Vitamin K3

Ritz said:

One would expect a food called "Salmon TunaChovy" to be 25% fish based.  But I know from reading ingredients that some 'beef' flavored foods have fish in them.  And some food called Seafood has beef, chicken as the 2nd ingredient.
Also, I see the word "dry weight".  Wonder if it is 25% wet food cased (dry matter basis conversion--to figure out how much carbohydrates a food *really* has--even if "grain free").  Maybe that's the difference.

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Label Basics

There are special labeling requirements for pet food, all of which are contained in the annually revised Official Publication of AAFCO.2 While AAFCO does not regulate pet food, it does provide model regulations and standards that are followed by U.S. pet food makers.

The name of the food provides the first indication of the food’s content. The use of the terms “all” or “100%” cannot be used “if the product contains more than one ingredient, not including water sufficient for processing, decharacterizing agents, or trace amounts of preservatives and condiments.”

The “95% Rule” applies when the ingredient(s) derived from animals, poultry, or fish constitutes at least 95% or more of the total weight of the product (or 70% excluding water for processing). Because all-meat diets are not nutritionally balanced and cause severe deficiencies if fed exclusively, they fell out of favor for many years. However, due to rising consumer interest in high quality meat products, several companies are now promoting 95% and 100% canned meats as a supplemental feeding option.

The “dinner” product is defined by the “25% Rule,” which applies when “an ingredient or a combination of ingredients constitutes at least 25% of the weight of the product (excluding water sufficient for processing)”, or at least 10% of the dry matter weight; and a descriptor such as “recipe,” “platter,” “entree,” and “formula.” A combination of ingredients included in the product name is permissible when each ingredient comprises at least 3% of the product weight, excluding water for processing, and the ingredient names appear in descending order by weight.

The “With” rule allows an ingredient name to appear on the label, such as “with real chicken,” as long as each such ingredient constitutes at least 3% of the food by weight, excluding water for processing.

The “flavor” rule allows a food to be designated as a certain flavor as long as the ingredient(s) are sufficient to “impart a distinctive characteristic” to the food. Thus, a “beef flavor” food may contain a small quantity of digest or other extract of tissues from cattle, or even an artificial flavor, without containing any actual beef meat at all.

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SSMaine said:

these foods are marketed as fish-based foods and they are not except for EVO

so is Orijen 6 fish less than 25% fish?

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SSMaine said:

Any food that is less than 25% fish on a DM basis should not be name Pure Sea or Salmon TunaChovy

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mschauer said:

I think it was Orijen that I looked at that had a bunch of other, non-fish, ingredients. So it could be less than 25% fish or it is 25% or more fish and the other ingredients provide the needed vit K.

You won't get any argument from me on that one! 

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SSMaine said:

mschauer said:

I think it was Orijen that I looked at that had a bunch of other, non-fish, ingredients. So it could be less than 25% fish or it is 25% or more fish and the other ingredients provide the needed vit K.

You won't get any argument from me on that one! 

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There is no provision in the rule for other ingredients providing the Vitamin K. Several companies have confirmed. Evo, Solid Gold and Canidea.  If the food is greater than 25% fish K3 must be added.

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SSMaine said:

Any food that is less than 25% fish on a DM basis should not be name Pure Sea or Salmon TunaChovy

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mschauer said:

Based on the responses you have posted I don't agree with that assessment.  Vit K can be "added" via a natural source. It doesn't have to be from a synthetic one (menadione).

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Vitamin K Dosages

There is no AAFCO recommended level of vitamin K in dog foods. However, there have been reports of vitamin K deficiency in cats fed several commercial foods containing high levels of salmon or tuna. The AAFCO recommends supplementation for any cat eating a diet containing greater than 25 percent fish (0.1 ppm vitamin K recommended and is usually included in the processed diets).

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