Pet food labels include a lot of information on nutrient content.
However, sometimes it is challenging to understand these labels and here
is how to do it.
Choosing the right food for your pet can seem confusing sometimes. Do
you even know what labels like “all natural” and “real beef flavor”
even mean? It is often the case that animal protein gets added to pet
food in the form of byproducts and scraps left from processing of food.
Premium dog food often contains chicken byproducts like chicken feet as a
source of protein.
Each state has its own regulations on pet food ingredients. Although
the national standards for definitions, ingredients, and nutrient levels
are regulated by the Association of American Feed Control Officials,
the body has limited enforcement authority. AAFCO provides standards for
what pet food labels should include but it doesn’t regulate pet food.
What this means for you is that if you wish to choose the best and
healthiest food for your pet, you should not only read the labels but
also understand the basics.
Regrettably, food labels for pets are often misleading. The following outlines what you should look for.
– The name indicates what the content includes. Unless it includes 95
per cent pork, a label on pet foot cannot read “Pork for dogs”. If the
type of meat is clearly mentioned on the food, it is usually what you
get and it is safe to assume so.
– Beware of the word “dinners” on dog food. The 95 per cent rule has
exceptions and these occur when manufacturers of pet food combine the
name of meat with words such as platter, dinner, formula, nuggets and
entrée. When you see such words, have in mind that the percentage of
meat behind the label can be as low as 25 per cent.
– Stay away from the words “with” and “flavor” on dog food labels. According to Ulvilden German Shepherds,
if a package of food is labeled “Pork Flavor Dog Food”, the food only
needs to taste like pork, and it could solely consist of pork
byproducts. Both words require from producers to include only 3 per cent
meat per food.
– Pay no attention to superlatives. Clever terms like “gourmet” and
“premium” are not subjected to regulations and have no meaning
whatsoever.
– “Organic” and “natural” are not the same thing. There is no
official definition for the term natural, which means it is
indiscriminately used. In contrast, there is a strict legal definition
behind the word “organic”, meaning the term can only be used if the food
complies with the standards of the US Department of Agriculture.
Always be mindful of the health of your pet
Although regulations exist, manufacturers of pet foods use a lot of
terms to label their products, and there have been a lot of cases in the
past of inferior pet food making pets ill. In 2007 alone, thousands of
dogs became sick and some 20 percent died as a result of eating pet food
contaminated by melamine.
In addition, you can visit
Petsmart.com.
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