Descriptions other than the word "dinner" can also be used with this rule, such as "entrée," "formula," "platter," etc.
The "with," or 3 percent rule applies to ingredients used, such as "Dog Food with Chicken." The AAFCO allows the use of an ingredient with the term "with" as part of the product name, as long as the product is made up of at least 3 percent of the ingredient (in this example, chicken). The "flavor" rule doesn’t specify any certain percentage of the named ingredient to be present, but there must be enough of that ingredient to be detected by specific testing methods.
The net quantity statement (usually on the front of the bag) tells the consumer the amount of product in the container. The FDA regulates how this statement is printed on the container so that it is consistent among brands. Dog owners can use this statement to compare the cost of different sized products.
On the ingredient list found on the back of the bag, consumers will find all the ingredients used to make the product. Ingredients are listed in order of predominance by weight. The weight of each ingredient is determined by including its water content. This is important to note, as fresh meats are very high in moisture, while products like meat meals are only about 10 percent moisture. This is why comparing products on a dry matter basis (not including water in the ingredients) helps provide a true comparison of ingredients. We will discuss how to calculate this in the next section.
Typically, ingredients must be listed by their common, or "usual" names. Vitamins and mineral supplements are added in addition to natural sources. Other ingredients might include colorings, preservatives, or stabilizers.
The amount of matter in a certain type of feed without the moisture