Demystifying pet food labels
All information on pet food labels must be accurate and follow specific industry standards. So, what does all this information mean?
Pet food labelling can be confusing. But, seeing unknown or technical terms on pet food labels doesn’t mean that owners should be worried.
Creating healthy and nourishing meals for pets, giving them the daily nutrients they need, in the right proportion for their age and size, and delivering this in convenient and safe formats is a complex process and this is often reflected on the label. But pet owners can rest assured that the UK maintains very robust standards for feed safety and animal welfare.
Standards for labelling on pet food
In the UK, all information given on a pet food label must be truthful and not misleading about the nature and quality of the product.
By law, labels must include the following elements:
Statutory Statement
Description & directions
All pet food labels must clearly state:
- Whether the product is complete or complementary
- The species for which the product is intended
- Directions for use/feeding instructions
Analytical constituents
The percentage of the following must be listed:
- % of crude proteins
- % of crude oils & fats
- % of crude fibre
- % of moisture in the product when it exceeds14%
- % of crude ash (ash represents the mineral content of the food and is determined chemically by the burning of the product. % of ash is labelled as one of the following terms 'crude ash', 'incinerated residue' or 'inorganic matter').
Composition of ingredients
The ingredients on a pet food label must be listed in descending order by weight:
- EITHER ingredients can be listed by their individual names on the label;
- OR alternatively, they can be indicated using category names, such as 'meat and animal derivatives', 'cereals', and 'derivatives of vegetable origin'.
Category names are laid down by the Regulations; when an ingredient is used that does not fall into any of the prescribed categories, its name must be listed. In all other circumstances, mixing individual and category names in the ingredients list is prohibited.
If particular attention is drawn to a specific ingredient (e.g. "with chicken"), the percentage of that ingredient component must also be listed.
Additives
Additives are used in both human and pet food to provide nutrients and to help ensure the quality, safety, texture, consistency, appearance, odour or taste. They are declared under the heading “Additives”. Additives with a legal maximum level for any non-food-producing species must be declared on pet food labels when they are added. Any other additives not having a legal maximum can be declared voluntarily when added.
If a pet owner has any queries regarding additives, they should contact the individual manufacturer responsible, quoting the batch number.
Vitamins A & D
Vitamins A & D must be declared on the label if they are added to the pet food, because they have legal maximum level.
They can either be declared under the Additives (amount added) heading or under Analytical Constituents (total amount guaranteed during the complete shelf life)
Best Before date
Batch number
A batch number or the date of manufacture must be given to facilitate the traceability of the product.
This may be added either with the 'Statutory Statement' or elsewhere on the package/label/container. In that instance, the 'Statutory Statement' must indicate where it can be found.
Company name & address
This is the name and address of the company responsible for the products and it must be included on the label.
It may be a manufacturer, packer, importer, seller or distributor.
The label will generally also include a Barcode. This is not a legal requirement, but allows for information about sales, stocks, etc.
Our Pet Food Labelling fact sheets highlight and summarise some of the main elements on your label:
