Aafco Approved Pet Foods

Although aafco statements are intended to assure the available pet foods are complete and balanced diets aafco doesn t regulate test approve or certify pet foods.

Aafco approved pet foods. It s the pet food manufacturers responsibility to manufacture the pet food according to aafco standards. The aafco dog and cat food nutrient profiles express nutrient levels on a dry matter or moisture free basis. Even though the stuff that pets consume is titled pet food it is considered pet feed and it is held to regulations of feed not regulations of food. Aafco is a private non profit corporation featuring.

You can stop looking for an aafco seal of approval on rover s food. One of the purposes of the american association of feed control officials aafco is to oversee nutritional adequacy statements on pet food labels. In addition many of the ingredients in the aafco official publication are not approved food additives and may not meet the criteria needed to be recognized as gras for a use 21 cfr 570 30. Aafco has a separate division that is specific to pet food but feed control officials still consider pet food a feed.

The food and drug administration fda requires labeling whether the food meets aafco guidelines or not for nutritional adequacy. The aafco essentially details what ingredients a dog food label must contain in order to claim complete and balanced nutrition for your pal at any life stage from puppy to senior. In fact the guaranteed analysis of the food and whether or not. Read a label correctly select a food labeled for the pet s species life stage and condition follow feeding directions on the label the nutritional adequacy statement usually found in small print on the back or side of pet food packaging is the key to meeting a pet s nutritional needs.

Two meetings per year that include specialized trainings for members and industry. However aafco can only recommend not enforce law. Rather it establishes model labeling standards for manufacturers regarding the ingredient list and nutritional formula and recommends laws or regulations to implement those guidelines. A process for defining ingredients used in animal feed and pet food.

Aafco is made up of veterinary nutritionists veterinarians state and federal officials and pet food industry professionals all interested in creating the best possible guidelines for your pet s food. There are a number of sources of dietary fiber used in pet food including dried beet pulp dried chicory root fructooligosaccharide powdered cellulose and inulin. Aafco establishes the nutritional standards for complete and balanced pet foods and it is the pet food company s responsibility to formulate their products according to the appropriate aafco standard. But the guaranteed analysis on a pet food label expresses nutrient levels on an.

Most states ok all states don t take issue with a pet food aka pet feed containing protein sourced from euthanized animals or pesticide laden grains vegetables. Aafco does not regulate test approve or certify pet foods in any way. The agency doesn t endorse any dog food.