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Did you know? AAFCO Doesnāt Approve Pet Foods!
- This topic has 0 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 4 years, 4 months ago by
crazy4cats.
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crazy4cats
ParticipantDespite what you may read, there is no such thing as āAAFCO-approvedā or āAAFCO-certifiedā pet foods! The Association of American Feed Control Officials ā better known as AAFCO ā is an important association of local, state, and federal officials. AAFCO creates model language for definitions, guidance, and best-practices related to the regulation of pet foods, but it doesnāt āregulate, test, approve or certify pet food.ā (AAFCO Talks Pet Food). Each individual state has its own feed laws, regulations, and policies and, while most states base them on AAFCOās Model Bill and Model Regulations, it is the local, state, and federal authorities that actually regulate pet food.
I was recently reminded of this common misconception about āAAFCO-approvedā pet foods when a veterinarian asked whether a certain new cat food was a good one to recommend. I have a standard process to answer that question for any manufacturer Iām not familiar with (which isnāt uncommon since there are more than 200 different manufacturers in the United States, with many new ones popping up every year). Rather than making the common mistakes, such as focusing on the ingredient list or ratings websites, my first step is to ask the important and more informative questions weāve discussed before to ensure the manufacturer has the necessary nutritional expertise and quality control.
When I looked at the cat food manufacturerās website to try to answer these questions, one of the things that caught my eye was a statement that all their foods were āAAFCO-approvedā. This is not new ā Iāve seen many other pet foods make this claim and have even heard veterinarians recommend buying a pet food that is āAAFCO-certified.ā Hopefully, after reading this post, Petfoodology readers will know that there is no such thing! Perpetuation of this myth by a pet food manufacturer is a red flag and suggests that they probably donāt have a clear understanding of how pet food is regulated.
Since there is not a national or even state agency that approves pet foods or regularly tests every manufacturerās products, we emphasize the criteria promoted by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association which highlight the importance of nutritional expertise and rigorous quality control to ensure youāre feeding a high quality food to your pet, rather than just one with good marketing. Pet food labels currently provide very little useful information and I find that most pet owners are misreading the information that is on the label. Asking the right questions can help you make a more informed decision about your petās food.
Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVN
Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVN
Dr. Freeman is a veterinary nutritionist and a professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. She is on the cutting-edge of science, with hundreds of articles in prestigious journals, speaking engagements at national and international conferences, and awards for her scientific achievements. However, she also is passionate about providing objective and accurate information on pet nutrition to veterinarians, pet owners, and other animal enthusiasts. -
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Nowadays inside of Astros heritage ā May well 4
by
Hagenman Hagenman
2 days, 8 hours ago -
Gage Workman homers for Toledo as Wenceel Prez opens rehab with West Michigan
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2 days, 8 hours ago -
Sean Manaea is made up of an indirect tension, will heading start out the time u
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Anthony Veneziano, Joe Singley percentage bond against Coastal Carolina Faculty
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Hagenman Hagenman
2 days, 8 hours ago -
Angels non-roster invitations for 2025 Spring Working out
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2 days, 8 hours ago
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