Recent changes in pet food labeling will influence descriptors like “daily food,” “food mixer,” “food supplement,” “treat” and “veterinary diet.” These new guidelines will have foods called “complete” foods. “Complete” refers to a nutritionally adequate product where nothing else is needed. While not the primary focus of the new labeling guidelines, the word “balanced” when applied to a food suggests it has all the required nutrients in the proper amounts and proportions based on a recognized authority like the National Research Council (NRC).
In contrast, food supplements are defined as a feed providing nutrients or nutritionals. These nutritional additions follow allowable claims of structure (e.g., bones, muscles, teeth) or function (e.g., metabolism, cognitive, immunity, digestion). These functional products focus on the nutritional additions beyond “complete” used to better life. This is in contrast to the supplement that is a health remedy (non-nutritional) as aptly defined by the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC).
