You probably noticed that there were 4,554 new or rebranded pet foods and treats introduced to the pet specialty market in 2017. That’s according to global market researchers GfK and reported by Tim Wall in a May 15, 2018 article on PetFoodIndustry.com.
The most frequent marketing claim was for “natural” products.
The Inside Scoop: To be able to call itself “natural,” a pet food must contain naturally preserved fats. Most use mixed tocopherols, an organic form of vitamin E. Pet foods claiming to be natural will bear the disclaimer “with added vitamins, minerals and amino acids.” That keeps them in compliance with the law, because the vitamin-mineral premixes used are synthetic.
Where the natural claim appears, that disclaimer must also appear. If the claim appears more than once on a panel, the disclaimer must appear where the claim is most prominent. Treats and supplements are exempt from this rule.
The second most frequent claim was “grain-free.” Neither dogs nor cats have a nutritional requirement for carbohydrates, which is what grains are. Therefore, many pet owners consider them to be fillers, but that’s not true.
The Inside Scoop: Grain-free doesn’t mean carb-free. The animals may get supplemental benefits from carbohydrates, and some grains can contribute to skin or digestive issues for some animals, but the main purpose of the grains is as a binder. The starch helps hold the kibble together. Grain-free formulations use starches such as peas, potatoes and tapioca as binders.
Another food claim that saw a significant increase last year was for small or toy breed dogs, probably in response to the popularity of small dogs among millennials and baby boomers.
The Inside Scoop: What qualifies a food as a small breed formulation? The manufacturer’s claim that it is. The Association of American Feed Control Officials establishes nutrient profiles for puppy/kitten food, maintenance (adult), all life stages and large breed puppy (dogs that will be 70 pounds or more as adults). Everything else is marketing.
If you look near the ingredient list or Guaranteed Analysis on the bag, you’ll see the required AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Statement that says the food is complete and balanced for a particular life stage.
In the case of formulations such as large breed adult, weight control, senior, small breed, etc., the AAFCO statement will say it meets the nutrient profile for maintenance or all life stages. If it says all life stages, it must further declare either “including” “excluding” or “except” for the growth of large size dogs (70 pounds or more as adults). Beyond that, brands are free to include ingredients they believe are beneficial to the life stage they’re formulating for.
Limited Ingredient Diets were big in 2017 — almost everyone came out with them. LIDs simplify things when a veterinarian believes a problem may be food-related.
The Inside Scoop: See the previous scoop. LIDs qualify for maintenance or all life stages. To make it onto the shelf, every bag of food, even LIDs, must contain over 40 USDA-required nutrients, and they must be balanced. Notice the word nutrients, not ingredients.
One ingredient can deliver several nutrients. For example, meat contains protein, fat, amino acids, etc. LIDs eliminate many of the supplemental ingredients normally provided beyond those required by the USDA. Fewer ingredients, fewer things to cause problems.
