What AAFCO Is - and What It Isn't

It's very likely that if your veterinarian has discussed your pet’s nutritional needs with you, they’ve advised you to look for diets that meet the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards. Maybe you’ve had a look at a few pet foods, and you’re now realizing that it's a complicated process to understand what all the writing on the back of a food label means in real terms for your pet’s health. If it makes you feel better, many pet owners feel the same and it can be a challenging task even for the professionals.

Your veterinarian should be familiar with the AAFCO standards, but you may have just heard about them. So, let's have a look at what AAFCO means, why it's important and what else you need to be aware of when choosing pet foods based on their AAFCO standards.

What does AAFCO stand for?

AAFCO is short for the American Association of Feed Control Officials. It is a not-for-profit organization whose members belong to various governments of the 50 states, Canada, and the FDA.

The AAFCO standards are a framework used in the US. Other parts of the world will have their own pet food standards, such as the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) in Europe.

AAFCO's goal is to produce guidelines so that animal feeds - including pet diets - meet minimum standards to prevent malnutrition, based on current scientific research. AAFCO standards are updated each year. These updates may include adjustments to nutrient profiles such as minimum and maximum requirements, feeding trial protocols, ingredient definitions, labeling and claim language.

AAFCO makes guidelines, not regulations

It's important to note that AAFCO does not regulate the pet food industry in any way, and does not approve or grade any pet food that is currently on the market. So, how does it work? Each state will choose whether to adopt AAFCO guidelines as laws, and then it's up to the individual state to enforce these regulations.

The good news is that there is regulation on pet food companies and products, and this is the job of the FDA, who can ensure that pet food manufacturers are held legally responsible for the food that they create, and ensure it complies with state laws. Most states will adopt the AAFCO standards as law, so this is why your veterinarian will commonly suggest that you look for a pet food that meets these standards.

What are the AAFCO standards?

To meet the AAFCO standards, a diet must display nine things on their food packaging. If you are struggling to find any of the things mentioned below on packaging, it's probably not to the AAFCO standard.

• The packaging must state the intended species, for example cat (feline) or dog (canine).

• The brand, for example ‘Top Dog Food’ and product name, e.g. Venison Meaty Loaf.

• The weight or volume of the food e.g. Net Weight 25lb/11.34kg

• The name and address of the manufacturer or distributor of the food. This is the company who creates and or distributes the food across the US.

• The nutritional adequacy claim

  This indicates if the manufacturer has created a diet that meets the minimum AAFCO standards to be considered ”complete and balanced”, and can therefore be used as the sole or main food source. To meet the nutritional adequacy claim, the statement must include the intended life stage. The life stages recognized by AAFCO include gestation/lactation, growth (including a specific subset for growth of large size dogs), and adult maintenance.

• Feeding directions

  This will usually be a table of suggested portions in grams or cups based on your pet's weight. It's important to note that the weight ranges can be broad, and the feeding suggestions are intended to meet the needs of the majority, and this may or may not be suitable for your individual pets needs (check with your veterinarian if you aren’t sure!).

• Calorie content statement

  The energy content should be listed in the format kcal/kg or kcal per common unit such as a cup. A kilocalorie (kcal) is a measure of how much energy is in the food. It's important from a nutritional standpoint because it indicates how much energy food provides for the body to function, move, and maintain vital processes.

• The ingredient list should be listed in descending order by weight. It is important to appreciate that the ingredients must be listed as per the guidelines of AAFCO, and that our understanding of an ingredient, such as chicken (most of us would think of as purely chicken meat), by the AAFCO standards can include flesh, skin and bone of the chicken.

• The guaranteed analysis (GA)

  This is a list of the minimum amount of crude protein and fat, and maximum amount of fiber and moisture. These four must be included on the label in the GA to meet AAFCO standards, but some companies will choose to list other nutrients in the GA as well.

The more you look at pet food labels, the easier this process becomes, so try practicing on the pet food and treats you have at home.

Beyond AAFCO: What else needs consideration?

AAFCO standards are focused on the minimum standard of basic nutritional requirements that are needed to sustain health at each life stage. Whilst this is a good starting point, many owners would prefer to go much further than the minimum standards to nutritionally support their dogs' health.

Extra clinically proven ingredients

Some additions to a diet - such as omega oils - can have added health benefits, such as reducing inflammation in the body. A pet company focused on meeting the minimum standards alone may choose not to add omega oils, whereas a premium brand may consider the health benefits of omega oils and include them in their formulations. However, it’s also important to be cautious here – brands sometimes add unproven additional ingredients or use them in such small quantities they may not actually make a difference to the dog – they’re typically there as a marketing tool. Deciding what additional inclusions in a diet are beneficial for health, and which are there for marketing, can be difficult for pet owners to navigate.

Indicators of brand quality

When choosing a pet food, you should also check whether they employ a nutritionist. A board-certified veterinary nutritionist or a PhD in animal nutrition are not needed to meet AAFCO standards. However if a company chooses to involve a qualified professional with an interest in both nutrition and animal health in creation of the food, this can be a sign of a good brand. You can also look for other indications of brand quality, such as interests and contributions to research and quality assurance processes.

Pets with additional needs

AAFCO recommends the minimum (or maximum, for some nutrients) amount of protein and fat to be present in a diet. For some pets, the AAFCO minimums may not be suitable for their needs. For example, fiber is not considered an essential nutrient, so there’s no established minimum requirement. However, some senior dogs may be prone constipation, so could benefit from a fiber- and moisture-rich diet to promote gastrointestinal motility.

Extra nutritional support is also needed when health concerns arise. Conditions such as kidney disease, pancreatitis, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity may need specific nutritional support as part of their management. For example, in dogs who are prone to pancreatitis, a low-fat diet might be recommended. Since AAFCO only recommends the minimum fat content of the diet with no maximum, a diet can be AAFCO-compliant and still risk triggering a flare up of pancreatitis if the fat level is too high for a specific individual. This is a good example of why pets with specific health conditions need prescription diets (or diets formulated for them by a veterinary nutritionist) for best results.

Dogs who have dietary intolerances or allergies will need careful dietary management. AAFCO helps by recommending the pet food label contains an ingredients list, which allows you to determine if the product contains what your pet is allergic to – whether that is beef, wheat, chicken, or something else – that may lead to allergic flare ups. However, labelling law doesn’t require the protein sources to always be named – the phrases ‘meat meal’ or, ‘meat and bone meal’ are legally allowed and can contain parts of any mammal. These will not be suitable if your pet has a specific protein allergy, but may also want to be avoided for personal preference if you prefer to know what has gone into your pet’s food. Depending on the quality control measures used during production, there’s also a risk of cross-contamination. This means that even if a suspected allergen is not on the ingredients list, it can sometimes be possible for foods to come into contact with those ingredients.

Summary

Deciphering the wording on a pet food label can be intimidating, especially when you know that diet you feed your pet can have lifelong impacts on health. By understanding what the AAFCO standards are, you can select a diet that meets all of your pet’s minimum nutritional needs. However, AAFCO isn’t the whole story. A diet can meet AAFCO standards, and still not be suitable for your pet, and some diets exceed the AAFCO standards with the quality and range of ingredients used. When choosing a diet, there are many factors to take into account, and AAFCO standards are just one of these considerations.

Choosing a pet food is a huge decision, as your pet will likely be fed this diet daily for many years. This puts a lot of pressure on pet owners to make an educated diet choice, and not be swayed by colorful packaging or marketing techniques. If you have any doubts, your veterinarian will be happy to research the diet you are considering and advise if it is suitable for your pet’s needs.