NutritionThroughtheLifeCycle

TheAssociationofAmericanFeedControlOfficialsDogandCatFoodNutrientProfiles:SubstantiationofNutritionalAdequacyofCompleteandBalancedPetFoodsintheunitedStates12

DAVIDA.DZANIS3

DivisionofAnimalFeeds,CenterforVeterinaryMedicine,U.S.FoodandDrugAdministration,Rockuille,MD20855

ABSTRACTTheAssociationofAmericanFeedControlOfficial(AAFCO)formedtheCanine(1990-1991)andFeline(1991-1992)NutritionExpertSubcommitteestoupdatetherequirementsforsubstantiationof"completeandbalanced"claimsforpetfoodssoldintheunitedStates.Therearetwomeansbywhichacompanymaysubstantiatenutritionaladequacyforadogorcatfood.ThefirstmeansisbyformulatingthefoodsothatnutrientlevelsfallwithintherangesasestablishedintheAAFCODogandCatFoodNutrientProfiles.TheseprofilesreplacetheNationalResearchCouncilrecommendationsastherecognizedauthorityintheUnitedStatesasthattermisappliedtoAAFCOregulations.Levelsofnutrientsarebasedonpracticalformulationsofpetfoodswithadjustmentstoaccountforbioavailabilityofnutrientsincommonlyusedingredients.Separateprofilesforadultmaintenanceandgrowthandreproductionareset,andmaximumlevelsofsomenutrientsarealsoestablished.ThesecondmeansofsubstantiationisthroughtheconductoffeedingtrialsfollowingAAFCOprotocols.J.Nutr.124:2535S-2539S,1994.

INDEXINGKEYWORDS:

â€¢symposium

requirementsdogsâ€¢catsâ€¢nutritionalnutrientprofiles

TheAssociationofAmericanFeedControlOfficials(AAFCO)isanadvisorybodycomprisedofrepresentativesfromtheindividualstatesoftheUnitedStates.AprimaryfunctionofAAFCOisthepublicationofmodellaws,animalfeedregulationsandingredientdefinitions,allofwhichastatemayadoptasapartofitsownfeedlawsandregulations.Includedinthemodelregulationsaremeansforsubstantiationofnutritionaladequacyfor"completeandbalanced"dogandcatfoods.

Meansofsubstantiation

Therearetwomeansofsubstantiatingthenutritionaladequacyofapetfood.ThefirstmethodrequirestheproducttobeformulatedsothatessentialnutrientlevelsfallwiththerangesassetintheAAFCONutrientProfiles.ThesecondmethodrequiresapetfoodmanufacturertoconductanimalfeedingtrialsinaccordancewithAAFCOprotocols.Petfoodsthatsuccessfullypassthefeedingtrialsareexemptfromtherequirementtomeettheprofiles.Historically,AAFCOhasreliedonthepublicationsoftheNationalResearchCouncil(NRC)asits"recognizedauthorityonanimalnutrition"withrespecttothelevelsofnutrientsthatconstitutedacompleteandbalanceddogorcatfood(NRC1974,1978,1985,1986).ThisreliancebecameproblematicwiththemostrecentoftheNRCpublications.The1985and1986editionsreflectedmorerecentknowledgeofcanineandfelinenutrition,buttheirrecommendationswerenotinaformatreadilyusablebyAAFCOorthepetfoodindustry.Asaresult,AAFCOelectedtocontinuetousetheoutdated1974and1978recommendations.In1990,theAAFCOCanineNutritionExpert(CNE)Subcommitteewasestablishedtoaddressthisproblem.ThereportoftheCNESubcommitteebecametheAAFCODogFoodNutrientProfiles(Table1)(AAFCO1992).Comparedwiththe1974NRCree-

1PresentedaspartoftheWalthamSymposiumontheNutritionofCompanionAnimalsinassociationwiththe15thInternationalCongressofNutrition,atAdelaide,SA,Australia,onSeptember23-25,1993.GuesteditorsforthissymposiumwereKayEarle,JohnMercerandD'AnnFinley.2Presentedas"SubstantiationofNutritionalAdequacyofCompleteandBalancedPetFoods"atthePetfoodForum,May4,1993,Chicago,IL.3Towhomcorrespondenceshouldbeaddressed:FDA/CVM,HFV-222,7500StandishPlace,Rockville,MD20855.

