According
to the American Pet Products Association, Americans spent an estimated $52
billion dollars on their pets in 2012, with an estimated $19 billion of that
being spent of pet food. Clearly
Americans love their pets, and as pet food recalls have heightened pet owners’
concerns about pet food safety and nutrition, many “Premium” foods have entered
the market, competing for those dollars.
With the typical pet super market containing 6-8 aisles of dog food and
4-5 aisles of cat food, how is the health conscious pet owner to decipher the labels
and choose the best food for their pet with a reasonable price tag?
The
Cover Story: Food, Recipes and Flavors – What’s in The Bag?
The
FDA and the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) have
regulated guidelines for how pet foods products may be labeled and
marketed. Many so called premium dog
foods have found creative marketing tactics for dodging these regulations while
luring consumers with promises of holistic or evolutionary diets.
When
I first learned that FDA requirements stated that a dog food labeled as “Salmon
for Dogs” must contain at least 95% salmon (by weight percentage), I was stuck
by the fact that my premium dry dog kibble barely even smells like seafood. I
went to double check the label. My
premium food calls itself a “Life Protection Formula,” later defined in smaller
print as a “Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe.”
Many other ingredients follow on the side of the package so what gives?
Recipes,
Dinners and Formulas fall under different rules with regards to FDA and AAFCO
labeling regulations. A pet food using
one of these monikers need only contain between 25% and 95% of the main ingredient
listed on the front label. The food must
contain more of the first listed ingredient on the label than the following
label ingredients. So my fish and sweet
potato formula, by AAFCO regulations, might only contain 13% fish and 12% sweet
potato. If it said “Fish, Sweet Potato
and Oatmeal Recipe,” I might expect the food to contain perhaps 10% fish, 8%
sweet potato and 7% oatmeal. Other terms used under this rule include entrée,
platter, pate or shreds.
Trickier
still is the word “With” Pet food bags
that market ingredients using the term “with” need only contain 3% of the
additional ingredient. For example, if my food bag read “sweet potatoes with
fish recipe,” then the manufacturer would only be required to put 3% fish in the
product. Products with names like “TurDucKen”
and “Shepherds Pie” fall completely outside of regulation. You will have to delve deeper and check the
ingredient list on the side or bottom of the package to know what the
manufacturer is actually selling in that bag or can.
Finally,
there is the packaging descriptor “Flavor.”
Foods that are flavored with beef, chicken or fish, have no strict
percentage requirements other than it should contain a sufficient amount that
the flavor be detectable by the pet. Interestingly, the product need not
contain the actual product that is “flavoring” the dinner. Manufacturers may use other ingredients that
simulate the flavor, so a beef flavored dinner may not contain any beef at
all. Professional dog food taste testers
determine if the flavor can be detected.
These dogs are trained to respond to the presence of a scent in order to
indicate that the food possesses that essence or flavor.
Gravy,
Sauce and Aspic – Purchasing Cans of Water
Moisture,
the amount of water in the dog food, ranges from about 8-10% in dry Kibble to
78% in canned pet food. AAFCO limits the
amount of moisture to 78% of weight, but manufactures can add more liquid, 79%+
moisture as a percent of weight, to the overall meal by adding phrases such as
“in sauce,” “in gravy” or “with aspic.” 79%
or more of moisture seems like a waste of money, although for animals with
kidney disease needing to increase their water intake, high moisture foods may
be of value.
“Grain-free”
foods do not contain wheat, soy or corn; three ingredients that animals
frequently have trouble digesting. It is
interesting to note that these are three crops that have undergone substantial
genetic engineering over the last few decades.
“Gluten-Free” products can include corn, but not wheat, rye or soy. Most “sensitive stomach” formulas are based
on rice, oatmeal or potato for the bulk of their carbohydrates.
Life
Stages Labeling
Frequently
manufacturers will divide their product lines in a series of life stages
formulas. Puppy or Kitten, Adult and senior
are typical stages. AAFCO has
established two nutrient profiles each for dogs and cats—growth/lactation and
maintenance—to fit their life stages.
