Decode pet food labels, nutritional claims

A pet's daily meal serves as both sustenance and medicine, making the pet owner's choice critical to the animal's long-term health

- Teo Boon Han

Pet owners should look into the company that manufactures the pet food, such as whether there is peer-reviewed evidence to support its nutritional claims.

(PHOTO: NATIONAL PARKS BOARD)

Standing in a pet shop or scrolling online, many pet owners face the same quiet anxiety in the face of overwhelming options and opinions: Am I feeding my pet the right thing?

The stakes feel higher because, unlike people’s varied diets, most pets depend on one primary food source for their complete nutrition.

In essence, a pet’s daily meal serves as both sustenance and medicine, making the pet owner’s choice critical to the animal’s long-term health.

Understanding what matters and what does not — can help owners make calmer, more confident decisions.

1. Complete and balanced: This term means that the diet meets established nutritional standards for a particular life stage.

In Singapore, one of the primary nutritional standards referred to is the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards.

I have seen labels stating AAFCO-approved on pet food products in Singapore, but this is misleading because it only sets the standards but does not actually approve each product.

Instead, pet owners can look out for an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement on the product label.

2. Life stage: Each pet food product should clearly state the life stage that it was designed for, such as whether it is for puppies or kittens, or adult animals.