Examples of pet food labels

Dog Food label example translations

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I will use examples without using the brand name because I am not too keen on getting into trouble for doing so for one reason or other.
However, in order to give some indication what kind of food I am talking about I will give the average price per standard bag (15kg/35lbs) or standard can (350g/12oz)in both Euros (€) and US Dollars ($).
I have selected the following formulation in commercially produced dog food:
- Normal Adult Chicken and Rice Premium Dry Food
- Normal Adult Lamb and Rice Premium Dry Food
- Normal Adult Maintenance Dry Food
- Puppy Lamb and Rice Premium Canned Food
- Puppy Chicken and Beef Canned Food

Chicken and Rice Premium Dry food for the average adult (approximately 50€/$30)
- Chicken - what you would expect, it's the feathery things that make eggs as long as they are female
- brewers rice - a dried leftover of rice used in brewing of alcoholic beverages or malting of grain, may contain dried, pulverized hops; leftover kernels left over from rice milling
- whole grain wheat - ground wheat containing the whole, ground grains including hulls and kernels
- poultry by-product meal - anything that is not strictly speaking meat (e.g. liver, spleen, bone, blood, cleaned/washed intestines, brain, lungs, etc) it does not include the questionable item found in "animal by-products" such as feathers
- corn gluten meal - by-product of corn manufacturing (corn syrup/starch), residue left after removal of the bran, germ, and starch
- whole grain corn - flour containing the whole, ground corn including hulls and germs
- animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols - fat of animal origin; these fats have a high portion of saturated fatty acids & a preservative; contains Vitamin C and Vitamin E
- corn bran - a by-product of corn milling (hulling)
- fish meal - dried, ground fish and/or fish by-products
- animal digest - the dried, solid residue which is a by-product of animal rendering and is declared unfit for human consumption
- dried egg product - primarily eggshell according to another source this is powdered, dried egg-white and egg-yolk [discrepancies possibly due to different regulations in the USA and the European Union; since the product I used as an example is by an American manufacturer I believe the second definition to be the most likely, however, this is a subjective, personal opinion only]
- calcium phosphate - source of calcium and phosphor
- salt - ordinary table salt (sodium chloride)
- potassium chloride - a potassium salt, potassium is a mineral
- calcium carbonate - a water-soluable calcium salt; a source of calcium
- Vitamin E supplement - what the name suggests
- choline chloride - a B-Vitamin
- zinc sulfate - a mineral
- ferrous sulfate - a source of iron; an iron salt
- L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate - a Vitamin C source
- manganese sulfate - a salt that is a source of manganese which is a mineral
- niacin - Vitamin B3
- Vitamin A supplement - what the name suggests
- calcium pantothenate - source of calcium and Vitamin B5
- thiamine mononitrate - Vitamin B1
- copper sulfate - mineral salt
- riboflavin supplement - Vitamin B2; also known as E101
- Vitamin B-12 supplement - what the name suggests
- pyridoxine hydrochloride - Vitamin B6
- garlic oil - oil derived from garlic that is believed to help fight internal parasites; sceptics believe it to be dangerous as - like onions - they can cause anaemia in dogs if consumed in large doses
- folic acid - Vitamin B9
- Vitamin D-3 supplement - what the name suggests
- calcium iodate - a salt; a source of calcium and iodine
- biotin - Vitamin B7, also known as Vitamin H
- menadione sodium bisulfite complex - a salt; a precursor of Vitamin K
- sodium selenite - believed to have properties similar to those of Vitamin E
Lamb and Rice Premium Dry food for the average adult (approximately 65€/$40)
- Lamb Meal - ground, dried lamb meat and possibly meat by-products (depends on the individual countries regulations on declaration of ingredients)
- Ground Brown Rice - ground wholemeal (unpolished, unhulled) rice without kernels
- Ground White Rice - ground, hulled, ordinary rice without kernels
- Chicken Fat (Preserved With Natural Mixed Tocopherols) - fat obtained from chicken tissue, contain 20-30% of essential fatty acids & Vitamin C and Vitamin A
- Oatmeal - what the name suggests
- Dried Beet Pulp - residue that remains of the sugar beet in sugar production; low sugar content
- Flaxseed - what the name suggests; rich in Omega 3 & Omega 6 fatty acids
- Dried Egg Product - primarily eggshell according to another source this is powdered, dried egg-white and egg-yolk [discrepancies possibly due to different regulations in the USA and the European Union; since the product I used as an example is by an American manufacturer I believe the second definition to be the most likely, however, this is a subjective, personal opinion only]
- Carrots - what the name suggests
- Sun-Cured Alfalfa - what the name suggests, dried (and most likely ground) alfalfa-plant
- Peas - what the name suggests, little, green round things
- Salt - ordinary table salt; sodium chloride
- Potassium Chloride potassium, a mineral; a salt
- Quinoa - what the name suggests; source of protein and amino acids
- Apples - what the name suggests
- Blueberries - what the name suggests
- Inulin - probiotic; fibre; a polysaccharides (a sugar)
- Taurine - an amino acid, promotes digestion, most abundant bile acid
- Beta-Carotene - a substance found in plants that the body can convert into Vitamin A
- Cranberries - what the name suggests
- Dehydrated Kelp - source of many different vitamins and minerals; contains fibre
- Glucosamine Hydrochloride - an amino sugar believed to help in the regeneration of catilage and the reduction of pain associated with arthritis; helps the formation of connective tissue
