The pet food label lists a number of ingredients which do not necessarily provide nutrient benefits, but which do have a specific purpose in the diet. These types of additives are detailed below:
Antioxidants – Ingredients such as BHA, BHT or mixed tocopherols are added to the fats in pet foods at extremely low levels to prevent rancidity and, thus, prevent the unpleasant odor, loss of palatability, and destruction of vitamins that can occur when fats go rancid.
Chemical Preservatives – Preservatives are used in semi-moist-type pet foods to prevent spoilage from mold and bacterial growth. These include such ingredients as propylene glycol (not for use in cat food), sorbic acid, and potassium sorbate. All ingredients of this type must be approved by the FDA for use.
Flavoring Agents – Flavorings are a convenient way to make products more appealing to dogs and cats. Some may have complicated chemical names, but others such as garlic and onion are also used as flavoring agents.
Coloring – Colors are added to some pet foods to help maintain a consistent product appearance because the color of natural ingredients can vary or to distinguish between flavors in a multi-particle food. Artificial colors used in pet foods are the same as those approved for use in human foods.
Current Label Requirements
Label requirements can be broken down into a number of elements. A part of the label that will be referred to in the following discussions is the principal display panel. This is defined as the part of the label that is most likely to be displayed, presented, shown or examined under normal and customary conditions of display for retail sale.
One important and basic requirement which applies to the entire label is that no statement shall appear anywhere on a label which gives or makes false or misleading comparisons between that product and any other pet food.
Product Name
This must be shown on the principal display panel. Where a flavor designation is made, such as Beef Flavor, the words beef and flavor must be in the same size, color and type of lettering. The source of the beef flavor must be shown in the ingredient listing. This could be beef or beef and bone meal or similar beef source ingredients.
If the product name includes the words beef dinner, beef dish, or words of similar meaning, the following conditions must be met:
The named ingredient(s) in the product must be at least 25% but less than 95%. If more than one ingredient is listed in a product name, each ingredient must be at least 3% of the product's weight.
For the purpose of this provision, water sufficient for processing is excluded when calculating the percentage of the named ingredient(s). However, such named ingredient(s) must be at least 10% of the total product.
The source must be shown in the ingredient listing, and in this case would be beef.
Ingredients listed in the product name must be listed in the same order of predominance by weight as in the ingredient statement.
Salmon, Tuna and Chicken Flavored Cat Food
Guaranteed Analysis Crude protein not less than 24.0%
Crude fat not less than 8.5%
Crude fiber not more than 3.5%
Moisture not more than 39.0%
Ingredients: Water sufficient for processing, poultry by-product meal, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, wheat flour, ground yellow corn, salmon, tuna, chicken, animal fat preserved with BHA, phosphoric acid, brewers dried yeast, fumaric acid, tricalcium phosphate, vegetable oil, salt, sorbic acid (a preservative), choline chloride, added color (red 40, blue 1 and other color), propionic acid (a preservative), dried whey, taurine, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, niacin, vitamin supplements (A, E, B-12, D-3), calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, manganese sulfate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, copper sulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), calcium iodate.
When the product name includes only the word beef, such as XYZ Beef Dog Food, this means the product contains at least 95% beef. For the purpose of this provision, water sufficient for processing is excluded when calculating the percentage of the named ingredient(s). However, such named ingredient(s) should constitute at least 70% of the total product. If the name is XYZ Beef, Liver and Chicken Dog Food, there must be at least 95% total of these three ingredients in the product with more beef than liver or chicken and more liver than chicken. Liver and chicken must each be at least 3% of the formulation.
Additives in Processed Pet Foods
Anticaking agents
Antimicrobial agents
Antioxidants
Coloring agents
Curing agents
Drying agents
Emulsifiers
Firming agents
Flavor enhancers
Flavoring agents
Flour treating agents
Formulation aids
Humectants
Leavening agents
Lubricants
Nonnutritive sweeteners
Nutritive sweeteners
Oxidizing and reducing agents
pH control agents
Processing aids
Sequestrants
Solvents, vehicles
Stabilizers, thickeners
Surface active agents
Surface finishing agents
Synergists
Texturizers
