{"topic_id":"AAFCO_labeling_99_lifecycle","category":"aafco","context":"---\ntopic_id: \"AAFCO_labeling_99_lifecycle\"\ncategory: \"aafco\"\ntitle: \"AAFCO labeling 99 lifecycle\"\nlang: en\nsource_document: \"AAFCO Model Pet Food Regulations\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"AAFCO wp-content/uploads PDF\"\n  title: \"AAFCO labeling 99 lifecycle\"\n  url: \"\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-07-21\"\n  ref: \"\"\n  doc_type: \"official source\"\n  needs_review: true\nauthority_tier: T1\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T1:std-body\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\ntokens_estimated: 319\n---\nAAFCO's named-ingredient rules (2024 Model Regulation PF3(c)) — commonly called the \"95% rule\" — state that an ingredient or combination of ingredients may form part of a brand or product name when the named ingredient(s) constitute at least 95% of the total weight of the product; water sufficient for processing may be excluded when calculating the percentage, but the named ingredients must still constitute at least 70% of the total product weight. So a product named \"Chicken Dog Food\" must be overwhelmingly chicken. Products that do not meet the 95% threshold fall to the next tiers: the 25% rule (PF3(c)(2)) requires at least 25% of the named ingredient (and at least 10% of total product weight) together with a descriptor such as \"dinner\", \"platter\", \"entree\", \"formula\" or \"recipe\" in the same size, style and color print; the \"with\" rule (PF3(d)) requires at least 3% of each named ingredient (e.g., \"Dog Food with Chicken\"), with type-size limits by panel size; and a flavor designation (PF3(e)) requires only that the flavor conform to a listed ingredient or identified source, with the word \"flavor\" printed as conspicuously as the flavor name and substantiation available on request. PF3(b) separately forbids \"100%\" or \"All\" names for multi-ingredient products.\n","sources":["AAFCO wp-content/uploads PDF — AAFCO labeling 99 lifecycle (retrieved 2026-07-21)"],"source":{"authority":"AAFCO wp-content/uploads PDF","title":"AAFCO labeling 99 lifecycle","url":"https://www.aafco.org/","retrieved":"2026-07-21","ref":"","doc_type":"official source","source_document":"AAFCO Model Pet Food Regulations","verification_file":""},"source_document":"AAFCO Model Pet Food Regulations","source_file":"","trust":{"authority_tier":"T1","fidelity":"verbatim","license":null,"display_grade":"A"},"tokens_estimated":139,"generated_at":"2026-07-16","tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons.","structured_data":{"note":"The nutrient values in this topic are also available as structured data — faster and exact, no text parsing needed.","compare":"/api/v1/cross_compare?standards=AAFCO,FEDIAF,KFDA&species=dog&lifestage=adult&nutrient=protein&basis=DM","coverage":"Standards: AAFCO (year>=2014), FEDIAF (year>=2025), EU PARNUT (year>=2020), KFDA/NIAS Korea (year>=2024). species: dog|cat. lifestage: adult|GR (growth/puppy/kitten map to growth-reproduction). basis: DM|cal.","single":"/api/v1/nutrient?standard=AAFCO&year=2024&species=dog&lifestage=adult&nutrient=protein&basis=DM","batch":"/api/v1/batch_nutrient?standard=AAFCO&year=2024&species=dog&lifestage=adult&nutrients=protein,fat,calcium,phosphorus&basis=DM"}}