Do you know that there is a quick, reliable way to judge pet food? Read to the bottom of this article to find out exactly what to do. One step. Guaranteed.

If you look at the label of just about any pet food, you’re likely to see a statement about AAFCO. AAFCO is the Association of American Feed Control Officials. This group sets guidelines and definitions for American animal feed, including pet foods.

Sounds great, right?

Unfortunately, no. The AAFCO standards are so low (and so poorly enforced as it is) that even the worst foods on the market meet them. By “worst,” I mean food containing absolute garbage that no responsible pet parent would want to have in the house, let alone feed to beloved animals.

What’s better than AAFCO? It’s the APHIS European certification. APHIS stands for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), a part of the USDA.

This APHIS program tests pet food to determine if it can be exported to Europe, where expectations and standards are much more stringent than those set by AAFCO.

It’s fairly difficult for a pet food company to get APHIS certification, simply because the standards are so high. Here’s what’s involved:

First, the pet food must be made of ingredients that people can safely eat. European requirements make this a basic criterion for quality pet food. This means meeting guidelines for human consumption as set by the USDA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). By comparison, pet food without the APHIS European certification can include byproducts that are decidedly unfit for human consumption and contribute little or no nutrition. These ingredients often contain bacteria, carcinogens, and chemicals.

Next, the company must get an APHIS health certificate. This occurs after the manufacturing facilities have been inspected and approved by APHIS veterinary services. An APHIS health certificate must accompany each individual pet food shipment that goes to Europe.

Next, the product must meet strict labeling requirements. These include listing every single additive, preservative, antioxidant, and color. (AAFCO allows manufacturers to omit listing agents that the company itself didn’t add—often dangerous substances that are already in the ingredients themselves, such as ethoxyquin, a toxic preservative used for ocean fish.)

Labels must describe the food and indicate the species it’s intended for. If the label says "complete," then one daily serving must be nutritionally complete.

Finally, the product must pass quality controls. Suppliers of cereals, meat, or fish must be approved by APHIS. The approval process considers freshness, nutritional quality, and digestibility. Quality control at the production plant measures levels of protein and the percentage of fat. Additional quality controls pertain to cleanliness, packaging, and storage.

With all those requirements, why would any company go through this process? Simply for these reasons: First, to sell American pet foods in Europe. Or, perhaps even better, to ensure a heightened level of quality for American pet foods sold here in the US.

So what’s that one, reliable, and simple measure of pet food quality? Just this:

Call your pet food company and ask if their foods are APHIS European certified. If the person you talk to doesn’t even know what you’re talking about, it’s a safe bet that they’re not. If they do a lot of fast talking about AAFCO, then you really know!

The pet foods we represent from Life’s Abundance are indeed APHIS certified. Ask us if you want more information, or check them out here.