{"topic_id":"nasc-treat_002","category":"us-2026","context":"---\ntopic_id: nasc-treat_002\ncategory: NASC-TREAT\ntitle: NASC’s scope focuses on products for dogs, cats, and horses (non-humanfood-chain animals). NASC does\nlang: en\nsource: nasc_treat_program_guide.pdf\ndate_parsed: 2026-07-18\ntokens_estimated: 927\n---\n\nNASC’s scope focuses on products for dogs, cats, and horses (non-humanfood-chain animals). NASC does not cover complete and balanced diets.\nNASC member companies may have products in one or more categories:\n1. Health Supplements (non-food)\n• Products similar to human dietary supplements\n• Intended for non-nutritional health benefits\n• Not regulated as food\n2. Food Supplements (food)\n• Nutritional products (vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, etc.)\n• Intended to contribute nutritionally as part of a complete and balanced\ndiet\n• Regulated as food\n3. Treats (food)\n• Regulated as food\n• Defined by the term “treat”\n\nThe Single Most Important Rule: “Treat” = Food\n\nCore takeaway: One word can change how a product is regulated.\nUsing the word “treat” (or other food terms) classifies the product as food.\nOther food-trigger words include:\n• Snack\n• Cookie\n• Biscuit\n• Jerky\n• Peanut Butter\n\nHow Treats are Defined (AAFCO-aligned)\nA) Dogs & Cats (pets)\nTreats are intended to be given occasionally for:\n• Enjoyment\n• Training\n• Entertainment\n• Other limited purposes (example: dental treat, pill pocket, maybe\nnutrition)\nTreats are not generally intended to be:\n• A complete food\n• A food supplement\nB) Horses\nAAFCO does not provide a “horse treat” definition as it does for pets, but:\n• Horse treats are still regulated as food\n• Purpose statements should include “treat” or “snack”\n","sources":[],"tokens_estimated":927,"generated_at":null,"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."}