did you know that a popular pet food label myth is that “meat first” on the ingredient list means more and better-quality meat?
it’s a fact, consumers tend to focus on the ingredients in pet food rather than on the nutrient value and digestibility of the food. this occurs because people can’t understand pet food labels, so they look for anything that relates to human food labels.
what information should you look for?
what pet owners should look at is the nutrient value and whether it meets the daily requirements their pets need and how well those essential nutrients will be absorbed during digestion.
because the ingredient list provides little information on the nutritional value or overall quality of a pet food, look for one of these three statements on the packaging that must answer these important questions:
- does the diet contain all the essential nutrients that a pet needs?
- how that was determined?
- for which age or life stage is the diet appropriate?
clearly, the need to improve and simplify pet food labels is necessary
people want the best for their pets as they are often seen as family members, so to help consumers make better and more informed decisions, data label specialists and ethical dog food companies are creating info graphics that show:
- how pet food is currently labelled,
- the terms used in the ingredients list,
- and the creative marketing used to promote these terms
the must-read article, calls for clearer labeling on pet food, educates and shows the consumer these very helpful info graphics.
for chihuahua owners specifically, the ebook, caring for chihuahuas made easy: breed information, health care and nutrition also provides you with helpful information on pet food labeling.
start now. do the research. educate yourself on the importance of understanding pet food labels. your pet will thank you for it!
reference: important-information-you-could-be-misreading-on-the-pet-food-label
