{"topic_id":"nasc-treat_003","category":"us-2026","context":"---\ntopic_id: nasc-treat_003\ncategory: NASC-TREAT\ntitle: “Occasionally”—What It Means in Practice\nlang: en\nsource: nasc_treat_program_guide.pdf\ndate_parsed: 2026-07-18\ntokens_estimated: 758\n---\n\n“Occasionally”—What It Means in Practice\n\nTreats are meant for occasional use, not consistent nutritional delivery.\nHowever, a dental treat may be acceptable if:\n• The label is consistent with the product’s purpose (mechanical/\nabrasive dental action)\n• Claims stay within food boundaries (see next section)\nIf a product is designed to deliver a daily nutritional benefit (like vitamins/\nminerals), it should be labeled as a food supplement, not a treat.\nIngredient Rules for Treats\nFor treats (food), ingredients must:\n• Be approved for use in animal food\n• Appear in AAFCO Chapter 6 or be referenced in applicable CFR\nprovisions\n• Be included only for their intended purpose\nKey example: turmeric/curcumin\nIf an ingredient is approved as a spice/flavoring/seasoning, you can’t use it (or\nmarket it) for an unapproved purpose such as anti-inflammatory benefits on a\ntreat label or any food product.\nOther ingredients discussed as examples of non-nutritional benefit ingredients\n(problematic for treats when used for health claims) include:\n• Chamomile\n• Milk Thistle\n• CoQ10\n• SAMe\n• MSM\n\nClaims Boundaries for Treats (food claims only)\n","sources":[],"tokens_estimated":758,"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."}