Many of us that own domestic pets, whether cats or dogs, have to buy food for them to be healthy, right? Regardless of the food type—wet food or dry food. But the vast majority of pet owners fail to read the nutritional information on the labels. For those of us who carefully read the pet food labels often have a difficult time knowing the labeling system. Guess what? Some of the information is misleading.
Here is the true breakdown of the label listings on these pet food labels:
Product name
This is the first part that the pet owners see; often this information determines his/her decision to purchase the product. In order to appeal to the consumers, these manufacturers use much fancier names. For example, if a dog food has a specified name, such as “Lamb Food for Dogs,” the ingredient, Lamb, should not be less than ninety-five percent of the overall weight if the water is a requirement for processing is excluded. This cannot be less than seventy percent if the inclusion of water is calculated.
The real breakdown: The specified ingredient is the real requirement in making up in a quarter of the overall product. The primary ingredients cannot be described. The manufacturers are not necessarily liars when it comes to saying what is being used. However, the consumers should be aware that he/she may not be getting what is really wanted for their furry family members.
Net Quantity Statement
This information lets the pet owners know how much food is in the container. There are a number of FDA regulations that apply to the formatting, size, and even the net quantity statement. Not many people know this, but this statement also determines the product costs. A good example is a sixteen-ounce pet canned food may be the mirror image of the one-pound canned food adjacent to one another. Dry food also falls into this category, in terms of density. If a dry food bag is holding thirty pounds, then in reality it is really holding twenty-five pounds of food in a “blown-up” bag. As a result, one cost-per-ounce, or per pound product comparison is pretty crucial.
The real breakdown: Many pet food brands are sold in different sized bags. In other words, if the bag is of small size, then it is likely that the pet owner will pay more than for a larger bag. If a pet owner were to purchase a five-pound bag of pet food, then it will cost approximately eight dollars, which is $1.60 price per pound. In contrast, if a pet owner bought a forty pound bag of food, it cost thirty-two dollars, but it was $0.80 price per pound. So, in the long run, pet owners are paying twice as much when purchasing smaller bags. Suggestion: Just to save money, pet owners should invest in a vacuum food sealer to separate the large bag into smaller sections.
Ingredient List
The ingredient list is a must-know for all pet owners, if he/she is concerned about what their pets are eating. It is listed in accordance to weight, which is determined by adding to the formation of the food that includes water content. The common name must be used in the listing process. According to the definition provided by the AAFCO official publication, “listed in order of predominance of weight,” simply means the food weight before the processing takes place.
The real breakdown: Pet owners should consider seeking out the first named source of fat that is included in the ingredient list. If anything is listed prior to that, is the main component of the food, and the rest of the items are included in smaller quantities just for the flavor addition, which plays a pivotal role as being preservatives or dietary benefits, as in vitamins, minerals, etc.
Guaranteed Analysis
The analysis in the pet food label must tell the pet owners about the guarantees for the minimum percentages for the crude protein and crude fat and the maximum percentages for the crude fiber and moisture. For those that do not have any idea about the word crude in terms of pet food, it is a very particular way of product testing, not to the nutrient's quality.
The real breakdown: There are various protein, fat sources and valuable nutrients that are essential to keeping good health. The food that your pet has to eat relies on the nutrient's concentration that exists in the product. These are the digestible values for proteins:
-Egg whites and whey protein: 100%
-Muscle meat, as in chicken: 92%
-Organ meats, as in liver: 90%
-Fish, whole soybeans (leftover fragments not included): 75%
-Rice: 72%
-Oats: 66%
-Yeast: 63%
-Wheat: 60%
-Corn: 54%
Although the pet food label has a ton of information, it is subject to be very tricky to the pet owners who did not reveal the information. Until a more pet owner-friendly and believable labeling system comes into existence, most pet owners will be influenced by tricky marketing antics and claims due to the fact that these entertaining TV and radio commercials is the selling point. Most of the pet owners will not take the time to comprehend the pet food label—that is the advertisers' plan!
Source:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=labelinfo101
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