AAFCO's new pet food labels: what's changing and what it means for your dog

AAFCO's new pet food labels: what's changing and what it means for your dog

If you've ever tried to figure out how many carbohydrates are in your dog's food, you'll know how frustratingly difficult it is. Unlike human food labels, pet food packaging has never been required to list carbohydrate content — leaving dog owners to either do the maths themselves or simply trust the marketing claims on the front of the bag.

That's finally changing.

What AAFCO is introducing

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) — the body that sets standards for pet food labelling in the United States — is introducing a new "Pet Nutrition Facts" label format. The key changes:

Carbohydrate content will be listed for the first time. This is the most significant change. Carbs have been conspicuously absent from pet food labels for decades — a gap that has made it nearly impossible for dog owners to make genuinely informed choices about what they're feeding.

The format will resemble human food labels. Rather than the dense "guaranteed analysis" panel most pet owners struggle to interpret, the new format will present nutritional information in a way that's immediately familiar and readable.

Calorie information will be clearer. Precise calorie counts per serving will be listed, supporting portion control and weight management.

Ingredient quality will be easier to assess. The new format makes it easier to identify high-quality animal protein sources versus cheap fillers and plant-based protein substitutes.

Why carbohydrate disclosure matters so much

Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates. Yet most commercial dry dog food contains 30–60% carbohydrates by caloric content — a fact that has been almost impossible to verify from the label alone.

Without carb disclosure, "grain-free" became the proxy that dog owners used to assess carbohydrate content. But grain-free doesn't mean low-carb — many grain-free formulas simply replace grains with equally carb-dense ingredients like sweet potato, lentils, peas and chickpeas. The label told you what wasn't in the food, not what was.

The new AAFCO format closes that gap. For the first time, dog owners will be able to compare carbohydrate content across brands the same way they compare protein and fat — directly, from the label.

What to look for when the new labels arrive

Once the new format is in place, here's what to prioritise when evaluating a dog food:

Net carbohydrates — not just total carbohydrates. Total carbs minus dietary fibre gives you net carbs, which is the figure that actually affects blood sugar and insulin response. Look for foods with net carbs as low as possible.

Animal protein as the primary ingredient. The first ingredient on the label should be a named animal protein — beef, chicken, salmon, lamb — not a grain, legume, or plant-based protein isolate.

Fat source and quality. Healthy animal-based fats support energy, coat health, and brain function. Look for named fat sources like beef tallow, chicken fat or salmon oil rather than generic "animal fat."

Absence of unnecessary additives. Artificial preservatives, colours, and flavour enhancers add nothing nutritionally, and some carry known health risks.

A note on where we are now

The new AAFCO labels represent meaningful progress — but they're not yet universal. In the meantime, the estimate method remains useful: add up crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, moisture and ash percentages from the guaranteed analysis, then subtract from 100 to get an approximate carbohydrate figure.

For dog owners who don't want to do the maths, look for brands that already voluntarily list carbohydrate content clearly on their packaging — a sign that a company has nothing to hide about what's actually in their food.

This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified veterinarian regarding your dog's specific dietary needs.