Confused by the ingredients in your dog food? So ingredients that are moisture-heavy, such as chicken or lamb, are listed higher on the ingredient list than the same ingredient … Pet food ingredients must be listed in descending weight order, but there are some loopholes. The ingredients list shows all the ingredients in a pet food. They’re listed by weight, from the most to the least. All ingredients in a pet food must be listed on the label (no hiding "bad" ingredients) Ingredients must be listed in descending order of weight Ingredients must be identified according to AAFCO … If the food contains one source of protein, and one source of carbohydrates, and the protein is listed first, then you can trust there is more protein than carbohydrate in the food. ... All ingredients used to make the product must be listed in descending order by weight in the ingredients list. How do I read the dog food … This is required by U.S. law. Look for a food that has one or two quality proteins listed within the first few ingredients… The food will contain a larger amount (based on weight) of the ingredients listed first and a smaller amount of the ingredients listed … A pet food label is a legal document regulated by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AA,FCO) and is the primary means of communication between the pet food manufacturers and pet owners. You get the idea. But keep in mind, moisture content affects weight. If any ingredient has it's own list of sub-ingredients, those sub-ingredients should be listed in parentheses. You aren’t alone. Obviously then, if an ingredient is way down on the list, in position 10 or 11, there isn’t going to be a whole lot of it in the dog food. Vitamins and minerals are required to include their chemical name, however you may also see the more recognized or common name; for example, Pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6) and Thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1). Read more from Lightning Labels. Namely, manufacturers include ingredients that will appeal to pet owners but probably don’t provide any nutritional benefit to the pet… Food manufacturers are required to list all ingredients in the food on the label. This allows you to see which ingredients … Now, after reading the label, you're confused — ingredients … The example the FDA provides is to use "sugar" instead of "sucrose". “X menu" means that at least 26% of ingredient X is present in the product, e.g. IngredientsOn a pet food label, the ingredients are listed in order by weight. Ingredients may be used for their nutritional content, digestibility, tastiness to the pet, and many other considerations. This is another area that can be a little confusing, especially when it comes to dry food. We're including both benefits and drawbacks as well - so that you can make the most informed choice when it comes to choosing your pet's food.