Through feeding trials, the manufacturer tests the product on dogs or
cats under strict guidelines. Products found to provide proper nutrition based
on these feeding trials may carry a statement such as: "Animal feeding
tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that “This Product” provides complete
and balanced nutrition for (specific life stage)." Products found to be suitable for an adult
are referred to as maintenance diets, which may or may not provide adequate
nutrition for animals in the lactating or growth phase, or hard working animals. Large Breed, Small Breed and Senior formulas
mean that they meet the requirements of a maintenance, adult diet and nothing
more. “All Life Stages” diets meet both
the requirements for maintenance and the higher nutritional requirements of the
growth diet.
Holistic,
Natural, Premium and Organic Labeling
The
terms Holistic and Premium are not defined by AAFCO or the FDA and therefore
have no legal meaning. These labels are
“sales puffs,” and are defined by the individual consumer’s imagination. “Natural,” however does have a legal
definition in the pet food industry.
Natural products are defined by AAFCO as:
“A food or ingredient derived solely from plant, animal,
or mined sources, either in its unprocessed state or having been subject to
physical processing, heat processing, rendering, purification, extraction,
hydrolysis, enzymolysis, or fermentation, but not having been produced by or
subject to a chemically synthetic process and not containing any additives or
processing aids that are chemically synthetic except in amounts which might
occur unavoidably in good manufacturing practices.”
Natural products may not contain synthetic additives
(which include certain dyes, preservatives and chemically produced flavor
enhancers), as well as many trace elements such as taurine and vitamins which
are synthetically derived. Manufacturers choosing to add vitamins or other
nutrients to a “Natural” product must label their products with a disclaimer
such as, “Natural ingredients with vitamins added.”
Organic foods also have a legal definition and must
follow strict growing, harvesting and processing procedures. Under the current
FDA standard the term organic is applied to human foods, and can only be
applied to pet foods if the human standards have been met. Organic on the label
indicates that the food has been produced through methods that promote cycling
of resources, ecological balance and biodiversity. Furthermore organic protiens
must be raised without the use of drugs such as hormones and antibiotics.
A Pet food wherein more than 95% of the ingredients meet the
human standard may display the USDA organic seal. When organic contents, after
moisture has been removed, are between 70%+ and 95%, the label may say, “Made
with organic ingredients.” And those foods with 70% or fewer organic
ingredients, may list the organic ingredients in the ingredient list, but
cannot make mention of organic anywhere else on the labeling.
What does all of this mean when you are perusing the pet
food aisles? Don’t expect to find a pet
food that meets the 95% rule and in order to be able to call itself a “beef” or
“lamb” pet food. Even Nature’s Variety
Instinct Raw frozen food, which guarantees a minimum of 95% meat and bone meal,
promotes itself as a formula.
If you are concerned about additives and the processing
of your pet’s food, you will want to see “Natural” on the label. If hormones, antibiotics and sustainability concern
you, then you will need to seek out those pet foods that proudly display the USDA
Organic seal. You will find that the
manufacturers of organic pet foods are very proud of their foods and price them
accordingly. $60 for a 30 pound bag of
food would be the average going price for a certified organic dog food. And if you’re just looking for a food with a
good protein balance, you will have to flip the bag or can and investigate the
ingredient list further.
High End Dog Foods That Deliver Healthy Skin, Coat and Firm Stools
These dog foods have scored high on antioxidants and probiotics that produce firm stools and healthy, shiny coats. Consider rotating your dog through these foods on a quarterly basis to prevent food allergies from developing.
- Castor and Pollux has freeze dried bits of vegetables and fruits that are recognizable when you are feeding your dog. Our test dogs did very well on this foods with ultra shiny coats and small firm stools (that indicates they are easily absorbing the nutrients present in the food).
- Taste of the Wild is the number one selling natural dog food online and a big favorite on the Dog Show Circuit. (Owned by Diamond)
- Diamond Naturals left the Show Afghans with amazing coats and excellent muscle tone. Made in the USA
- Canidae produced ultra shiny coats; made with all natural human grade ingredients.
Is your dog experiencing digestive issues, runny eyes or itchy skin? Check out The 5 Best Probiotics for Dogs Reviewed.