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AAFCO AAFCO
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a voluntary membership association of local, state and federal agencies charged by law to regulate the sale and distribution of animal feeds and animal drug remedies.
Purpose and Function of AAFCO:
Although AAFCO has no regulatory authority, the Association provides a forum for the membership and industry representation to achieve three main goals:
•Ensure consumer protection
•Safeguarding the health of animals and humans
•Providing a level playing field of orderly commerce for the animal feed industry.
These goals are achieved by developing and implementing uniform and equitable laws, regulations, standards, definitions and enforcement policies for regulating the manufacture, distribution and sale of animal feeds - resulting in safe, effective and useful feeds by promoting uniformity amongst member agencies.
Overview of Label Requirements for Pet Foods, including Pet Treats
The primary regulations for pet food focus on product labeling and the ingredients which may be used. There are certain items which must be included on product labels, and specific requirements for each of these items. There are also rules for non-required, or descriptive information included on labels. In particular, this information must not be false or misleading in any way.
A pet food label has eight required items. If the label is placed only on the front of the package, all items must appear there. If a front and back label are used, there are three items which must be included on the PDP (Principal Display Panel) on the front of the package. These are: brand and product name, species for which the food is intended, and the quantity statement. The other five items may be included on the front label or elsewhere on the package, such as on a back or side label (called the "information panel").
The eight required label items are listed below. There is an excellent explanation of each label item on the Pet Food website of the Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM) website.
Deciphering Pet Food Label-ese
•Pet food labels contain a lot of information, if you know how to read them.
•The Association of American Feed Control Officers (AAFCO) has its own set of regulations regarding pet food labels, which many states use. AAFCO labeling guidelines cover aspects such as product naming standards, guaranteed analysis (minimum percentages of protein and fat, and maximum percentages of fiber and moisture), and nutritional adequacy.
•Always look for an AAFCO statement on your pet food that says either:
“ABC Dog/Cat Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog/Cat Food Nutrient Profiles." Or: "Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that ABC Dog/Cat Food provides complete and balanced nutrition."
In this way, you’ll know that the product is guaranteed to be a complete and balanced food for your pet.
AAFCO Feeding Trials
One of the ways for a pet food manufacturer to establish that its diet is "complete and balanced" or "for all life stages" is by conducting a feeding trial. The trial must follow guidelines established by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). The protocol of an AAFCO feeding trial is summarized below. This information is available in the annual "Official Publication" published by AAFCO, and may be ordered by visiting
The Association of American Feed Control Officials > Home. Only 8 animals (either dogs or cats) need to participate in the feeding trial. There is no restriction regarding breed or sex. Only 6 of these 8 need to complete the trial,
which lasts for just 26 weeks. During the trial, the only food available to the test animals is the food being tested. Water is available ad libitum. Before the trial starts, and after it ends, the
participating animals must pass a physical examination by a veterinarian. The veterinarians evaluate general health, body and hair coat condition. The diet being tested fails if any animal shows clinical or pathological signs of nutritional deficiency or excess. No dog or cat is allowed to lose more than 15% of its starting body weight.
Article written by J. Boniface, (c) Copyright 2002, all rights reserved.