Pet Food Labeling Requirements

All pet food plants are subject to inspection and the FDA's low acid canned foods regulations apply to pet foods just as they do to canned foods processed for human use.

Most of the 50 states require, under state animal food laws and regulations, that pet food labels be registered and approved. As a result, in addition to routine information such as net weight and name of the manufacturer, pet food labels are required to:

• conspicuously identify the products as a dog or cat food
• select a brand name which is not misleading as to content or nutritional properties
• give a guaranteed chemical analysis that conforms to the state's animal feed law
• give an ingredient listing in descending order of preponderance. Names of ingredients must be accepted as standard or common in use, and no one ingredient can be given undue emphasis

Under regulations developed by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a pet food label may not express or imply any claim that a product is complete, perfect, scientific, balanced, etc. food unless:

• it is nutritionally adequate for a normal animal in all of its life stages --growth, adult maintenance, and gestation/lactation
• the claim is modified by stating that it is complete and balanced for one or more specific life stages

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