If you’ve ever flipped over a bag of dog food and found yourself scanning the fine print, chances are you’ve seen the acronym “AAFCO.” It sounds official—and many assume it’s a government group that ensures pet food is healthy and safe.

But what is AAFCO really? And how much influence does it have over what goes into your dog’s bowl?

Let’s break it down.

AAFCO Is Not A Government Agency

First things first—AAFCO (short for the Association of American Feed Control Officials) is not a regulatory body. It’s a private, volunteer-based organization made up mostly of state and federal feed control officials. Their job is to help states develop consistent standards for labeling and defining animal feeds—including pet food.

The organization itself doesn’t regulate or test pet food, nor does it approve any products. That’s actually the role of the FDA, which monitors food safety and labeling accuracy. However, because the FDA’s primary focus is on human food, it often relies on AAFCO to help guide policies related to pet products.

AAFCO Sets Nutrient And Labeling Standards

What AAFCO does do is provide model guidelines that most U.S. states adopt into law. These guidelines help determine what makes a dog food “complete and balanced” for healthy dogs.

To use that label, a pet food brand must meet one of two standards:

1. Match AAFCO’s nutrient profiles, which outline minimum (and sometimes maximum) levels of protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
2. Pass an AAFCO feeding trial, where a group of dogs eats only that food for 26 weeks.

It’s worth noting that nutrient levels are calculated differently depending on the label. For example, the “guaranteed analysis” you see on a bag of kibble lists nutrients on an “as-fed” basis, including moisture. AAFCO’s standards, however, are based on “dry matter”—meaning you’ll need to do some math if you want to compare brands apples-to-apples.

Feeding Trials: Not As Scientific As You’d Think

You might assume a feeding trial is an intensive study involving dozens of dogs. In reality, only eight dogs are required—and as long as six complete the 26-week trial without major health red flags, the food passes.

The dogs’ weight and a few basic blood values are measured, but critical metrics like long-term vitality or the quality of ingredients aren’t part of the test. In fact, up to 25% of the dogs can be removed from the trial for “non-nutritional” reasons and not factored into the final results.

Most companies skip feeding trials due to cost and simply formulate their food to match AAFCO’s nutrient guidelines. But again, those guidelines say nothing about the source or digestibility of those nutrients.

Which brings us to a major criticism...

Ingredients Can Be Misleading

AAFCO defines what counts as a “protein,” but not where it comes from. In other words, protein derived from prime beef and protein derived from animal by-products or even questionable meat sources all count the same on a label.

That’s one reason why pet food ingredient lists can be confusing. Manufacturers sometimes “split” ingredients (e.g. listing corn in multiple forms—cornmeal, corn gluten, corn syrup) to push whole meat further up the list.

AAFCO’s ingredient definitions allow for vague and sometimes concerning ingredients—like “animal digest” or “meat meal”—without offering transparency on sourcing or quality.

Who’s Really Writing the Rules?

Critics also take issue with the fact that many AAFCO advisors and committee members represent some of the largest players in the pet food industry—including Nestlé Purina, Hill’s, and Cargill. That creates a potential conflict of interest in how standards and ingredient definitions are created.

As a result, many holistic veterinarians and independent pet food makers choose to go beyond AAFCO’s minimums—focusing instead on whole food ingredients, nutrient bioavailability, and transparency.

So, What Should You Look for As a Pet Owner?

AAFCO guidelines are useful in that they set a baseline—but they aren’t the gold standard many assume them to be. If your goal is to feed your dog the most nutritious and biologically appropriate food, it pays to dig deeper than the label.

Look for:

• Brands that disclose their ingredient sourcing
• Foods made with whole meats and identifiable produce
• Transparency about testing and formulation, beyond just meeting “AAFCO standards”

And remember: just because a food is “complete and balanced” doesn’t mean it’s optimal.

Final Thoughts

Understanding the role AAFCO plays in shaping pet food regulations helps pet owners make informed decisions when reading a dog food label or choosing between brands. As a voluntary membership association, AAFCO helps outline the standards for complete and balanced nutrition but does not directly regulate or certify products.

With the newly reintroduced H.R. 597 and the Uniform Regulatory Reform Act gaining attention, AAFCO is voicing concerns about maintaining consistency in pet food regulations while safeguarding animal and human health. From feed tote sampling methods to animal feeding tests, and even the classification of animal drug remedies, pet food manufacturers are expected to comply with evolving guidelines.

Looking ahead, AAFCO is set to host labeling workshops to help clarify dog food packaging requirements and promote transparency across the food and specialty pet industries. As they prepare to host labeling workshops at industry events, ongoing collaboration between regulators and manufacturers will be key to protecting both animal and human health.

FAQ

What is AAFCO and what does it do? AAFCO, or the Association of American Feed Control Officials, helps set standards for pet food labels and nutritional guidelines but does not regulate or approve individual products. It works alongside feed control officials AAFCO appoints to create model regulations adopted by most states, including ingredient definitions, nutrient profiles, and tote sampling methods study protocols.

What dog food brands are AAFCO approved? There is no such thing as an officially "AAFCO approved dog food," as AAFCO doesn’t approve or regulate products directly. However, many pet food and specialty brands formulate their recipes to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles or feeding trial standards to claim nutritional completeness on their pet food labels.

Is AAFCO trustworthy? While AAFCO plays a key role in pet food uniform regulatory reform, the organization has faced criticism—especially since the Purr Act of 2025 raises red flags about transparency and ingredient definitions. With industry ties and limited enforcement power, red flags with AAFCO concern many consumers who prefer standards beyond basic compliance.

Is Purina Pro Plan dog food AAFCO approved? Purina Pro Plan is considered an AAFCO approved dog food in the sense that it meets AAFCO nutrient profiles and may participate in feeding trials, though AAFCO does not directly certify products. Like many large brands, Purina engages in bulk feed tote sampling and follows AAFCO protocols.