12/27/2024
Today, I was at Tractor Supply Co. in Pickens picking up dog food and overheard an employee giving advice to a first-time dog owner about dog food. The longer I listened, the more I was mortified that this employee had the confidence to offer this horrible advice, let alone speak on behalf of the company and give potentially harmful medical advice (this could be a liability!). This employee was horribly misinformed about what to feed dogs, that all dogs do not follow the same rules, and that not all food is made for all dogs. Thankfully, they were parked next to me and we went to the parking lot at the same time. I told them simply to consult with a veterinarian and informed them a lot of what that employee told them was not good advice, in my opinion. But it reminded me that a lot of people don't know the four naming rules of dog food, so I thought I would share this tidbit of information.
• 95% Rule - Firm statement
• 25% Rule - Dinner, Entree, Platter
• 3% Rule - With
• Flavor Rule
• The 95% Rule
At least 95% of the product must be the named ingredient, for example, “Chicken for Dogs,” or “Salmon Dog Food,” must include at least 95% of chicken or salmon, respectively. In addition, this main product must be at least 70% of the total product when counting the added water. According to AAFCO regulations, the remaining 5% of ingredients will be those required for nutritional reasons, such as vitamins and minerals, and small amounts of any other ingredients.
• The 25% Rule
When you see products named “Beef Dinner for Dogs,” “Chicken and Sweet Potato Entrée,” or “Lamb Platter,” for example, this is the 25% rule in action. If the named ingredients comprise at least 25% of the product (not counting the water for processing), but less than 95%, the product name must include a qualifying term, such as dinner, entrée, or platter. Counting the added water, the named ingredients still must comprise 10% of the product. If more than one ingredient is included in a “dinner,” the combination of the named ingredients must total 25% of the product. They also should be listed in the same order as found on the ingredient list.
• The “With” Rule
When you see a dog food label, such as “Doggie Dinner with Beef,” the “with…” ingredient need only be at least 3% of the product. Just the addition of that one word — “with” — dramatically changes the percentage requirement of the ingredient in the food and is a good reason to pay attention to the product name.
• The Flavor Rule
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), if the label says, “Beef Flavor Dog Food,” then “a specific percentage (of the beef) is not required, but a product must contain an amount sufficient to be able to be detected.” For example, the word “flavor” must appear on the label in the same size, style, and color as the word “beef.”
