The term Complete means that the minimum requirements for all essential nutrients, as defined by AAFCO, are present in the food.
There are four primary methods that a pet food company uses to certify their food as “complete”. No method requires a board-certified veterinary nutritionist be involved in the formulation since results are based on the product meeting established nutrient profiles set by AAFCO.
Each of the methods below has advantages and disadvantages:
METHOD 1 – Database Validation: The company formulates the product according to data in their internal systems and values published in USDA databases.
- Advantages include use of generally accepted studies for species appropriate ingredients and nutrient profiles.
- Disadvantages include potential errors in published data, and no clinical data supporting the health of the pet after feeding. Some data is simply missing – for example, the USDA database never measured iodine.
METHOD 2 – Lab Testing: Product samples are sent to a testing lab to measure all nutrient values.
- Advantages include validation of nutrient profiles for the actual product.
- Disadvantages include no clinical data supporting the health of the pet after feeding. Furthermore, laboratory values may have large errors – as much as 40%.
METHOD 3 – Family Profile: The new product recipe is based on a formula already known to be “complete” and essentially copies it.
- Advantages include proven nutritional completeness based on previous products. It’s quick and easy.
- Disadvantages include no clinical data supporting the health of the pet after feeding.
METHOD 4 – Feeding Trial: Pets are fed an exclusive diet of the food over a specified time period to determine if the food provides minimal nutrients that the average animal needs for ordinary life. The pets in the feeding trial must be in the same stage of life as the food (puppy, adult dog, kitten, adult cat, etc. All life stages must meet the minimum requirements for all of these.) At the end of the feeding trial, specific blood parameters are measured (hemoglobin, packed cell volume, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, and whole blood taurine for cats, etc.) to ensure they meet minimal levels. Bloodwork at the beginning of the study for comparison is optional.
A minimum of 8 animals must be fed an exclusive diet of the food being tested for 6 months according to the feeding directions. At least 6 animals must finish the study without losing more than 10% of their starting body weight.
Advantages to the feeding trial method:
- It’s tested in a live animal.
- It’s actual food being evaluated as opposed to a spreadsheet.
Disadvantages:
- It takes six months to complete the study with a very restricted diet.
- Only 6 animals must survive the trial.
- The blood test parameters are very minimal.
- It can be very expensive to house these animals in a controlled research situation.
Summary:
Being “complete” means the nutrient profile meets the minimum requirements set by AAFCO. Regardless of the method(s) used, there are many variables which affect the food’s nutritional contribution to your pet, including type and quality of each ingredient, processing used, etc. Being “complete” is one of many factors that should be used when evaluating a pet food.
Which method does your manufacturer use to validate “Complete”?
Diet and Immune System
