Then we have the 25% rule. The 25% rule is just like the 95% rule, but of course, the minimum for ingredients is only 25% of the weight of the food. At the very least, many government regulations require a feed to guarantee the minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, as well as the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. The term „coarse“ refers to the specific method used to test the product, not the quality of the nutrient itself. Keep these definitions in mind when applying for FDA approval for a product. Unlike selling food, small pet food businesses do not get a labelling exemption. However, derogations for other aspects, in particular those related to preventive controls such as hazard analyses, may be granted on request. Although feeding instructions must be printed on the label, the exact instructions are unfortunately at the discretion of each manufacturer. For example, a pet food may provide small amounts of recommended daily food to make pet food seem more affordable.
The eight required label elements are listed below. There is an excellent explanation for each label element on the pet food website of the Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM) website. The term „natural“ is often used on pet food labels. AAFCO has developed a definition of feed terms, what types of ingredients can be considered „natural“ and „guidelines for natural claims“ for pet foods. In most cases, „natural“ can be interpreted as a lack of artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives in the product. As mentioned above, artificial flavors are rarely used anyway. Coloring additives are not really necessary, except to please the eye of the owner of the animal. If used, they must come from approved sources.
Especially with high-fat dry products, some form of preservative should be used to prevent rancidity. Preservatives from natural sources, such as mixed tocopherols (a source of vitamin E), can be used instead of artificial preservatives. However, they may not be as effective. The label must clearly indicate this after the brand name, such as „Purina Dog Chow“. Claims about foods of animal origin must not be false or misleading. An allegation that something is of „human quality“ or „human quality“ implies that the item referred to is „edible“ to humans in terms defined by law. The terms „human quality“ or „human quality“ have no legal definition. When one or more human edible ingredients are mixed with one or more non-human edible ingredients, the edible ingredients become non-human edible. The claim that a product manufactured from USDA inspected and insisted on chicken, as well as poultry meal that is not edible to humans and other ingredients is made from human-grade chicken, is misleading without additional qualifications or warnings in the claim because the chicken is no longer edible.
Thus, for all intents and purposes, the term „human grade“ represents the product that is edible to humans. For a product to be edible to humans, all ingredients in the product must be edible to humans and the product must be manufactured, packaged, and stored in accordance with federal regulation 21 CFR 110, Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packaging, or Holding Human Food. If these conditions are met, human quality claims may be made. If these conditions are not met, the product will be mislabelled if an unqualified claim is made that the ingredients are human grade. 2. Name of the animal species for which the pet food is intended All pet food must include a guaranteed analysis (GA) on the product label. The GA provides product information to regulatory agencies that review each label to ensure it meets nutritional requirements and voluntary labelling claims. The GA also provides information to consumers, helping them find the content of at least four nutrients: protein, fat, fiber and moisture. Since pet food has different moisture levels depending on whether it is wet or dry, nutrient percentages can look extremely different when comparing the GA of two types of products.
We explain how the difference is calculated to ensure an equivalent comparison. If a product does not meet the criteria for nutritional relevance, you can indicate on the label whether you are marketing it as a supplement, snack or treat.