Pet Food Labels: Organic Or Healthier?

We want to give our pets the best possible nutrition, but with so many choices, how do we separate the best from the rest?

Do words like "premium" and "gourmet" actually mean anything? Are foods labeled "natural" and "organic" actually healthier? The truth is, when it comes to pet food, many of these terms have no standard definition or regulatory meaning. There is no one perfect source for comparing kibbles and chows. There is, however, some basic information that you can use to evaluate what you feed your four-legged family members.

Checking out the food label

Pet food labels have two basic parts: the principal display panel and the information panel. The first takes up most of the packaging - it includes the brand and name of the food,

"Crude" refers to the method of measuring that is used, not the quality of the protein, fat or fiber. These percentages are on "as fed" basis, so foods that contain more water (canned foods) appear to have less protein than foods with less water (dry foods) - but that's not usually the case.

Ingredients in a pet food must be listed on the label in descending order by weight. One detail to remember, though, is that the weight includes the moisture in the ingredient, so certain ingredients may appear higher on the list even if lower - moisture ingredients contribute more actual nutrients. The order isn't by nutritional value, but by weight.

For example, the first ingredient on a label may be "chicken", which weighs more than other individual ingredients because it may contain 70% water. But wheat may be present in various forms that are listed as individual ingredients, such as "wheat flour", "ground wheat" and "wheat middling". Thus, the diet may actually contain more wheat than chicken. Just because a protein source is listed first does not mean the diet is high in

Calculations estimate the amount of nutrients in a pet food either on the basis of the average nutrient content of its ingredients, or on results from laboratory testing. Such a food will carry a statement like: "Brand A is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Food Nutrient Profiles for (stated life stages)".

Feeding trials signify that the manufacturer has tested the product by feeding it to dogs or cats under specific guidelines. These products carry a statement such as: " Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Brand A provides complete and balanced nutrition for".

The ingredient panels on pet food labels contain a lot of information for pet parents to digest, but there's still more to savor, including getting a taste for the terms on the principal display part of those labels. For instance, a pet food can claim to be "light/lite" or "lean" only if it meets the AAFCO's standard definitions for these terms, which differ for cat and dog food and depend on the dietary moisture content.

"Less calories" and "reduced calories" mean only that the product has fewer calories than another product, and the same goes for "less fat" or "reduced fat." Pet food labels are not usually required to provide calorie