- Yucca Schidigera Extract - contains steroidal saponines (the inner bark of yucca trees); believed to lessen the odour of urine and feces by reducing the amount of urea transforming into ammonia; possible helpful in relieving arthritis, osteoarthritis, kidney and gut problems
- DL-Methionine - natural amino acid, urine acidifier, helps to maintain liver function
- Vitamin A Acetate a source of Vitamin A
- Vitamin D3 Supplement - what the name suggests
- Vitamin E Supplement - what the name suggests
- Riboflavin Supplement - Vitamin B2; also known as E101
- Vitamin B12 Supplement - what the name suggests
- d-Pantothenic Acid - Vitamin B5
- Niacin Supplement - Vitamin B3
- Choline Chloride - a B-Vitamin
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride - Vitamin B6
- Thiamine Mononitrate - Vitamin B1
- Folic Acid - Vitamin B9
- Ascorbic Acid - Vitamin C
- Biotin - Vitamin B7, also known as Vitamin H
- Lecithin - fatty substance containing a lot of Omega-6 fatty acids, can be fully metabolized
- Rosemary Extract - an essential oil that works as a natural preservative, increases bile production (hence helps the metabolism of fat), believed to "clean" and "purify" the entire system
- Inositol - a B Vitamin, often referred to as Vitamin B8
- Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt - a sugar compound providing the minerals Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt
- Potassium Iodate - a source of potassium and iodine; a salt
- Sodium Selenite - believed to have properties similar to those of Vitamin E
- Lactobacillus acidophilus; Lactobacillus casei - probiotic; fibre; are used in the industrial production of various dairy products; useful in helping with bowel problems, primarily diarrhoea
- Enterococcus faecium - a positive bacterium in the colon
- Bacillus subtillus - a positive bacterium in the colon
- Bacillus licheniformis - a positive bacterium in the colon
- Bacillus coagulins - a positive bacterium in the colon
- Aspergillus oryzae - a non-toxic mould; preservative; probiotic
- Aspergillus niger - a non-toxic mould; preservative; probiotic
Lamb and Rice Maintenance (approximately 26€/$16)
- Ground yellow corn - ground/chopped corn only (no hulls and kernels)
- meat and bone meal - dried, ground meat and bones; dried, ground meat, bones, intestines; dried, ground, meat, bone, skin, tendons; regulations what can be defined as "meat meal" vary between countries; the source of the meat does not needs to be specified (e.g. it can be chicken, pork, beef, etc depending on what is cheapest at the time of manufacturing, may also mean that one month chicken is used while the next month beef is used - this meat is usually not suitable for human consumption)
- corn gluten meal - by-product of corn manufacturing (corn syrup/starch), residue left after removal of the bran, germ, and starch
- chicken by-product meal - ground by-products such as the remainder of fat rendering, necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, intestines, etc; various inferior sources of protein
- animal fat (preserved with BHA/BHT) - fat of animal origin (animal not specified); these fats have a high portion of saturated fatty acids & preservatives; believed to be carcinogen; also known as additive E320 and E321
- wheat mill run - a by-product; wheat bran and shortening
- natural poultry flavor - isolated, extracted flavours (e.g. vanilla flavour extracted from vanilla pods)
- rice - hulled, white rice without kernels
- salt - sodium chloride - common/household/table salt; all salts are water soluable and hence easily absorbed by the body
- potassium chloride - potassium source; a salt
- caramel colour - heated sugar (hence brown colour)
- wheat flour - ground wheat, with or without kernels and hulls, but mostly flour with kernels and bran is referred to as wholemeal flour
- wheat gluten - protein making up most of the starch in wheat
- vegetable oil - oils derived from plants (such as olive oil, canola/rape(seed) oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, etc) while the source or sources of the oil are not specified
- vitamins [choline chloride, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate] - a collection of the following vitamins: a vitamin B source, a Vitamin C - Vitamin E source
- l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate a stable source of Vitamin C used primarily in pet/animal food; long term effects unknown
- vitamin A supplement - what the name suggests
- thiamine mononitrate - Vitamin B1
- biotin - Vitamin B7, also known as Vitamin H
- d-calcium pantothenate - source of calcium and Vitamin B5
- riboflavin supplement - Vitamin B2; also known as E101
- vitamin D3 supplement - what the name suggests
- vitamin B12 supplement - what the name suggests
- trace minerals [zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium sulfate] - minerals; zinc, copper, potassium salts
Lamb and Rice Premium Canned Puppy Food (approximately 2.30€/$1.30)
- biotin - Vitamin B7, also known as Vitamin H
Chicken and Beef Canned Puppy Food (approximately 2€/$2.80) [this is surprisingly expensive given the contents]
- potassium iodide - a source for the minerals potassium and iodine

Sources:

European Union Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection
- subsection "Animal nutrition and feed safety"
- subsection "Labeling and Nutrition"
- subsection "Food safety"
the German Federal Ministry of Health
the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection
U.S. Department of Health and Human services
- subsection "Food and Drug Administration"
Association of American Feed Control Officials
The Finnish National Public Health Institute - "Fineli"
the UK Department of Health
the UK Department for Enviornment, Food and Rural Affairs - "defra"

NB: the author does not guarantee the accuracy of this information or accept responsibility for harm caused through it

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