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The old adage of "when in doubt, read the label" applies just as well to pet food as to any other product. Pet food labels contain a large amount of information which can be very useful when evaluating and selecting the appropriate pet food, and determining how to feed the product.
A pet food label is made up of many components. As well as the minimum legal requirements, a pet food label may contain a large amount of information which is provided at the discretion of the manufacturer. The Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA) has developed a code of practice which provides detailed guidelines to manufacturers for pet food labelling.
Legal requirementsPet food only
In some states of Australia, there is a legal requirement that the words "PET FOOD ONLY" appear on the label (or lid of canned products) of pet food products made in that state. To further assist consumers to identify the product as pet food, some state legislation makes it mandatory for a picture of the animal species for which it is intended (e.g. a dog or cat) to feature on the label.
Weights and measures
The net weight of the product must be "conspicuously" shown on the label.
Chemical analysis declarationsGuaranteed analysis
The order and format of this statement is governed by state laws. The minimum information the label must state is:
- Crude protein Minimum %
- Crude fat Minimum %
- Crude fibre Maximum %
- Moisture Maximum %
- Salt (NaCl) Maximum %
- Other nutrients are optional
Date of manufacture
It is important to know exactly when the product was made so it can be traced back to a specific batch at the manufacturing plant if there is a problem with the product or the whole batch has to be withdrawn from sale.
Therapeutic claims
Labels appearing on registered therapeutic products must contain, among other things, information as to the name of the chemical product and each active constituent of the product; the expiry date and date of manufacture (if applicable); the duration of treatment; and, if the National Registration Authority (NRA) deems it necessary, a warning or other precautionary instructions.
Name and address
The Name and address of the company responsible for placing the product on the market must appear on the label, but this is not necessarily the manufacturer, and may be the packer, importer or distributor.
Country of origin
The country of origin of the pet food should also be stated on the label.
Information provided by the manufacturer
In addition to the legislative requirements, PFIAA members have agreed to include some additional information on their pet food labels.
A picture of the animal (i.e. dog or cat) for which the food is intended, although this is mandatory under some state laws.
Nutritional adequacy statement
This guides the purchaser as to whether the product provides a complete and balanced diet for their pet at a particular life stage, or whether it is intended to be fed with other foods for nutritional completeness. The method used to substantiate the nutritional adequacy claim should be included. The minimum nutritional standards of AAFCO have been adopted by the major pet food manufacturers to assess the nutritional adequacy of their products.
Typical analysis
This gives the actual % crude protein, % crude fat, % crude fibre, and % salt (NaCl), rather than just maximum or minimum amounts as in the guaranteed analysis statement. Any individual analysis must not vary by more than 10% from the stated value.
Ingredients list
Contains some useful information, since the ingredients must be listed in descending order (by weight). A product can only be described as "all meat" or "100% meat" when composed wholly of the named ingredient or by-products of this ingredient. What the ingredient list does not provide is information about the quality of the ingredients.
Feeding guide
Manufacturers are encouraged to provide directions for use on the label. These are provided only as a guide, and individual pets may require more or less food than recommended, depending on their metabolism, lifestyle and lifestage. Different manufacturers may use different formulae to calculate energy requirements of pets, so it is better to compare caloric density when evaluating feeding costs of different pet foods.
Caloric density
A statement of caloric density is optional. A breakdown of the percentage of calories contributed by fat, carbohydrate and protein is very useful information when deciding the suitability of the food for a particular life stage, or activity level.
General consumer information
In common with all grocery items, prepared pet foods are usually labelled with the following information for the advice of the purchaser.
Product branding
Every manufacturer ensures that their brand name e.g. WHISKAS(r) ADVANCE(r) and product name e.g. ADULT WITH FISH, appear in a prominent position on the pet food label. The words, pictures, logos and colour schemes which define the product may be registered as trademarks for exclusive use.
Manufacturer's claims
These components of the label are not specifically regulated, however manufacturer's claims should be realistic and able to be substantiated e.g. a product can usually only be described as NEW for up to 6 months, and if claimed to be IMPROVED then data which demonstrates the improvement in the product should be available.
Manufacturer's name and address and contact details
This is important for customers who have product complaints or require more information about the product. Pet food manufacturers who stand by their products, answer customer enquiries and investigate product complaints will usually provide a toll-free consumer advice line.
Use by date
Manufacture date and/or use by date appears on the more perishable products, such as chilled dog roll products and modified milk products to guide the purchaser on the useful shelf life of the product.
Bar coding information
Bar coding is an international system of product identification, and all pet food products sold through the major retail outlets in Australia carry bar codes. The bar code provides information on the country of the manufacturer, the manufacturer's name and product identification, plus a check digit for bar code validation.
Batch number
This is useful for tracing back products with production faults or other problems.
Guarantee
Reputable pet foods come with a guarantee of nutritional adequacy, quality and safety. They also supply nutritional information and feeding advice through their customer service department.
Pet food quality depends on the quality of the raw ingredients, the nutrient profile, levels of nutrients, digestibility, palatability and most importantly the bioavailability of nutrients.
Chemical analysis data on the label is of little practical value in assessing the nutritional value of a pet food. It must be remembered that the values listed in the guaranteed analysis are maxima and minima, not the actual quantities of the nutrients in the product, and provide no indication of the quality of the nutrients, their digestibility in the animal or their palatability. Also, nutrients are stated on an "as fed" basis, so it is difficult to compare foods with different water contents.
The ingredient list is a better guide to the quality of the product, and can contain some useful information, since the ingredients are listed in descending order by weight.
One of the important considerations when evaluating different pet foods, is to check how the manufacturer substantiates their nutritional claims, particularly for "complete and balanced" products. The best way to evaluate the nutritional value of a pet food is to feed it to animals for which it is intended, over a prolonged period of time. A claim of complete and balanced nutrition based on AAFCO feeding trial protocols provides evidence that the food is digestible and the nutrients are bio-available. However, quality can be affected after manufacturing if storage or packaging of the product is poor.
For example the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition also conducts life stage feeding trials to establish the suitability of pet foods for animals at different life stages, and all of the PEDIGREE(r) ADVANCE and WHISKAS(r) ADVANCE products have undergone testing according to these protocols, in addition to meeting the AAFCO nutritional standards.
Key Points
- Pet food labelling in Australia is governed by both state industry laws and consumer product laws
- PFIAA members include additional label information to guide consumers in the selection and use of their products
- Registered therapeutic pet foods, such as clinical diets, are legally required to include other information regarding the use of the product.
- Nutritional adequacy should be evaluated by testing the product under AAFCO feeding protocols, rather than the chemical analysis of the pet food.
The information provided is extracted from the SpeedyVet web site and further information on pet nutrition and pet food products can be found at the site. Click here to visit the SpeedyVet web site.
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