Chapter 6 of the the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) 2020 Official Publication—”Feed Terms, Common or Usual Ingredient Names, and Ingredient Definitions”—is now available to the public as a free electronic download. Chapter 6 lists ingredients and their definitions, as well as scientific data on virtually all nutritive components of commercial pet food and animal feed. AAFCO’s intent in sharing this content is “to advance transparency and encourage consumer education about feed ingredients.”
These feed terms, names, and definitions are typically adopted by state feed control officials and used as the regulatory basis to ensure all ingredients used in animal feed (including pet food) meet specific efficacy and identification standards. Likewise, feed manufacturers rely on these feed terms, names, and definitions to ensure compliance with the state regulations to distribute feed products in the marketplace. Finally, these feed terms, names, and definitions provide consumers with clarity and greater understanding about the ingredients in the feed they purchase.
“Consumer awareness about the ingredients fed to livestock and pets continues to grow,” said Susan M. Hays, Executive Director of AAFCO. “We have extracted Chapter 6 as a stand-alone document to encourage this interest; so everyone from farmers and ranchers to pet owners can download it … and use it for their specific needs.”
