Why Big Pet Food Brands Don’t Publish Full Nutritional Breakdowns — And Why pawTree Does

Recently I was challenged by one of the veterinarians in the practice I frequent around why I feed pawTree. She vehemently backed the big three: Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin and Purina. I decided to do my own comparison of the guaranteed analysis provided on the labels for the foods. I was shocked to find that I could not do a thorough comparison because the information was just not available on the big three brands.

So I did a deep dive on how can they get away with not providing all of the nutritional information, and what it really mean in the end.  

The Legal Loophole: What’s Required vs. What’s Not

In the U.S., cat and dog food labeling falls under state law, but most states adopt AAFCO’s model rules. AAFCO only requires the Guaranteed Analysis panel to list:

• Minimum crude protein

• Minimum crude fat

• Maximum crude fiber

• Maximum moisture

• (Taurine for cat foods)

That’s it. Carbohydrates, exact nutrient values, or detailed dry-matter analysis are not required.

This system gives companies legal flexibility. For example:

• Formula flexibility – Ingredients and nutrient ratios can shift based on supply chain and cost without reprinting labels.

• Legal protection – If brands posted exact percentages, even small lab test variations could be used against them as “false advertising.”

• Marketing control – Instead of direct nutrient comparisons (where they often lose to high-meat boutique brands), they emphasize “clinical research,” “indoor hairball control,” or “urinary health formulas.”

• Consumer base – Most mass-market buyers (and many vets) don’t demand exact macros, so there’s little pressure to disclose more.

In short: big brands aren’t breaking the law — they’re just taking advantage of how the law is written.

How pawTree Flips the Script

pawTree operates differently. Every single batch of pawTree food is micro-tested by a third-party lab before it ships (pawtree.zendesk.com). That testing covers:

• Microbiology

• Nutrient stability

• Digestibility

• Safety (HACCP compliance)

Because of this:

• pawTree can guarantee that every nutrient on the label is actually in the bag.

• In 10 years, pawTree has never had a recall — a record that stands in sharp contrast to major veterinary brands.

Recall Track Records Compared

• pawTree: Zero recalls in 10 years.

• Hill’s Science Diet: Multiple recalls, including melamine contamination (2007), salmonella (2014), and a massive vitamin D recall (2019).

• Royal Canin: Caught in the 2007 melamine crisis, plus additional recalls that year.

• Purina Pro Plan (Nestlé Purina): Contamination recalls in 2005 (Venezuela), melamine in 2007, and salmonella in 2013.

Third-Party Testing: Who Does It?

• pawTree: Yes — every single batch is third-party tested before release.

• Hill’s, Royal Canin, Purina Pro Plan: None publish batch-by-batch third-party testing data. They conduct in-house quality control and claim adherence to AAFCO standards, but external transparency is limited.

• Standards bodies (AAFCO, FDA): Do not require independent third-party nutrient validation — only that foods meet label guarantees and nutritional adequacy.

Bottom Line

Big companies “get away with” publishing vague analyses because the regulations allow it — minimums and maximums are enough for legal compliance, and vet endorsements carry their marketing.

pawTree, on the other hand, has built its brand around batch-level third-party testing, total nutrient accountability, and a spotless recall record. That’s why pawTree can provide the kind of detailed analysis that mainstream giants avoid — they’ve built the systems to guarantee what’s on the label is exactly what’s in the bag.