5 basic rules for reading labels
We often buy with our eyes: the packaging is pretty, it has a photo and colors that inspire "natural" and the slogan convinces us...
Before making the decision we should always read the labels.
Below we tell you the 5 basic rules you must follow to understand them:
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FORGET THE PHRASES, IT'S JUST MARKETING
If it says… “Chicken Flavor” – it doesn’t have to contain a single gram of chicken; it can be flavored only with flavorings. If it says… “With Beef” – it must contain at least 4%, but the beef can come from animal by-products such as heads, legs, or intestines, meaning the protein source is of very low quality. If it says… “Lamb Rich” – it must contain a minimum of 14% lamb, but this can come from animal by-products. If it says… “Chicken,” “Lamb,” “Beef” – it must contain a minimum of 26% chicken/lamb/beef, but as with the previous phrases, it can come from animal by-products. If it says… “Chicken Meat” – it must contain a minimum of 26% chicken meat. Only in this case, the food does not include by-products, so the animal protein is of high quality.
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SEE THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS
They are ordered from highest to lowest according to the weight of the ingredients before cooking. The first ingredient will be the one with the highest percentage of corn in the food, and the last ingredient will be the lowest. If the first ingredient on the list is corn, that will be the one with the highest percentage in the food, the same goes for chicken, etc.
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PAY ATTENTION IF THE SAME INGREDIENT IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS
This is done to push back the ingredient list and make it appear as if there's less of it... For example, wheat appears first, then wheat flour. It's all worked out!
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ALL INGREDIENTS MUST BE DEHYDRATED FOR COMPARISON
Let's imagine that on the feed label, the first ingredient is Lamb 40% (without specifying dehydrated or lamb meal) and the second ingredient is Cereals 21%. If we remove the water from that 40% of lamb, we're left with approximately 8%. So, in fact, the majority of the feed ingredient is cereals… -
WITHOUT?
The law does not require that a food be labeled as containing preservatives or flavorings, but it does penalize brands that advertise this without being true, so if a brand says COLORLESS, PRESERVATIVE-FREE, it is most likely that it does not contain them .
KEEP IT SIMPLE! If it includes ingredients your grandmother wouldn't recognize, it may not be the best choice. At CRU, we believe that fresh, 100% natural food is the best option for our furry friends. No marketing or additives can beat it, and if it's raw, even better.
