BY: SAMANTHA BARTLETT, DVM

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is the organization that creates standards and labels for pet foods. As part of its new Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM) project, the agency as approved changes to the way pet foods are labeled for the first time in 40 years.  The new guidelines are designed to provide nutrition information in a consistent format and more closely align pet food labels with current human food labels. The goal of these changes is to provide more transparency about pet foods and make it easier for consumers to make purchasing decisions. 

The highlights of the new changes encompass four key areas:

• Nutrition Facts that closely resemble human food labeling,
• Intended use statement to allow customers to more easily identify the purpose of the pet food. 
• Ingredient Statement clarifies the use of consistent terminology and allows common names for vitamins. 
• The fourth area is an optional handling and storage instruction with updated wording with icons for greater consistency. 

AAFCO is encouraging timely adoptions by states rule makers to ensure consistency and recommending a transition period of up to six years for manufacturers. The PFLM project began eight years ago. The new standards were based on public input and collaboration with pet food professionals across Canada and the United States. AAFCO will release the official publication with the changes in 2024 and plans to release additional information to consumers as these changes begin implementation.