Reading a Pet Food Label:

When reading Pet Food Labels it is helpful to know what certain phrasing really means.  

*This holds true if the main protein is chicken, beef, pork, lamb, salmon, or any other type.

**AAFCO requirements for naming pet foods

• Myth: You can determine nutrient value of a pet food by reading the ingredient list.
  

  • The nutrient value of an ingredient cannot be determined from the ingredient list - the order is determined by weight alone.

• Myth: Corn is a filler.
  

  • Fillers supply zero nutrients. Corn provides valuable nutrients including protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, etc. Corn is not a common cause of allergies in pets. Pets are more likely allergic to any number of protein sources.

• Myth: By-product = low quality
  

  • Many by-products contain excellent nutrition, such as organ meats like liver and kidney. Other by-products include vegetable oils (produced when seeds are processed), chicken fat, beet pulp, and vitamin E from soybeans. A by-product simply means something produced while making something else.

• Myth: “All life stages” means the food is good for any age group.
  

  • For a pet food to be labeled for all life stages, it must have the high caloric content to support a lactating mother or a growing puppy/kitten. This kind of diet is more likely to lead to obesity in a mature adult pet.

Reference: Nutrition Reference Manual, Hill’s Pet Nutrition