During the trial the only food available to the test animals is the food being tested.
Aafco feeding trials dog food list.
What does it mean if a dog food has been validated using an aafco feeding trial.
If this method.
Only 8 animals either dogs or cats need to participate in the feeding trial.
Meet one of the dog or cat food nutrient profiles established by the association of american feed control officials aafco.
For a product to meet.
There is no restriction regarding breed or sex.
All dog food must have labels that include the product name weight manufacturer s name and address ingredient list guaranteed analysis nutritional adequacy statement and feeding directions.
Pass a feeding trial using aafco procedures.
That said aafco only ensures that your dog will not starve to death while eating the food.
The agency doesn t endorse any dog food.
The aafco essentially details what ingredients a dog food label must contain in order to claim complete and balanced.
What you see on a dog food package is required by law.
An unqualified reference to an aafco dog or cat food nutrient profile is an implied guarantee that the product contains the minimum concentrations for all nutrients in the profile and no more than any maximum.
The association of american feed control officials aafco is a voluntary membership association of local state and federal agencies.
Rather it establishes model labeling standards for manufacturers regarding the ingredient list and nutritional formula and recommends laws or regulations to implement those guidelines.
In addition to the laboratory analysis this method includes feeding trials with real dogs to demonstrate the food s nutritional values.
Take a look at your dog s food.
Imo it s hardly a mark of quality.
Many consider an aafco feeding trial to be the gold standard when verifying the nutrient quality of any commercial dog food.
Our members are charged by their local state or federal laws to regulate the sale and distribution of animal feeds and animal drug remedies.
If it does the dog food label will read product name is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the aafco dog food nutrient profiles aafco compliant feeding trial.
But feeding trials as they re currently allowed absolutely do not make up for those pitfalls.
A feeding trial and does not meet the aafco dog or cat food nutrient profiles the label cannot reference the profiles.
Aafco testing is meaningful because if it has the aafco approval you know the food isn t critically malnourishing in any way.
Only 6 of these 8 need to complete the trial which lasts for just 26 weeks.
