Who is AAFCO?

For those pet owners who really studied on the label of the pet food, they often can see the words AAFCO on the labeling. Many manufacturers always trying to tell us that they are meeting the requirements set by the AAFCO. But who is AAFCO?

AAFCO stands for "American Association of Feed Control Officials". It is an advisory body that proposes regulations for the production and labeling of animal feeds, including pet food. Its membership consists of regulatory officials from many states' feed control bodies, Federal agencies (FDA), and like agencies in Canada and Costa Rica, as well as members of other interested groups, such as the Animal Protection Institude, and various veterinarian colleges.

What AAFCO Does

• Defines terms for labeling, e.g., "meat by-products"
• Defines quantity determination for label titles, e.g., "Chicken Cat Food," "Chicken Dinner for Cats," "Chicken-flavored Cat Food"
• Sets criteria for the usage of "complete and balanced" on pet food labels
• Recommends percentage or minimum/maximum amounts of various ingredients in pet foods, depending on age and activity level of cats

What it Doesn't Do

• AAFCO has no regulatory powers (but its membership consists of regulatory officials from various states and municipalities)
• AAFCO does no testing, but recommends protocol for testing, and works with independent laboratories which perform tests
• Makes no determination of "human grade" protein quality, as sometimes described on pet food labels
• Does not directly suggest standards for labeling foods specified as "Hairball Formula," "Lite," or "Dental Care," although ingredient suggestions include certain quantities of protein, fat, etc., for food intended for adult cats vs kitten/lactating queens

Thus, many manufacturers will try to meet the requirements and guidelines set by AAFCO in order to convince their customers. However, pet owners must read carefully as which AAFCO guideline has been met by the individual pet food. If we read carefully, sometimes it just mentioned they met certain guidelines and not all.

Source: http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/tipsforchoosing_2.htm

AACFO Official Website: http://www.aafco.org/