San Antonio Veterinarian Clinic

Pet Food Standards

Until the 1980s, all nutritional standards for pet food were set by the National Research Council of the Academy of Sciences. The NRC required extensive trials for pet foods which claimed to be either complete or balanced. However, the industry found this testing to be very costly and restrictive, and therefore, moved to the adoption of the Association for Animal Feed Control Official’s requirements. The AAFCO judges foods based upon analysis of nutrients. In addition, separate committees were established to designate canine and feline standards.

Feeding trials are occasionally performed, but, due to the cost and time, they are rare. Generally, chemical analysis is used to test for the product’s adequacy. The manufacturer will label the product with which method of testing was used. The AAFCO contains a family rule where by a product can claim live feed testing if it was performed with a similar food. There is no differentiation between the “lead” product which was tested and the family members. The label will contain information as to whether the product is considered balanced and whether it is for a growing pet or an adult.

Chemical analysis fails to examine the biological availability of nutrients and the digestibility of the product. Therefore, the testing does not address whether or not the product will provide the pet with adequate nutrients. To combat this issue, the AAFCO has included a safety factor in their analysis which requires that the components exceed the minimum amount of nutrients required.

For more information on food for your pet, contact a San Antonio veterinarian clinic today.