What Does "Natural" Mean in Pet Food?
Cat Food
Pet food comes in many varieties, giving today’s owners more choices. However, with the diversification of pet foods, there are increasingly many labels on pet food packaging. Many manufacturers use terms such as "organic," "natural," "premium," and other modifiers to highlight the superiority of their products. So, what do these so-called modifiers really mean for owners?
As introduced earlier, AAFCO defines "natural" as food that has not been chemically synthesized, "unless" such chemical synthesis is necessary. In other words, raw materials or processes for natural feed may still be unnatural.
But what we need to understand is that truly being all-natural is very difficult(meaning it would be very costly). Therefore, pet food companies meet the natural definition by focusing on the most important ingredients. However, in terms of nutritional needs for dogs and cats, pet foods labeled natural and those not labeled natural provide the same nutrition.
So, regarding this so-called "natural," owners should just go with the flow when choosing pet foods. Moreover, for domestic pet food manufacturers, good does not necessarily mean natural. For example, Whiskas Adult Cat Food, the upgraded Whiskas Crispy Beef Strips Adult Cat Food, can provide cats with the balanced daily nutrition they need. It contains "shiny coat factors" to promote a glossy and shiny coat in beloved cats; it also has "eye-brightening factors" to help cats have brighter and more spirited eyes. Although not a natural food, from the perspective of nutritional content, it is also a good pet food.