Guaranteed Analysis Dog Food

The aafco dog and cat food nutrient profiles express nutrient levels on a dry matter or moisture free basis.

Guaranteed analysis dog food. The guaranteed analysis can be incredibly confusing when trying to understand if you have picked a good dog food. In essence guaranteed analysis is the pet food industry s version of the nutrition facts panel printed on every package of human food sold in the u s. Pet food analysis is most accurate when a certified lab tests using guaranteed analysis to produce the required pet food labeling. The second is a guaranteed analysis which lists moisture fiber crude protein and crude fat.

A guaranteed analysis statement on a pet food might state 10 protein and 5 fat when the truth is the food contains 12 protein and 11 fat. The first is the ingredients list which simply lists all the ingredients in order of weight. Meaning the first ingredient is the most prevalent ingredient in the dog food. All pet food labels require a guaranteed analysis on the label to advise the purchaser of the product s nutrient content.

You will submit a sample of your dog cat or pet food product to our lab for pet food nutrition analysis and testing. But the guaranteed analysis on a pet food label expresses nutrient levels on an. The iams website also tells us this food contains 488 calories per 12 3 ounce can. Pet food needs to follow the food labeling guidelines of the aafco.

The ga provides product information to regulators who review each label for compliance with nutrient requirements and voluntary label claims. Any pet food label must state guarantees for the minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat as well as the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. All pet food is required to provide a guaranteed analysis ga on the product label. Nutrient comparisons and moisture levels.

It s important to note the term crude refers to the specific method of testing the product not to the quality of the nutrient itself. Crude measurements are the content regardless of quality or digestibility. The purpose of the guaranteed analysis panel is to make it easy for consumers to compare four critical nutrients. The only exception is for products that do not and are not intended to provide protein fat or fiber for example vitamin and mineral supplements in which case the product is exempt from guarantees for those components.

Let s look at another canned food. The guaranteed analysis is nothing more than a chart detailing the amounts of crude elements in your dog s food. At minimum guarantees are required for minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.