Field Guide · Glossary
Guaranteed analysis
Food and labelsThe panel on a pet food label giving minimum percentages for protein and fat and maximum percentages for fiber and moisture.
How it works
It states guarantees rather than measurements, which is why two foods showing identical numbers can differ substantially in what they actually contain. Percentages are also given on an as-fed basis, so a wet food and a dry food cannot be compared directly at all until moisture is accounted for. Comparing foods per thousand calories rather than by percentage is the more informative approach, because it reflects what a dog receives in a meal rather than what is in the bag.
What it looks like
A wet food shows 10% protein and a dry food shows 26%. The wet food is around 75% water. Once that is removed, the two are far closer than the panel suggests.
Commonly confused with
- Nutritional adequacy statement
- The guaranteed analysis gives numbers about composition. The adequacy statement says whether the food is complete and balanced for a life stage. The second is the more useful sentence and is usually in smaller print.
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