Hi Dr. Mike,
Quality control testing is indeed important. Scary thing is we have no way to know if it is being done properly. It was because of a company not following their own testing protocols that approx. 100 deaths resulted from aflatoxin. The excessive Vit. D recall came about because equipment wasn’t cleaned between running a high Vit D concentrate and the next run. Basic stuff is skipped and it is our companions that pay the price. Looking at the reasons behind a companies recalls and any FDA reports give clues here.
You bring up a good point about the min. fat content on a G.A. On a recent post I had calculated that the actual fat in the diet was near 26% while the G.A. min fat was listed as 12%.
I’ve found some companies run an actual N.A. and others only provide a calculated N.A. Either way a N.A. does give us more information, but a lab N.A. is always preferable. A calculated N.A. assumes that the actual nutrient content of their sources are known. This may not be true.
In the end we are still relying on the manufacturer to give us accurate information, and they may not. For example, I asked a company what was the actual level of phos in their diet on an energy basis. They did promptly answer my question, however, they insisted it was a level that was far below the AAFCO min. The AAFCO statement said that the food was formulated to meet AAFCO and using their own min % phos posted on their website I came up with a level exceeded the AAFCO min. Who knows what the actual phos level in their food really is ??
I suppose to some this is nit picking, but if I find multiple inconsistencies it speaks volumes about the company to me.
Anyway on to the label.
The first thing I look at is the AAFCO statement. I’m looking to see for what stage the food is formulated for (is it marketed as adult but is ALS? ) and how the requirement was met. I did find one food labeled as “Puppy” whose AAFCO statement said the food was formulated to meet maintenance levels. At min. I think this would be an illegal label. Was the food suitable for growth or not?? Who knows! But I’m not feeding it. Even a year later the labels said the same thing.
Feeding trials are not a guarantee of quality but I do look favorably upon them. However, I wouldn’t pass on a food for an adult solely based on not having a feeding trial. I have no idea what they cost but if a company is international I’d think the finances would be there. I understand all the limitations of trials.
I look at the guaranteed analysis. I like to see the protein at 2-3 times the fat level. Then on to the ingredient panel.
I personally put no stock in added probiotics, or enzymes, I see it as window dressing. Chelated minerals may be of benefit .
Ingredients: Well…I don’t vilify ingredients. I do look for animal sourced ingredients. I think fresh ingredients do have some advantages over meals. I prefer named over unnamed ingredients, if I have questions I call the company. By-products on the label don’t concern me too much. I think of nearly everything that goes into pet food as being a by-product of the human food industry. I prefer whole ingredients over fractionated but having some fractionated ingredients are fine. I pass on foods that have added dyes and sweeteners.
The ingredient list can only tell me so much as I really have no clue as to the quality of the ingredients, ( calling the company may clarify this) how they were handled and processed, or how digestible they are.
The final test is the food itself and how my dogs do on it.