2535S

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2536S

SUPPLEMENT

TABLE1

AAFCONutrientProniesfordogfood-

NutrientUnitsdrymatterGrowth/reproductionminimumAdultmaintenanceminimumMaximumProteinArginineHistidineIsoleucineLeucineLysineMethionine-cystinePhenylalanine-tyrosineThreonineTryptophanValineFat1LinoleicacidMineralsCalciumPhosphorusCa/PratioPotassiumSodiumChlorideMagnesiumIron3CopperManganeseZincIodineSeleniumVitaminsVitaminAVitaminDVitmainEThiamine4RiboflavinPantothenicacidNiacinPyridoxineFolieacidVitaminB-2Cholineg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kg1Presumesanenergydensityof14.6kjME/g,basedonthe"modifiedAtwater"valuesof14.6,35.6and14.6kjME/gforprotein,fatandcarbohydrate(nitrogen-freeextract),respectively.Inrations>16.7kjME/g,theconcentrationofallothernutrientsshouldbeincreasedproportionately;rations<14.6kjME/gshouldnotbecorrectedforenergy.2Althoughatruerequirementforfatpersehasnotbeenestablished,theminimumlevelwasbasedonrecognitionoffatasasourceofessentialfattyacids,asacarrieroffat-solublevitamins,toenhancepalatabilityandtosupplyanadequateenergydensity.3Becauseofverypoorbioavailability,ironfromcarbonateoroxidesourcesthatisaddedtothedietshouldnotbeconsideredascontributingtothenutritionalironinthediet.4Becauseprocessingmaydestroyupto90%ofthethiamininthediet,allowancesinformulationshouldbemadetoensuretheminimumnutrientlevelismetafterprocessing.

ommendations,therearetwoseparateAAFCOprofiles(oneforgrowthandreproductionandoneforadultmaintenance),insteadofjustoneforalllifestages.Thisallowsdogfoodsformulatedforthemaintenanceofadultdogstocontainloweramountsofsomenutrients.Also,outofconcernfortheriskofnutrientexcess,maximumlimitsontheamountsofcalcium,phosphorus,magnesium,fat-solublevitaminsandmosttracemineralsindogfoodswereestablished(Hazewinkel1989,Hedhammeretal.1974,NRC1980,NRC1987).Wherespecificdatawerelackingindogs,dataonotherspecieswereextrapolated.Thenewprofileforgrowthandreproductionraisestheminimumamountoffatrequired.Inthepracticalexperiencesofthesubcommitteemembers,thiswasdeemednecessarytoincreasetheenergycontenttoappropriatelevels.Alsoincreasedinbothprofilesarethelevelsofzincandiron(ChausowandCzarnecki-Maulden1987,Saneckietal.1982).Ontheotherhand,thelevelsofcalcium,phosphorusandsodiumchloride

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THEAAFCODOGANDCATFOODNUTRIENTPROFILES

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TABLE2

AAFCONutrientProfilesforcatfoods1

NutrientUnitsdrymatterGrowth/reproductionminimumAdultmaintenanceminimumMaximumProteinArginineHistidineIsoleucineLeucineLysineMethionine-cystineMethioninePhenylalanine-tyrosinePhenylalaineTaurine(extruded)Taurine(canned)ThreonineTryptophanValineFat2LinoleicacidArachidonicacidMineralsCalciumPhosphorusPotassiumSodiumChlorideMagnesium3Iron4CopperIodineZincManganeseSeleniumVitaminsVitaminAVitaminDVitaminE5VitaminK6Thiamin7RiboflavinPyridoxineNiacinPantothenicacidFolieacidBiotin8VitaminB-12Choline9g/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/kgmg/k1Presumesanenergydensityof16.7kjME/g,basedonthe"modifiedAtwater"valuesof14.6,35.6and14.6kjME/gforprotein,fatandcarbohydrate(nitrogen-freeextract),respectively.Inrationsthatcontain>18.8kjME/g,theconcentrationofallothernutrientsshouldbeincreasedproportionately,-rations<16.7kjME/gshouldnotbecorrectedforenergy.2Althoughatruerequirementforfatpersehasnotbeenestablished,theminimumlevelwasbasedonrecognitionoffatasasourceofessentialfattyacids,asacarrieroffat-solublevitamins,toenhancepalatability,andtosupplyanadequateenergydensity(NRC1986).3Ingeneral,ifthemeanurinepHofcatsfedadlibitumisnotbelow6.4;theriskofstruviteurolithiasisincreasesasthemagnesiumcontentofthedietincreases.4Becauseofverypoorbioavailability,ironfromcarbonateoroxidesourcesthatisaddedtothedietshouldnotbeconsideredascontributingtothelevelofnutritionalironinthediet.5Add10mgvitaminEaboveminimumlevelpergramoffishoilperkilogramofdiet(NRC1986).

6VitaminKdoesnotneedtobeaddedunlessdietcontain>25%fishonadrymatterbasis.

7Becauseprocessingmaydestroyupto90%ofthethiamininthediet,allowancesinformulationshouldbemadetoensuretheminimumnutrientlevelismetafterprocessing.8Biotindoesnotneedtobeaddedunlessdietcontainsantimicrobialorantivitamincompounds(NRC1986).9Methioninemaysubstituteforcholineasamethyldonoratarateof3.75pansfor1partcholinebyweightwhenmethionineexceeds6.2g/kg(NRC1986).