Tag: Guaranteed analysis

Over 50% of U.S. dogs are overweight or obese, a statistic that highlights the importance of accurate portion control. Understanding how to calculate the calories in your dog's food, also known as its Metabolizable Energy (ME), is a critical step toward maintaining your pet's ideal body weight and ensuring a long, healthy life.

The moisture content in a product can drastically affect its nutritional profile; for instance, a canned pet food that is 75% moisture will show a much lower percentage of protein on its label compared to a dry food, even if the actual nutrient levels are similar. This is because the phrase "on an as-fed basis" refers to the nutrient concentrations of a food as it is served, including all of its water content.

The term "crude" on a pet food label refers to a specific chemical analysis of a foodstuff, not its raw or unrefined quality. While the word often suggests something unprocessed or unpolished in general language, its meaning in nutritional science is purely a technical measurement of nutrient content.

The protein percentage listed on a can of wet pet food is not the full story; in fact, the high moisture content can make the 'as-fed' protein appear much lower than it truly is. Pet food labels display 'Guaranteed Analysis' figures that include moisture, which is why a canned food showing 10% protein might actually provide a higher concentration of protein on a dry matter basis than a kibble showing 25%. Accurately comparing foods requires a simple conversion to remove the moisture from the equation.

Did you know that crude protein is a measurement of total nitrogen, not just the protein content itself? Understanding what crude protein percentage means is crucial for interpreting food and feed labels accurately, as it provides an estimate rather than a precise figure.

According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a feed label's Guaranteed Analysis must list the minimum percentage of crude protein. This critical figure tells you a lot about the feed's nutritional value, but understanding how is protein expressed on a feed label requires knowing the difference between crude and true protein.

According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, a feed label is a legally mandated document for all commercially sold animal feed, providing crucial information for pet owners and livestock managers. To make an informed decision about an animal's diet, it is vital to know what are three things that you would find on a feed label? The guaranteed analysis, the ingredients list, and the feeding directions are the most essential.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, to make meaningful comparisons of nutrient levels between pet foods with different moisture levels, they must be expressed on the same moisture basis. This is where Dry Matter Basis, or DMB, becomes a crucial tool for anyone asking: 'What does DMB mean in nutrition?'