As you scan the choices in your market’s pet food aisle, you’ve no doubt noticed the labels promoting “natural” foods for dogs and cats. Natural pet foods are popular, according to a survey of 1,090 respondents conducted by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, which makes Hill’s Nature’s Best, a “natural” product. But the pollsters also found confusion about what the term means. To complicate your shopping and feeding tasks, veterinarians don’t all agree that pets need “natural” formulas.
First, the survey findings:
- A third of respondents say they feed their pet a “natural” food, the majority for health reasons, and about half choose the food based on ingredients.
- More than half of respondents believe natural pet food is the best option for their pet’s health.
- More than half say they read the label before buying a pet food, but understanding the label or all of it is difficult for most that do.
The survey answers trigger several other important questions, such as what constitutes a natural pet food and the question of whether such food beats out other types.
What is a natural pet food?
Guidelines for natural pet foods are made by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), says Kurt Gallagher, a spokesperson for the Pet Food Institute, in Washington, D.C. Among other requirements, the use of the term “natural” in reference to the food product as a whole is acceptable only when all of the ingredients meet the definition. “Natural” means none of the ingredients are chemically synthesized.
The association does, however, make an exception when chemically synthesized vitamins, minerals, or other trace nutrients are present in an otherwise natural food product if a disclaimer is used that these parts of the food aren’t natural. In this case, the label would probably say: “Natural with added vitamins and minerals.”
If only some of the ingredients are natural, look for such labels as “natural cheese flavor.”
