AAFCO Compliance Guide

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a voluntary membership association of local, state, and federal agencies responsible for regulating the sale and distribution of animal feeds, including pet food. AAFCO was established in 1909 and is headquartered in the United States.

AAFCO is not a regulatory agency and does not have enforcement authority. It does not approve, certify, or endorse pet food products. Instead, AAFCO develops model regulations, ingredient definitions, and labeling standards that individual states adopt into their own commercial feed laws. Because most states adopt AAFCO model regulations, following AAFCO standards is effectively mandatory for selling pet food in the United States.

AAFCO publishes the Official Publication (OP) annually, which contains the full list of accepted feed ingredient definitions, model regulations, and pet food nutrient profiles. The OP costs approximately $75 and is an essential reference for any pet food business. It can be purchased from the AAFCO website.

Every ingredient listed on a pet food label must use the AAFCO-defined name from the Official Publication. You cannot use common names, marketing names, or informal descriptions. Ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight (predominance).

Always verify ingredient names against the current AAFCO Official Publication. New ingredient definitions are added annually, and existing definitions may be modified.

The guaranteed analysis is a required panel on every pet food label. It lists the minimum or maximum percentages of specific nutrients. The four required guarantees must appear in this exact order:

Additional guarantees are required or recommended in certain situations:

• Taurine — required for cat food claiming complete and balanced nutrition
• Calcium and Phosphorus — required if claiming bone health or for puppy/kitten food
• Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids — required if claims are made about these nutrients
• Ash — sometimes required by state regulations, not by AAFCO model rules
• EPA and DHA — if specific omega-3 claims are made

Values must be determined through laboratory testing at an accredited lab using AOAC methods. You cannot estimate or calculate guaranteed analysis values from recipe formulations alone.

Every pet food label must include eight required elements under AAFCO model regulations. Missing any single element can result in label rejection during state review.

Additionally, AAFCO requires a calorie content statement expressed as kcal/kg and kcal per familiar household measure (e.g., per cup, per can, per treat).

AAFCO has strict rules governing what you can name your pet food product. The rules are based on the percentage of the named ingredient(s) in the total product (excluding water used for processing).

If your pet food claims to be "complete and balanced," you must substantiate that claim using one of two AAFCO-approved methods. If you cannot or choose not to substantiate the claim, your product must carry the supplemental feeding statement.