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Pet Food Regulations

Affidavit of Suitability

The question is very simple. Is this pet food suitable nutrition for my pet? The label says it is suitable nutrition, but will the company sign an AAFCO established form that swears this is true?

The question is very simple. Is this pet food suitable nutrition for my pet? The label says it is suitable nutrition, but will the company sign an AAFCO established form that swears this is true? Will they provide us this guarantee on their pet food? Let’s ask and see what happens.

The AAFCO rule book (Official Publication) contains a simple little form called the “Affidavit of Suitability”. This document is used by state regulatory authorities if they have any questions to the ‘suitability’ of a pet food/animal feed product for the species intended. State officials can – at their discretion – ask any pet food/animal feed manufacturer to sign and notarize this simple document.

The Affidavit of Suitability asks the signer to verify in writing…
1) that the signer (Affiant) has knowledge of the nutritional content of the pet food and that the signer is familiar with the nutritional requirements of the animal species the food is intended for;
2) that the signer has knowledge of valid scientific evidence that supports the suitability of the pet food for the intended animal species. Basically, this is a notarized guarantee that this pet food provides our pet with proper nutrition.

Pet food manufacturers would be required to provide this document to any State Department of Agriculture representative (that would bother to ask for it) – so, they should provide the same guarantee to their customers…right? Well, I am told – by an industry expert – that many will refuse to provide this simple little guarantee to consumers. Could they really refuse us? I don’t know, but I believe we should ask and see what happens.

Pet food consumers can send the blank ‘Affidavit of Suitability’ to their pet food company asking for the form to be completed specific to the pet food they provide their pet. Keep a copy for your own records, but also forward a copy to me – TruthaboutPetFood.com and AssociationforTruthinPetFood.com will post all signed affidavits for all consumers to see.

The movie Jerry Maguire comes to mind. Specifically the scene where actors Tom Hanks and Cuba Gooding, Jr. scream ‘Show Me The Money!’.

Pet food company: What can I do for you? Just tell me, what can I do for you?
Us: It’s a very personal and important thing. It’s a pet food consumer motto. Are you ready?
Pet food company: Yes, I’m ready.
Us: Just want to make sure you are ready. Ok…Show me the Affidavit of Suitability!

This is – in a very simple form – what any pet food consumer wants. We want the assurance that this pet food provides the nutrition that our pet needs – and we want the assurance that there is valid scientific proof that the pet food is proper nutrition for our pet. Providing this signed form – to any pet food consumer that asks for it – is (at the very least) what we deserve to know before we hand over our money to this company.

So…let’s ask for it.

Click Here to download a pdf of the Affidavit of Suitability form (this is the exact form in the AAFCO Official Publication). Ask your pet food manufacturer to provide you with a signed and notarized copy. Please note: this form is specific – so if you provide your pet with multiple varieties of pet food from one company – you will want a signed form for each variety.

Keep your form for your own records – and send a copy of the form to Susan at AssociationforTruthinPetFood.com or Susan at TruthaboutPetFood.com. For independent pet stores, please obtain an Affidavit of Suitability for each product you sell. Provide those records for your customers too (one more way that independent pet food stores far surpass the big box stores!).

Remember – you deserve the manufacturer’s word (signed affidavit) that the food is suitable nutrition for your pet. It’s a shame that we have to ask…but, we do have to ask.

Who will sign? Who won’t? We’ll see.

 

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food

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7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. angela collins

    February 10, 2015 at 10:55 am

    why do we have to feed our animals pet food anyway? why can’t my cat eat chicken breast and fresh salmon like I do? is it only because of taurine? why can’t we buy tourine and add it to food?

  2. angela collins

    February 10, 2015 at 10:56 am

    do away with all pet food.

  3. Dori

    February 10, 2015 at 12:14 pm

    Hi Susan. I’m wondering if all the foods that are on your 2014 and 2015 lists (I have purchased both, thank you thank you thank you for all you do) have signed AAFCO Affidavits of Suitability letters? If not, could you let us know which ones have and which ones haven’t?

    • Susan Thixton

      February 10, 2015 at 12:19 pm

      This is too new (the Affidavit) – but I will ask them!

  4. Pingback: Affidavit of Suitability | dogosearch.com

  5. Tracey A

    February 10, 2015 at 5:10 pm

    There’s a problem with this Susan. This affidavit just asks if the nutritional content is suitable per species. You can mix motor oil, old shoe leather and add some synthetic vitamins/ minerals and meet the nutrition requirements. So yes you’ll get some help with the foods (Feeds) that are way out of spec on one mineral, like you found in your study. It won’t help with the added “stuff” that hasn’t been proven harmful but that we wouldn’t consider eating, like wood shavings, hay, straw that contains manure. etc. Or dead, decaying meat products, rotting vegies, moldy corn. These items do meet the criteria for nutritional value protein, carbs, fat and maybe if cooked or processed right are not technically harmful (at least in the short term) but we certainly wouldn’t want to feed them to our pets or livestock! That’s why it’s a big “dirty” secret that gets out sometimes. Usually after causing a disease outbreak. Thousands of baby pigs dying? Couldn’t be because they were feeding them pork meal? It goes on and on.

  6. Pacific Sun

    February 10, 2015 at 11:17 pm

    Considering one side of the argument I’m assuming that points (1) and (2) are a distillation of the entire document which goes into much greater and specifics. However if not, then like all things we have to go back to the written specifics. Making this is a very interesting statement. If read literally it only says that the “signer” is familiar with and has knowledge of …. . But it does not say that the product is guaranteed to contain what the signer is familiar with or has knowledge of. Would you say this is an unintended or intended slip of the pen? Second thing is who is the signer? The person signing a notarized affidavit has a legal responsibility and accountability. Sounds like a good hook alright. Except is the signer a person of any consequence in the company? Or would it be a paid (but expendable) nutritional specialist? Would it be a Vet? Is it the owner of the company? Or is it the Chief Operating Officer, etc.?

    To the other side of the argument “suitability” means nutrition that is appropriate to the natural (native) diet of the species. Therefore you would have to say that all the consumables in the product are what is natural for the species to be eating. Does suitability/appropriate mean … oh well something similar is also okay? We already know that dogs do not frequent corn or rice fields, for example. Or does suitability mean that specific nutrients in the product can be represented in terms of the scientific evidence referenced? If that’s the case, then we certainly have a hold on these companies now. First they have to have access to the scientific studies in the first place. And second, they have to be adhering to the recommended guidelines. Do individual studies exist for a range of 2500+ PF products out there? Next point is remembering that dogs are scavengers/ opportunists yes there could be a wide variety of consumable proteins and carbohydrates in products. But what is NOT natural to any species diet are CLEARLY toxins and contaminates! So then you would think a company would have to PROVE they are free of all toxins and contaminates.

    Is that even possible?

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