Pet owners have more choice than ever before when deciding what to feed their pet and it can be really difficult choosing a diet from the vast range available. The pet food industry in the UK in 2024 is worth £4.1bn, an increase from £3.8bn in 2023. Companies will have made a concerted effort into marketing strategies with attention grabbing packaging, akin to the cover of a book. But like that well known idiom “don’t judge a book by its cover” many pet owners are now wondering what’s beyond the eye-catching packaging? What’s inside the bag, tin or pouch? The technical terms used within pet food labelling can be confusing. Understanding a little more about how to read the label will help make more informed choice.
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Regulation and labelling of pet foods
Pet food in the UK is heavily regulated for elements such as quality, food safety and traceability. Manufacturers must produce their foods following the nutritional guidelines set by FEDIAF, the European Pet Food Industry. The labelling itself is subject to legislation and FEDIAF also produce a code for labelling pet food. The information that must be included on a label is called the Statutory Statement which details: the product description, product directions / feeding guidelines, the composition, analytical constituents, additives including vitamins, company details, best before date, batch number, storage instructions and net weight.
The front of the package usually displays the most key information such as who the food is designed for, it’s important to feed for the correct species and life stage as each pet has different nutritional needs. For example, cats are obligate carnivores needing certain amino acids such as taurine in their diet so should not be fed dog food; and Guinea pigs require Vitamin C in their diet so should not be fed rabbit food.
The food will also be labelled as complete or complementary. A Complete food will meet all the nutritional needs of your pet when fed as directed. If a food is complementary means that another food should be fed alongside in order to meet nutritional needs. (For example some owners like to feed a mixer alongside a wet/tinned food). For small furries such as rabbits and guinea pigs, the label will always say complementary because hay, grass and fresh vegetables should form a large part of their diet.
Composition / Ingredients in pet food
This is another word for the ingredients which are listed in descending order by weight. Some foods might list all the individual ingredients by name; whereas others may use terms which seem more ambiguous such as “meat and animal derivatives”. These derivatives tend to be the parts of the animal not commonly eaten by people in the UK; such as muscle tissue with low consumer demand or offal and is a good source of nutrients for pets. It still comes from animals fit for human consumption that have passed veterinary inspection. “Cereals” is another commonly seen ingredient and is an umbrella term for corn (maize), wheat, oats, rice, barley or other grains and are considered another useful source of nutrients.
FEDIAF guidelines also dictate the terminology used for percentages of an ingredient in a food. Using chicken as an example: where a product is flavoured with chicken, there is 0-4% actual chicken in the food; where the food is with or contains chicken there is at least 4% chicken. If a food is high in or rich in chicken there is at least 14% chicken and where chicken is named as the main ingredient e.g. “Brand X Chicken”, Chicken menu” or “Chicken dinner” there must be at least 26% chicken.
If you suspect your pet has a food sensitivity or allergy to certain ingredients it’s worth discussing this with your vet.
Analytical constituents of dog and cat food
Here percentages of the macronutrients: crude protein, crude oil or fat, crude fibre, crude ash and the moisture content (if over 14%) is listed. Ash might sound like a strange component but all this means is the amount of minerals. The percentage is calculated from the amount of inorganic material (ash) remaining once the product has been incinerated. Crude ash, incinerated residue or inorganic matter are interchangeable terms.
FEDIAF state the recommended ranges of nutrient levels as part of their nutritional guidelines. Most pet owners don’t know what percentages of different macronutrients are needed, so this is why it’s important to choose a food suited to the species and lifestage of your pet.
Feeding Guidelines
All foods will have feeding guidelines. A complete food will meet all the nutritional requirements of your pet but only when fed as directed
Sometimes the infographics or instructions can seem confusing. Perhaps you have a puppy food with a recommended feeding amount based on the adult weight and you aren’t sure what this is. Perhaps you aren’t sure how many grams to feed your pet within the range given. When feeding a mix of wet and dry food you might wonder how much of each to feed.
Your vet or nurse can help you assess the body condition score of your pet and can advise how much to feed when exercise levels and treats are also taken into account. One tip that vets and nurses often give is to weigh out kibble type foods on a scale rather than using cups as it’s very easy to scoop up 90g or 110g if you are aiming for 100g and a 10% difference each time mounts up to a big difference over a week.
Additives in pet food
Only authorised additives can be used in pet food including: vitamins, preservatives, flavours, colourings, antioxidants and probiotics. Vitamins and probiotics in particular have nutritional benefits; while preservatives are used to ensure food safety so that a food maintains the shelf life when stored as directed. When fats and oils come into contact with air, they oxidise causing the fats to go rancid; antioxidants help prevent this to maintain the food quality. Colours may be used so that the food looks appealing to the consumer and flavourings may be added to increase the palatability of a food.
Other information
The manufacturer’s details must always be included within the labelling. If you need more information about a particular food there is usually a website and/or a customer helpline. The batch number is important for traceability and if you ever have a problem with a pet food the manufacturer will ask for this information and is one of the reasons it’s useful to keep the food in its original packaging.
The label will state any specific storage instructions. Incorrect storage can decrease the palatability, affect vitamins and minerals, reduce the shelf life, expose the food to contamination and affect the food safety. The storage of raw food is particularly important. The net weight must be displayed. When buying a food this is useful to calculate how many days a bag will last and the daily cost of feeding the food.
A final note on pet food labelling
It is entirely your choice how you feed your pet. Every individual pet is different, your neighbour’s young agility dog will have different feeding requirements to your arthritic, elderly canine companion. Some pets are fussy eaters which will impact your food choice
Some owners might base their choice on the sustainability of a company.
There is no type or brand of food recommended here. Instead, take a look at the label and choose a food suited to your own individual pet, their lifestage, their (and your) lifestyle, your budget and what is important to you as the consumer.
The stringent regulations mean UK pet owners can be confident that the label contains the information needed to choose a suitable food, and that it meets the nutritional requirements when fed as directed. If you have any concerns about feeding your pet, speak to your practice team.
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