US-based RL Labs is urging pet food brands to overhaul their labels in compliance with the Association of American Feed Control Officials guidelines. The company’s Pet Food Label Modernization initiative, published in January 2024, kicked off a transition period that will run until 2030. However, RL Labs notes that most brands have not yet started the process.
The PFLM initiative introduces a new approach to pet food packaging, aligning more closely with human food labels. Key changes include a new Pet Nutrition Facts box, a prominently displayed purpose statement, and nutritional adequacy and intended use statement. The label will also need to show dietary fiber and total carbohydrate instead of crude fiber.
The Pet Nutrition Facts panel is modeled closely on the human food label, requiring calorie content broken out by protein, fat, and carbohydrate, dietary fiber in place of crude fiber, and nutrients expressed in household units alongside the guaranteed analysis.
AAFCO’s discretionary transition period runs through the end of 2030. Sharon Vells, president, CEO, and founder of RL Labs, cautions that companies should start the process well before this date. She notes that the real constraint isn’t the calendar, but lead time, including testing turnaround, reviewing data, redesigning the panel, and getting packaging approved and printed.
Vells estimates that testing takes approximately 15 business days, plus another day to generate the label, and the cost runs roughly double the current guaranteed analysis. She recommends a consultation with a lab partner early to build a plan that prioritizes the right products first.
The PFLM initiative applies across all pet food categories, from complete foods, treats, and mixers to supplements and vet nutrition diets. Products will need to prominently display a purpose statement on the package, identifying species and product type.
RL Labs’ PFLM compliance services include guaranteed analysis, dietary fiber, nutritional panel generation for the Pet Nutrition Facts format, and finished-product testing for health and benefit claims. Vells notes that the main compliance gap for pet food labels is not about the basics, but rather a lack of understanding of how packaging claims translate into PFLM compliance.
She explains that brands that move on compliance now, rather than waiting, get to lead with the new transparency the label provides. This also gives them a natural moment to look at the formula itself and reformulate if it’s not hitting the nutrition goals they want it to.
They will have a real advantage on the shelf as large retailers and online marketplaces start requiring expedited compliance from pet food manufacturers. Pet owners are paying closer attention to nutrition than ever.
