Expression of Guarantees

Section 200 Section 200.150  Expression of Guarantees a)         The sliding scale method of expressing a guaranteed analysis (for example, "protein 15-18%") is prohibited. b)         Pursuant to Section 5(a)(3) of the Act, the label of a pet food which is formulated as and represented to be a mineral supplement, shall include in the guaranteed analysis the minimum and maximum percentages of calcium, the minimum percentage of phosphorus and the minimum and maximum percentages of salt.  The minimum content of all other essential nutrient elements recognized by the AAFCO Dog or Cat Food Nutrient Profile, as adopted in Section 10 of the Act, from sources declared in the ingredient statement shall be expressed as the element in units specified in the recognized nutrient profile. c)         The label of pet food which is formulated as and represented to be a vitamin supplement shall include a guarantee of the minimum content of each vitamin declared in the ingredient statement. d)         Vitamins guaranteed on pet foods shall be stated in International Units per kilogram (IU/kg) for vitamins A, D, and E.  All other vitamins shall be stated in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) except vitamin B12 which may be guaranteed in micrograms per kilogram (mcg/kg). e)         The vitamin potency of pet food products distributed in containers smaller than 1 lb. may be guaranteed in International Units (IU) per kilogram of weight for vitamins A, D, and E.  All other vitamins may be guaranteed in milligrams per kilogram of weight (mg/kg) except vitamin B12 which may be guaranteed in micrograms per kilogram (mcg/kg). f)         If the label of a pet food does not represent the pet food to be either a vitamin or a mineral supplement, but does include a table of comparison of a typical analysis of the vitamin, mineral, or nutrient content of the pet food with levels determined by the AAFCO, as adopted in Section 10 of the Act, the statement in a table of comparison of the vitamin, mineral, or nutrient content shall constitute a guarantee, but need not be repeated in the guaranteed analysis.  Such table of comparison may appear on the label separate and apart from the guaranteed analysis. g)         The use of percentages or words of similar import when referring to nutrient levels established by the AAFCO Pet Food Nutrient Profile, as adopted in Section 10 of the Act, shall not be permitted on pet food labels, except that such direct comparisons in whole or part of the individual nutrient contents of a pet food with those recommended by the recognized nutrient profile may be made where the comparisons are expressed in the same quantitative units as those used by the cited nutrient profile and, 1)         the product in question meets the nutrient profile determined by AAFCO, and 2)         the comparison is preceded by a statement to that effect.