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

Pet and animal law index Page

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