CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) announced Aug. 4 it has made Chapter 6 of its “Official Publication,” which provides ingredient definitions, label standards and lab guidance for regulators, available through a free digital version.

The online resource includes an A-to-Z list of terms and definitions, ingredients, and recommended quantities for those ingredients, as well as scientific data on commercial pet food components as available. AAFCO has decided to make this resource free to provide transparency to pet owners.

“Consumer awareness about the ingredients fed to livestock and pets continues to grow,” said Susan M. Hays, executive director of AAFCO. “We’ve extracted Chapter 6 as a standalone document to encourage this interest; so anyone, from farmers and ranchers to domestic pet owners, can download it free in PDF form and use for their specific needs. We feel this is a great educational resource for the public on animal nutrition, and it provides much-needed transparency to the manufacturing process.”

As pet food ingredients and formulations evolve and come under increasing scrutiny from pet owners, AAFCO hopes its Chapter 6 resource will help consumers understand what ingredients are found in pet food diets and how ingredients are defined in partnership with the US Food and Drug Administration.

Chapter 6, Feed Terms and Ingredient Definitions, of AAFCO’s “Official Publication” can be downloaded on the AAFCO website.

For more regulatory news affecting the pet food market, visit our Regulatory page.