Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the collaborative organization that provides ingredient definitions, label standards and laboratory guidance for state, federal and international feed regulators, is making available Chapter 6, Feed Terms and Ingredient Definitions, of its Official Publication througha free online version. Chapter 6 lists terms and definitions, ingredients, and recommended quantities and scientific data on virtually all nutritive components of commercial pet food and animal feed. The intent of providing this information free of charge is to provide transparency to users of animal nutrition products about what comprises their animals’ diets.
Susan M. Hays, AAFCO Executive Director, said this move comes at the right time. “Consumer awareness about the ingredients fed to livestock and pets continues to grow. 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.”
With the release of Chapter 6, animal feed and pet food purchasers can access the regulatory definitions of ingredients found in their animal feed or pet food. This access will enable consumers to evaluate what the ingredient names mean and understand how AAFCO works with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to define new ingredients. [A1]
To learn more about AAFCO and download the free version of Chapter 6, visit AAFCO.org.
