What Must Be on a Private Label Pet Food Bag Label

# What Must Be on a Private Label Pet Food Bag Label

New brands spend heavily on pouch shape and brand visual identity, but the **label itself is a compliance document**. A non-compliant pet food label can get your product removed from platforms or trigger regulatory action. Here is what must appear on a co-packed pet food bag.

1. Ingredient List: Descending Order

Ingredients must be listed in **descending order of inclusion**, using specific ingredient names—not generic terms like "meat" or "grain".

Common mistakes:

• Do not merge "fresh chicken" and "chicken meal" into "poultry";
• Additives (preservatives, antioxidants, colors) must be listed by common name;
• Claims such as "grain-free" or "hypoallergenic" must be backed by the ingredient list.

2. Guaranteed Analysis: Not What You Wish It Were

The label must show guaranteed minimums/maximums for **crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, crude ash and moisture**, plus taurine, calcium and phosphorus for certain products.

Principles:

• Values must match the outgoing test report;
• Do not inflate numbers, and do not set unrealistically tight ranges for marketing appeal;
• A co-man may offer reference values from existing products, but for your new recipe the factory should test and confirm before finalizing.

3. Manufacturer Information: Co-Packing Must Be Declared

This is where new brands most often slip up. **You are the brand owner, but the co-manufacturer actually produced the bag.** The label must show both:

• Brand owner / distributor name and address;
• **Production facility name and address** (the co-man);
• The co-man's feed production license number.

You cannot list only your own company name, or bury the factory info in tiny print. Both consumers and regulators are entitled to know where the food was actually made.

4. Other Required Items

Beyond the three sections above, the label must also include:

• Product name and product type (complete feed / treat / supplement);
• Net weight;
• Production date, shelf life and storage conditions;
• Feeding guide (recommended amount by weight or life stage);
• Product standard code;
• Statutory warning statements where applicable.

5. How a Good Co-Man Works With You on Labels

The brand owner designs the label, but a responsible co-manufacturer **reviews it for compliance** before printing:

• Does the ingredient order match the actual formula?
• Do guaranteed analysis values match tested reports?
• Are facility name, address and license number correct?
• Are claim phrases ("natural", "grain-free", "fresh meat") substantiated?

If a co-manufacturer prints your label without any compliance review, that is itself a warning sign.

Closing

**What to put on a pet food label** is not a designer's call. It needs the brand owner, the co-man and a lab to align. Get the ingredient list, guaranteed analysis and facility information right, and your product will not get stuck at e-commerce or offline listing.

> In our co-manufacturing workflow, we review label compliance with the brand owner before sampling and mass production, avoiding post-launch rework.