"FDA Rules"
The FDA (which is the governing authority for pet foods) allows dog and cat food makers to vary ingredients by as much as 25% from what the label says. They are supposed to have the label and ingredients in the bag or can in close agreement at least once every six months (that translates to a requirement of 2 days a year). The rest of the time, the ingredient variation is okay, as long as nutritional requirements are met. This is a reasonable policy when one understands that these ingredients are perishable (need for preservatives) and simply may randomly become unavailable.
"Human Grade" and "Natural"
Although you will occasionally see "Human Grade" listed on pet food labels, the AAFCO does not recognize nor presently address this form of labeling. However, because of the current trend toward "natural," as well as "organic," the AAFCO is currently working to define at least the former description. In the meantime, caveat emptor with those phrases. If you lean toward cat foods described as one or the other, make sure you completely understand what is meant by the terms.
"Dental Care," "Hairball Formula?"
You will find a number of foods labeled for dental care, hairball control, lite, weight reduction, or senior. At present, AAFCO does not address these definitions, so caveat emptor applies here also. If they seem to work for the stated purpose with your cat, fine, but make sure the essential nutrients are not compromised at the same time. The "complete and balanced" verbiage refers to life-stages only: kitten/lactating queens or adult/maintenance.
Back to the Scavenger Hunt
What is this?
This concludes the series on "what you need to know about cat food labels." The information provided herein is intended to give you a basis for learning more about cat food labels, to help you make better-informed decisions. It is not intended to be a complete analysis of cat food ingredients, nor labeling requirements. Indeed, what we have presented here is just the tip of the iceberg. I encourage readers to continue doing your own research, as there is a wealth of information available. I've listed some excellent references below, to get you started. Happy reading, and good health to your kitties!
If you found this article useful, you might want to enroll in my free email class, The Role of Food in Your Cat's Health.
Other Suggested Reading:
- AAFCO Definitions of Dog Food Ingredients - Although this mentions "dogs," specifically, the food ingredient definitions would equally apply to cat food.
- A Consumers' Guide to Pet Food - from the Pet Food Institute, this page also has little label pop-ups where you can mouse-over to read explanations of the various fields on the labels.
