Pet Food Regulation Flashcards
T/F: Pet food is regulated
True
Who regulates pet food?
FDA and State Feed Control officials
Why does it seem like pet food isn’t regulated?
Surveillance limitations
T/F: AAFCO is a regulatory body
False
What happens if a product is found to be in violation?
FDA asks manufacturer to fix it
If unanswered, FDA sends warning letter
If unsatisfied, FDA can seize a violative product and destroy it
T/F: most pet food recalls are court ordered and associated with illness
False - Most are VOLUNTARY and NOT associated with illness
What are the FDA guidelines for labeling food products?
Identity
Net content
Ingredient list
Manufacturer/distributor name and address
In what units is the guaranteed analysis labeled in?
% as fed - must account for water
What is the difference between a guaranteed analysis label and typical analysis label?
GA - % as fed
TA - nutrient unit/Mcal or unit/100kcal
T/F: AAFCO sets guidelines for states to adopt
True - AAFCO does not approve or mandate
If a food product is labeled dinner/platter/entree/formula/recipe, the food must consist of at least ______%
25%
Ex. Chicken dinner must consist of at least 25% chicken
What does the term “with” indicate on a food label?
3% of the product
What is meant by “flavor” on a food label?
Ingredient or characterizing flavor
Lite/low calorie foods are ________ kcal ME/kg kibble
<3100
T/F: Ancestral, biologically appropriate, physiologically tuned, holistic, gourmet, and premium are applied to highly regulated foods
False - these terms have no regulatory meaning other than usually increased cost
How are ingredients listed?
Descending order by weight as fed
How does AAFCO define meat?
Striated skeletal/tongue/diaphragm/heart/esophageal muscle derived from slaughter (for human consumption) animals
How does AAFCO define byproducts?
Non-rendered organs from slaughtered animals
How does meat meal differ from byproducts?
By products are non-rendered while meat meal is rendered (fat removed, lighter, concentrated protein)
In what ways do dogs differ from wolves?
Behaviorally
Morphologically
Starch adaptation
T/F: “fresh food” has no true definition, but might have a higher digestibility than some kibble
True - no official definition, just another commercial wet food that isn’t canned (just costs more)
_________ diets are an option for dogs but NOT cats
Vegetarian
What are some things to look for in commercial raw meat-based diets?
High pressure processing + probiotics + testing final product for pathogens
Manufactured by a team who is properly trained and test protocol efficacy
