How often do you read the label when you buy food for your pet? Sometimes we choose a product for ourselves and do not read the composition, much less the animal. And in vain, you should not neglect the choice of food! If you choose health and well-being for yourself and your Fluffy – you should learn to read the label. Animals can’t take care of themselves, so let’s be responsible! Look for food without any sweeteners, substitutes, emulsifiers or other chemicals. Caring pet owners always look carefully at what goes into their Pet’s mouth.

Organizations controlling the quality of food

Immunity, animal activity, appearance, metabolic processes in the body depend on quality nutrition. The creation of a complete feed is a complex technological process, which is worked on by technologists and veterinary nutritionists. In Europe and the United States, regulatory bodies have been established to control and develop ingredients and sources for feed:

  • AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) is the U.S. non-government organization for feed control. Its recommendations and standards are used not only in the USA but also in other countries.
  • NRC(National Research Council) is a division of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). It has been publishing reports on the nutrient requirements of many animal species since the 1940s.
  • FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry Federation) is a European trade federation dedicated to the research and development of various indicators for the production of quality feed. The organization represents 650 companies that produce more than 90% of pet food in Europe. FEDIAF actively cooperates with authorities to establish laws and regulations on production. The documents have been approved by the European Commission and are the standard for manufacturers.

As for Ukraine, pet food production is regulated according to DSTU (State Standards of Ukraine). Unfortunately, the document specifies only general standards for the production of feed, it would be good to expand the standards to meet the special needs of animals (age, health, size, etc.).

Label structure

Feed packaging usually has a front side and a back side. What catches our eye is the front of the package, and marketing is responsible for this. The name of the feed and the manufacturer, the weight of the product, slogans will not tell us about the composition. What is important to us is the back side, which is where the important information is: nutritional value, list of ingredients, nutritional value.

FEDIAF has established a list of items that must necessarily make up the structure of the label:

  • product name and description;
  • feed characteristic;
  • composition (list of ingredients in decreasing order of their mass fraction before processing and the presence of added vitamins);
  • nutritional value (guaranteed analysis) – a concept that determines the presence of useful properties in the feed. It is characterized by the chemical composition of the food product – how much crude protein, fat, fiber, ash and moisture are contained;
  • feeding recommendations: how much food can be given to an animal according to its age and other characteristics;
  • weight information;
  • information about the manufacturer or distributor;
  • batch code and expiration date.

Let’s take a closer look at the components of the label.

Product name and description

Here almost everything is simple, you choose by the name and brand of the company feed. However, manufacturers can exaggerate the potential value of a product with unproven facts, slogans or words. Therefore, FEDIAF and AAFCO have created requirements that prohibit information in the name of a feed that is not scientifically proven and has deceptive coloring. Phrases containing the words: “therapeutic”, “preventive”, “high quality”, “first class” are used for marketing purposes and are prohibited. In Ukraine there are classifications of feeds: “Premium”, “Super Premium”, “Holistic”, but such systematization has not been approved normatively. Consequently, these characteristics are purely advertising. Attention should be paid to the designations that correspond to reality: “grain-free” or “grain-free” – absence of cereals in the composition, “monoprotein” – the feed consists of one source of animal protein, “hypoallergenic” – contains hydrolyzed protein to reduce the risk of allergic reactions.

In the United States, labeling rules have been approved for the name. For example: the name “Feed with beef” – means 70% beef meat in the food; “Beef dish” – beef meat is at least 10%; “With beef” – only 3%; and “Beef flavor” – meat is added as much as the manufacturer wants.

Feed characteristics

Conditionally, the feed by the composition of ingredients can be divided into:

  • complete – the best ratio of all microelements, vitamins necessary for a healthy animal;
  • balanced – consists of basic nutrients in the right amount;
  • digestible – contains elements that are quickly digested, but does not cover all the needs of the body;
  • supplemental – this is food that cannot be used daily. These are treats, wet food, various snacks, soups, collagen sticks.

These characteristics on the package can be indicated in different variations. For example: “complete and balanced” (complete and balanced) food “for puppies”, “for adult dogs”, “for all stages of life”, “for neutered cats” and others. Of course, according to your needs, you should pay attention to the inscriptions and choose.

Feed composition (ingredients)

The composition of the food is written in the form of a list of ingredients in descending order of quantity in the product. Since dogs and cats need protein first of all, you should pay attention to the description of protein components:

  • Fresh meat (“chicken,” “beef,” “lamb,” “turkey,” “salmon”) is an essential protein, but contains a lot of water (about 70%). During the drying of meat, a lot of water evaporates, the weight of the product is reduced and the name of these ingredients may shift lower in the sequence.
  • Dehydrated meat or meat meal (“dehydrated lamb meat”, “lamb meat meal”) – don’t let this name scare you, as this is already dried meat and the protein content is very concentrated. It is even better than fresh meat.
  • By-products or by-products of animal origin (“animal protein”, “meat processing products”, “meat by-products”, “hydrolyzed protein”, “poultry fat”, etc.) are internal organs and parts of animals, except for hooves and wool. It is difficult to trace the quality of by-products. Therefore, it is better not to buy feed with by-products or to make sure that they are minimized in the composition.

In addition to protein, the composition of the feed includes: fats (animal and/or vegetable), fiber (dried fruits and vegetables), cereals, potatoes, vitamin and mineral complex, probiotics and prebiotics. Of course that additional ingredients are extremely important, because fiber helps the stomach work properly, fats give the body energy, probiotics normalize the microflora of the intestinal tract. Look for whole grains: brown rice, oats, barley, as corn, wheat and soy are often used as cheaper fillers and can cause an allergic reaction. And of course do not take food with artificial colors, obscure preservatives, flavor enhancers.

If you are looking for cat food, you should pay attention to the taurine supplement, as it is vital for the life of the Pet.

Nutritional value

Nutritional value is a characteristic that shows the highs and lows of substances in the food. It contains indicators: moisture – a useful value for comparing dry and wet foods; crude protein – cats need at least 25-35%, dogs 18-25%; crude fat – excess fat can lead to obesity; crude fiber; crude ash – a term that refers to the total amount of minerals. Raw ash should not be high because excessive amounts indicate poor feed quality. Guaranteed analysis allows you to evaluate the composition of the product and find out if it contains ingredients that may cause allergies in your Pet.

What to look for when choosing a food?

Now after familiarizing yourself with the composition of the label, you can more thoroughly approach the selection of quality food for your faithful friend. Do not be lazy to check the composition of the ingredients of the product of different companies. For young animals, it is better to choose a feed with a high content of fat and protein for growth. If the animal has health problems, you should choose a specialized feed or feed according to the characteristics of the veterinarian. Quality protein should be at the top of the ingredients list, avoid inaccurate names and artificial ingredients. Introduce a new food into the diet gradually, observing how the animal feels. Remember – your choice affects the health of your friend!