23 - Pet Food: Labels and Evaluation

Question 1

AAFCO info useful to vets

Answer 1

• Amount per 1000 kilocalories of diet
  o Growth and reproduction minimum
  o Adult maintenance minimum

Question 2

‘senior’ pet foods

Answer 2

• NO nutrient profile
• Just on adult maintenance
• All life stages: not best for adults (puppies, kittens, pregnancy)

Question 3

National Research Council

Answer 3

• Recommended allowance for all essential nutrients expressed in different ways
  o Amount of food per 1000 kcal ME
  o Amount per metabolic body weight of pet
• Safe upper limits provided for 6-7 nutrients
  o Other nutrients either have high margin of safety or lack sufficient data to reach a consensus)

Question 4

Comparing pet food nutrient content

Answer 4

• Figure out how many nutrients there are per calorie in that diet (or 1000kcal)
  o Either way you are going to be feed the same amount of calories
• Compare amounts in each diet and also to the AAFCO nutrient profile guidelines

Question 5

Resting energy requirement (RER)

Answer 5

• Energy need to sustain at rest in relatively thermoneutral environment
• *this equation has best correlation to actually needs=most accurate
  *DON’T NEED TO KNOW EQUATION ON EXAM

Question 6

Maintenance energy requirement

Answer 6

• MER=RER + “work”
• *goal: provide energy to maintain ideal body and normal general muscle condition
• RER x Factor = kcal/day

Question 7

What percentage does the change in one ‘score’ of BCS correlate with in terms of body weight?

Answer 7

• 10-15% change in body weight, assuming minimal change in MCS
• Ex. dogs want: 4-5, cats, 5/9

Question 8

What is the ideal body condition?

Answer 8

• Indicates pet is eating the ‘right’ amount of energy (kilocalories) for individual demands
• If over-ideal=too many Calories
• If under ideal=not enough Calories

Question 9

Actual vs. calculate MER

Answer 9

• Actual MER differs SIGNIFICANTLY from MER calculated for about 50% of pets
  o Monitor and adjust as needed

Question 10

What is the 10% rule?

Answer 10

• Limit treats to <10% of total daily calories (fi they are NOT complete and balanced)
  o If greater than 10%=risk of diluting intakes from pet food OR risk unbalancing ratios or adding excessive nutrients
• **90% of pet’s total daily calories should be provided by complete and balanced pet foods

Question 11

Protein: recommended allowance

Answer 11

• National research council (NRC): helps estimate BASELINE amount of protein recommended for induvial
• AAFCO: can estimate intake of protein based on calories consumed (doesn’t guarantee protein intake is sufficient if calorie intake is low)

Question 12

AAFCO Pet food label: front display

Answer 12

• Brand and product name
• +/- descriptive terms
• Species intended
• Quantity statement

Question 13

AAFCO Pet food label: side/back panel

Answer 13

• *nutritional adequacy statement
• Calorie content
• Feeding directions
• Guaranteed analysis
• Ingredient list
• Manufacturer contact info

Question 14

Calorie content: ME, must be provided in 2 ways

Answer 14

1. Kilocalories per kilogram
   a. MOST accurate way to measure food
2. Kilocalories per ‘familiar’ unit
   a. LESS accurate and harder to adjust

Question 15

ME is determined as either:

Answer 15

1. Calculated using modified Atwater factors
   a. If highly digestible pet food (ex. cooked at home)=use non-modified Atwater factors
2. AAFCO testing procedures ($$)

Question 16

Nutritional adequacy statement

Answer 16

• MOST important statement on the label (in tiny print)
• ONLY indicator that food is complete and balanced
• Claim should include
  o Species
  o Life-stage
  o Substantiation

Question 17

What are the life-stage options for these statements?

Answer 17

• Adult maintenance
• Growth
• Gestation-lactation-growth=highest energy
• *All life stages: means it meets the gestation-lactation diets

Question 18

What are the 4 values required on the guaranteed analysis label?

Answer 18

• Crude protein minimum
• Crude fat minimum
• Crude fiber maximum
• Moisture maximum
• *% as fed (grams per 100g food)
• *LIMITED UTILITY

Question 19

CHO are not directly measured in food

Answer 19

• Use nitrogen-free extract
  o If any of the other values are incorrectly valued=change the value
  o CALCULATED BY DIFFERENCE
  o *inaccurate estimate starch! (compounded by inaccuracies of other values used, crude fibre always a problem)

Question 20

‘typical’ analysis

Answer 20

• Represents ‘average’ or typical content of food
• Currently not provided on pet food labels
• Companies are not required to, but good companies will have the info and provide it

Question 21

How are ingredients listed?

Answer 21

• ORDER by WEIGHT
  o First ingredient=heaviest ingredient
• *not a meaningful way to evaluate the quality of pet food
• *does NOT indicate quality