Dog Food Comparison
Although commercial dog food labels provide a vast amount of information, it is often difficult to understand them and sometimes they are down-right misleading. Here is a quick summary of the items you will normally find on commercial dog food labels and some guidelines to help you make an informed dog food comparison.
The Product Name - Manufacturers want sell as much of their product as possible so they are very skilled at using names that conjure up certain images or assumptions in the consumer’s mind. Frankly, the name of the product doesn't matter, all that matters is what is inside the package.
The Net Quantity Statement - When comparing the price of different dog food packages it is important to know the actual weight contained and moisture content. Dog food that has higher moisture content contains more water and less actual food. You also need to take into account that a more concentrated food may require less food per meal to satisfy your dog's needs. (see below for more detail)
The Ingredient List - In the United States, the ingredients of any dog food are "Listed in order of predominance by weight" before processing. This means that an ingredient that is high in water content when added to the mixture could still show up as the main ingredient, even though it constitutes a small amount of the actual finished product after the water is removed in processing. It also means that a manufacturer could use poor ingredients in dehydrated form and better quality ingredients that are fully hydrated to make the ingredient list look better than it really is. Usually, if you will look for the first listed fat source, anything listed before and including the first fat source will be the main ingredients and anything listed after will make up much less of the overall product.
A manufacturer can also make a list of ingredients look better by using ingredient names that are approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), but are uncommon to the average consumer. For example, the word "byproducts" is often used in conjunction with an ingredient source such as "chicken byproducts" or some other such variation. This is usually a much less desirable source of nutrition.
The Guaranteed Analysis - A dog food label must state the minimum amounts of crude protein and crude fat as a percentage, and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. The term "crude" has reference to a specific method of testing, and does not refer to the quality or digestibility of the nutrient itself which makes it difficult to determine the true nutritional value based on this information.
The Nutritional Adequacy Statement - All that a manufacturer must to do to claim a food is "complete and balanced" is contain ingredients that meet a profile established by the AAFCO or have the product tested following the AAFCO Feeding Trial Protocols. This does not guarantee the quality of the food, it simply means that it has the minimum nutrition to keep a dog alive and the dog can survive while eating the food.
The Calorie Statement - Calorie statements can be shown using three different values: Gross Energy, Digestible Energy and Metabolizable Energy. To make sure you are comparing "apples to apples" use the same value for each food (preferably the Metabolizable Energy value). Make the comparison based on weight rather than volume.
Other Label Claims - Products labeled premium, gourmet, natural, etc. are not required to contain any different or better quality ingredients, and are not held up to any higher standard of nutrition. Don't be taken in by the use of such claims without fully analyzing the ingredients.
Although commercial dog food labels provide a vast amount of information, it is often difficult to understand them and sometimes they are down-right misleading. Here is a quick summary of the items you will normally find on commercial dog food labels and some guidelines to help you make an informed dog food comparison.
The Product Name - Manufacturers want sell as much of their product as possible so they are very skilled at using names that conjure up certain images or assumptions in the consumer’s mind. Frankly, the name of the product doesn't matter, all that matters is what is inside the package.
The Net Quantity Statement - When comparing the price of different dog food packages it is important to know the actual weight contained and moisture content. Dog food that has higher moisture content contains more water and less actual food. You also need to take into account that a more concentrated food may require less food per meal to satisfy your dog's needs. (see below for more detail)
The Ingredient List - In the United States, the ingredients of any dog food are "Listed in order of predominance by weight" before processing. This means that an ingredient that is high in water content when added to the mixture could still show up as the main ingredient, even though it constitutes a small amount of the actual finished product after the water is removed in processing. It also means that a manufacturer could use poor ingredients in dehydrated form and better quality ingredients that are fully hydrated to make the ingredient list look better than it really is. Usually, if you will look for the first listed fat source, anything listed before and including the first fat source will be the main ingredients and anything listed after will make up much less of the overall product.
A manufacturer can also make a list of ingredients look better by using ingredient names that are approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), but are uncommon to the average consumer. For example, the word "byproducts" is often used in conjunction with an ingredient source such as "chicken byproducts" or some other such variation. This is usually a much less desirable source of nutrition.
The Guaranteed Analysis - A dog food label must state the minimum amounts of crude protein and crude fat as a percentage, and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. The term "crude" has reference to a specific method of testing, and does not refer to the quality or digestibility of the nutrient itself which makes it difficult to determine the true nutritional value based on this information.
The Nutritional Adequacy Statement - All that a manufacturer must to do to claim a food is "complete and balanced" is contain ingredients that meet a profile established by the AAFCO or have the product tested following the AAFCO Feeding Trial Protocols. This does not guarantee the quality of the food, it simply means that it has the minimum nutrition to keep a dog alive and the dog can survive while eating the food.
The Calorie Statement - Calorie statements can be shown using three different values: Gross Energy, Digestible Energy and Metabolizable Energy. To make sure you are comparing "apples to apples" use the same value for each food (preferably the Metabolizable Energy value). Make the comparison based on weight rather than volume.
Other Label Claims - Products labeled premium, gourmet, natural, etc. are not required to contain any different or better quality ingredients, and are not held up to any higher standard of nutrition. Don't be taken in by the use of such claims without fully analyzing the ingredients.
