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How to Read a Pet Food Label (Properly)

Pet food labels are designed to meet legal requirements — not to educate consumers.

Learning how to interpret them correctly is essential.

What Ingredient Lists Do — and Don’t — Tell You

Ingredient lists show:

  • Ingredients by weight before processing

They do not show:

  • Digestibility

  • Bioavailability

  • Nutrient interactions

  • Processing damage

Marketing Language vs Biology

Terms like:

  • “Natural”

  • “Premium”

  • “Holistic”

Have no strict biological meaning.

Focus instead on:

  • Protein sources

  • Fat sources

  • Carbohydrate load

  • Overall formulation logic

Guaranteed Analysis: Use With Caution

Guaranteed analysis provides minimums and maximums — not optimal ranges.

It should be interpreted alongside:

  • Ingredient context

  • Species needs

  • Processing method

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