Everyone is familiar with a list of ingredients. We see these lists on the foods that we consume. Pet foods also have a list of ingredients with the most predominant components listed first according to their weight.

Each term on this list is specifically defined by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) and a catalog of definitions is available for all the terms that may be used on this list.  One might think something like “chicken” does  not really require a definition but, in fact, the AAFCO finds that it does.

CHICKEN : the clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken or a combination  thereof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet and entrails.

Beef is similarly strictly defined.

BEEF:  the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle, and is limited to that part of the striate muscle which is skeletal or that which is found in the tongue, in the diaphragm, in the heart, or in the esophagus; with or without the accompanying and overlying fat and the portions of the skin, sinew, nerve and blood vessels which normally accompany the flesh.

This may seem bizarrely graphic but it is important to differentiate the main flesh of the meat source from the “by-products”  (which are generally the organ meats) or meat meal (which is basically ground up meat) or meat digest (meat that has been treated with enyzmes).

There have been an assortment of rumors regarding meat “by products” which have suggested that these include hair, feathers, hooves or other poorly digestible tissues. It should be noted that these tissues are specifically excluded from the definition of “by products” by the AAFCO.

A partial list of ingredients has been posted at www.malteseonly.com/food2.html

Another source of confusion in the ingredient list is the fact that the vitamins that fortify the pet food are listed by their biochemical names. This tends to make the list read like some sort of chemical textbook. Here is a handy guide for those unfamiliar with common supplements:

Ferrous sulfate: this would be an iron supplement Thiamin: more commonly known as vitamin B1 Niacin:  more commonly known as vitamin B3 Alpha Tocopherol:  more commonly known as vitamin E Calcium Pantothenate:  Also called coenzyme A, an important metabolic cofactor Pyridoxine Hydrochloride:  more commonly known as vitamin B6 Riboflavin:  more commonly known as vitamin B2

A more complicated issue would be what to look for on an ingredient list. Some labels flaunt such statements as “no soy” or “no corn” or “no preservatives” or  “no by-products.”  Some make a point of having meat first ingredients while others have grains as first ingredients. Why are these issues marketing points? Our story continues in the next installment.