AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials)

AAFCO is a voluntary membership association of state and federal feed officials. It publishes model rules: nutrient profiles for dog and cat food, definitions for what each feed ingredient is, and guidelines for how a label should read. States and the FDA can adopt those models into their own rules, and pet food makers use them to formulate and label. The group itself has no power to test, approve, or certify any particular bag, can, or bottle. We read PetMD's explainer on this in October 2026, and its answer to "does AAFCO approve pet foods" is a plain no.

That is why "AAFCO-approved" is a loose phrase, and we want to be honest about it. When a pet product says it, the usual accurate meaning is narrower: the ingredient is one AAFCO defines as a feed ingredient, or the label follows AAFCO's labeling model. On our Furry Friends pet oil, "AAFCO-approved bacon flavor" means the flavoring is an ingredient of that kind. It does not mean AAFCO signed off on the oil, and it is not a quality seal.

So what should a pet owner look for instead? A batch lab report, which we post at /coas, and a veterinarian who knows your animal. Our pet oil is hemp extract in a coconut-derived MCT carrier, broad-spectrum with 0.0% THC, formulated with a veterinarian. We could not open aafco.org itself this run because its site blocked our fetch, so we leave its own wording out and rely on secondary sources. Ask your vet before adding anything new to a pet's routine.