Miscounting calories: Why pet food calorie calculations need fixing

Accurate calorie-counting is vital to keeping pets healthy in the midst of an obesity crisis.

Kathy Gross
July 8, 2025
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Imprecise metabolizable energy calculations can complicate pet health, making it imperative that the numbers used are accurate.
Imprecise metabolizable energy calculations can complicate pet health, making it imperative that the numbers used are accurate.
jerueck | Pixabay.com

One of the aspects of pet food labels that was not impacted by the new approach to AAFCO’s (the Association of American Feed Control Officials) Pet Food Label Modernization is the determination of calories in pet foods and treats, but perhaps it should have been.

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