Understanding Pet Food Labels
Just like food for people, food for pets is regulated in terms of how it is labelled. Specifically, the label must feature the product’s brand name, indicate the animal for which it is intended, include the product’s net weight and provide the manufacturer’s address.
The pet food industry in Canada is self-regulated, but in September 2001, Competition Bureau Canada issued a pet food labelling and advertising guide to address consumers’ concerns about uniformity and monitoring
Unlike human food, many pet foods are designed to be the sole source of nutrition for an animal. They are often labelled as ‘complete and balanced’ after studies to ensure they meet a healthy animal’s complex nutritional requirements.
There are two ways pet food companies can test their products’ nutritional value. One is the use of standardized animal feeding trials. In these studies, animals are fed a given product for a period determined by the product’s intended life stage. (In the case of maintenance diets, this will be about 26 weeks.)
The animals are monitored carefully to ensure they remain healthy and veterinary care is provided if any animal within the study has health concerns. A product using this kind of test will indicate it on the label.
Another way is to use nutritional profiles, which themselves are developed with the assistance of feeding trials. This type of test is designed to ensure foods meet animals’ needs at various stages of life and is indicated as such on the label.
A claim statement lists the requirements the food meets for the animal. The company behind the product must be able to substantiate any such claims.
Ingredients for pet food, as with human food, are listed on an ingredient panel in descending order by weight, i.e. from the largest quantity to the smallest. The label should clearly state which ingredients are included in a given product.
The ‘guaranteed analysis’ section of a label shows how much fat, protein, fibre and water are in the product. Minerals and vitamins may also be listed in this section.
In addition, labels usually provide feeding guidelines, informing owners how much of the food is appropriate for their pet and how frequently it should be provided. Feeding directions are developed with the pet’s age and activity level (and sometimes its breed) in mind.
An owner with questions specific to his/her pet’s dietary needs should consult a veterinarian and can also contact the pet food manufacturer for more details. Many labels feature customer service phone numbers for this purpose.
Therapeutic foods sold through veterinary clinics will also provide dispensing information, similar to prescription medication for humans. The veterinarian can explain how best to use this kind of product.