The front of a kibble bag is primarily a marketing tool. The truly useful information is found on the back of the packaging.

But you still need to know how to interpret it.

The labeling of animal feed is governed by European regulations, but some statements remain optional or can be presented in different ways. As a result, a label can be perfectly compliant with the law yet still difficult to decipher.

Here are the main points to know to better understand what you are buying.

What manufacturers are obliged to indicate

In Europe, the labeling of animal feed is primarily governed by Regulation (EC) No 767/2009.

For dog food, several pieces of information must be included on the packaging, including:

• the name of the feed;
• the species concerned;
• the composition;
• analytical constituents;
• certain additives;
• net quantity;
• minimum durability date;
• instructions for use;
• the party responsible for placing it on the market.

The DGCCRF also reminds that this information must be available when purchasing online, with a few exceptions such as the batch number.

The first ingredient is not always what you think

Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight at the time of manufacture.

If chicken appears first, it simply means it is present in a greater quantity than each of the other ingredients taken individually.

But this classification has a significant limitation: it takes into account the water contained in the ingredients.

Fresh chicken contains approximately 70% water. After cooking and dehydration, its weight significantly decreases. Therefore, it can appear at the top of the list while representing a much smaller proportion in the final kibble.

This does not mean that the label is misleading, but simply that this classification does not reflect the composition of the dry food.

Ingredient splitting

Another difficulty: splitting.

Instead of simply stating "corn," a manufacturer can declare separately:

• corn;
• corn flour;
• corn gluten.

Taken individually, each moves down the ingredient list. However, when added together, they can represent a significant portion of the recipe.

This practice is authorized by regulations and complicates reading for the consumer.

The least transparent formulations

Certain categories authorized by regulations remain very general.

"Meat and animal by-products"

This statement specifies neither the species used nor the tissues concerned.

This does not mean that the food is of poor quality, but simply that the information is less precise than a list detailing the raw materials.

"Cereals"

Same principle.

The term can group several cereals without specifying which ones. A composition directly indicating rice, corn, wheat, or barley is more informative.

"Oils and fats"

Not all fats have the same nutritional value.

Fish oil rich in omega-3 does not provide the same profile as conventional animal fat. A brand that specifies its lipid sources is therefore more transparent.

Analytical constituents: useful, but insufficient

Analytical constituents generally indicate:

• crude protein;
• crude fat;
• crude fiber;
• crude ash;
• moisture when it exceeds the regulatory threshold.

The term "crude" refers to an analysis method and does not provide information on nutritional quality.

For example, a high protein level does not indicate whether they are easily digestible or of good biological quality.

Similarly, crude ash simply corresponds to the total amount of minerals after analysis. A high level does not automatically mean that a kibble is bad. It is an indicator that must be interpreted with the rest of the formulation.

What DGCCRF controls show

Controls carried out by the DGCCRF remind us that not all labels are irreproachable.

In its 2019 survey, 54 out of 141 establishments had at least one anomaly.

The most frequent problems concerned:

• differences between information on packaging and that published online;
• missing or inaccurate percentages of animal ingredients;
• errors concerning certain additives;
• imprecise or insufficiently justified claims.

Marketing mentions were particularly affected.

The words that sell

Terms like Premium, Super Premium, Holistic, Gourmet, or Superior have no regulatory definition guaranteeing specific nutritional quality.

They are primarily marketing terms.

Conversely, certain mentions like Natural or references to organic farming meet more precise criteria.

When can kibble be described as "complete"?

A complete food is one that, on its own, covers the daily nutritional needs of the dog when distributed according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

To formulate these foods, manufacturers generally rely on FEDIAF recommendations.

The label therefore provides essential information, but it does not allow everything to be evaluated. Ingredient digestibility, quality controls, recipe stability, or feeding trials are not visible on the packaging.

What to remember

A label can already tell you a lot about kibble, provided you know what it shows... and what it doesn't.

The main points of vigilance are:

• the order of ingredients, influenced by their water content;
• the splitting of certain ingredients;
• very general categories like "meat and animal by-products" or "oils and fats";
• marketing claims that do not constitute quality guarantees.

A label doesn't tell the whole story of a kibble. To get a good idea, you need to look at everything: the composition, the analytical constituents, the transparency of the brand, the consistency of the information provided, and, when possible, the available data on formulation and quality control.

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Sources

1. Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 on the placing on the market and use of feed.
2. FEDIAF. Code of Good Labelling Practice for Pet Food. 2019 Edition.
3. FEDIAF. Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food for Cats and Dogs. Latest Edition.
4. DGCCRF. Pet food: what's in their bowl? National survey on pet food.
5. DGCCRF. Practical guides on animal feed and claims.