From the desk of Sharda Baker.



Sunday, March 13, 2011



Hi and welcome everyone!

This is Sharda with another healthy pet food newsletter!

Reading dog food labels can be an important factor in choosing a healthy pet food for our dogs.

But of course, not many owners are apt to read the label on the back of the bag.

Many us do not even read labels on the foods we eat, so why would we for our pets?

The dog food labels tell us many important facts and figures that may otherwise dissuade or persuade us from purchasing the healthy pet food.

To actually read that label, and not to just give it a cursory glance, we will have to first know a little something about what can be found there and what it means.

Let’s start shall we?


HEALTHY PET FOOD TIP # 1 – THE PRODUCT NAME

The first thing most of us notice on any dog food labels is the product name. This, to many, is part of being a savvy shopper; to know what we are buying.

The product name may also contain primary ingredient names such as “Beef Dog Chow”, or what kind of dog the food is intended for, such as “Puppies, Adult, Lactating”, etc.

If, in the product name, an ingredient is listed, say for example that “Beef Dog Chow”, that beef must be at least 95% of the total weight if there is no water required for processing and at least 70% when water is included.

So, for dry kibble, 95% of that weight needs to contain beef. When the title contains words such as “dinner, formula, nuggets”, and other words of similar nature the ingredient named must be at least 25% of the weight.

So in a product named Lamb Dinner, 25% of the total weight for the product must be lamb.

Of course, manufacturers are going to polish up their product in order to appeal to a greater mass. T

his is where diligence and observance comes in on the consumer’s part; you really have to know that you’re buying healthy pet food.

Only ¼ of the entire product needs to consist of those named products so when you have a product such as that Lamb Dinner, the lamb may not be the main ingredient. Ingredients must be listed in a descending order of weight.

So, even though the bag says Lamb Dinner, the lamb may be fourth in order.

HEALTHY PET FOOD TIP # 2 – NET QUANTITY STATEMENT

Basically, the net quantity statement is how much of the product is in the container. There are many regulations stating where this information needs to be displayed and in what format.

The quantity statement is used to compare products in order to determine which offers the best value.

The problem is that very few consumers bother to look at this statement. Even if they do read the ingredients and other nutritional facts, the net quantity statement goes ignored.

The net quantity statement is one of the most important items to consider when comparing products and price.

Just because a product is of smaller quantity does not necessarily mean it is an inferior quality. Healthy pet food varies in density and certain brands may be more concentrated than others and require less product to feed the pet.

When it comes to Lite products, a bag which would hold 30 pounds (13.60 kg) may only hold 25 or less as the Lite pet food is puffed up and much of it is air.

It is recommended that consumers compare pet food products on a cost-per-ounce or even a cost per-pound basis. Also, remember that quality vs quantity is an important indicator when purchasing brands.

If you are comparing the same brand of differing size, but are unsure what to buy in order to save the most, remember that often times the smaller size bags are also the higher price per pound.


HEALTHY PET FOOD TIP # 3 – MANUFACTURER’S NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION

This seems straightforward enough and in many cases it is. Usually, the statement will be “Manufactured by Awesome Dog Food Inc.” or whatever the name of the brand you buy.

When statements such as “manufactured for…” or “distributed by…” are on the label, this means that the product was manufactured by an outside source, though the name on actual dog food labels are still responsible for the products.

While some dog food labels will lack the full street address, it will have a city directory or telephone directory as required by law.

Most, if not all, pet food and products in general will have toll free numbers which enable consumers to voice concerns and direct inquiries.

The toll free number should be used as soon as you have any problems or a question concerning the product as this is often the first line the company has to determine if there is something wrong or that something is in need of improvement.

We will end here for now.

But don’t worry because I will be continuing our discussion about healthy pet food and dog food labels in our next healthy pet food newsletter.

I hope you’ve learned something important in today’s pet food newsletter!

All the best and take care

Warmly,