What an AAFCO Feeding Trial Means on Dog Food

What “animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures” means

It means the food was actually fed to animals — not only calculated on paper — following AAFCO's standardized protocols. “AAFCO procedures” are the standardized feeding protocols that define how feeding trials are to be conducted and assessed. (see AAFCO ▼)

How to find it on your own bag

Look at the Nutritional Adequacy Statement — usually small print on the back or side of the package. A feeding-trial-tested food reads like “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that [product] provides complete and balanced nutrition for [life stage].” (see the exact wording ▼)

The two ways a food earns “complete and balanced”

To carry the claim, a dog food must do one of two things: meet one of AAFCO's nutrient profiles, or pass a feeding trial using AAFCO procedures. (see FDA ▼)

• Formulated to meet. The recipe is calculated to meet AAFCO's nutrient profiles. The label reads “[product] is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog (or Cat) Food Nutrient Profiles…” (see the wording ▼)
• Feeding trial. The food is fed to animals following AAFCO's procedures (the feeding-test wording above). Both methods let a food be called complete and balanced; the label tells you which one was used.

A third wording: “comparable in nutritional adequacy”

You may also see “[product] provides complete and balanced nutrition for [life stage] and is comparable in nutritional adequacy to a product which has been substantiated using AAFCO feeding tests.” (see the wording ▼) That means this particular food wasn't itself put through a feeding trial — instead, it is comparable in nutritional adequacy to another product that was.

What it does not mean

• It does not mean AAFCO tested or approved the food. AAFCO does not regulate, test, approve, or certify pet food — it sets the procedures, and the manufacturer runs the trial. (see AAFCO ▼)
• It does not make a feeding-trial food automatically “better.” A feeding trial and “formulated to meet” are both AAFCO-accepted ways to substantiate the same claim. (see FDA ▼) For what “complete and balanced” itself does and doesn't promise, see our guide.
• A third-party seal is not the same thing. A “complete and balanced” statement — by either method — is more meaningful than a third-party seal: the FDA notes endorsements and seals of approval from other organizations are not assurances of nutritional adequacy and may be misleading. (see FDA ▼)