Photo: Unsplash (free licence).
Quick answer: on the label, check in this order: whether it is a complete or complementary food, which species and life stage it is for, the composition (ingredients in order of quantity), the analytical constituents (protein, fat, fibre, ash, moisture), the feeding table and the batch and best-before date.
The parts of the label
- Name: ‘complete food for adult dogs’, ‘complementary food for cats’…
- Composition: list of ingredients in descending order of quantity.
- Analytical constituents: percentages of crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, inorganic matter (ash) and, where relevant, moisture.
- Additives: vitamins, minerals and other authorised additives.
- Directions for use: daily feeding table.
- Batch, best-before date and net weight.
- Details of the business responsible for the product.
Comparing dry food with wet food
Don’t compare the percentages on dry food directly with those on a tin: wet food contains a lot of water, so its protein or fat percentages look low. To compare them fairly, you would need to calculate them on a dry-matter basis.
Common mistakes when reading labels
- Looking only at the picture or the product name.
- Not distinguishing between complete and complementary food.
- Comparing recipes for different life stages or sizes.
- Ignoring the feeding table when working out the price.
