Adult dog minimum nutrients: protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus across four standards
Four jurisdictions publish minimum guaranteed-analysis nutrient levels for adult-maintenance dog food. All values below are dry-matter % (DM %) as labelled in the source standards, and each is a verbatim figure carried by the cited topics — no number is interpolated.
Crude protein and fat (minimum, % DM)
| Standard | Crude protein (min) | Crude fat (min) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AAFCO 2026 (US) | 18.0 | 5.5 |
| FEDIAF 2025 (EU) | 21.0 | 5.5 |
| NIAS 2024 (KR) | 18.0 | 5.5 |
| GB/T 31216-2014 (CN) | ≥18.0 | ≥5.0 |
FEDIAF asks for the highest adult-dog protein floor (21.0 % DM); AAFCO, NIAS and China's GB/T 31216 all sit at 18.0 % DM. Fat minimums are nearly identical (5.0–5.5 % DM).
Calcium and phosphorus (minimum, % DM)
| Standard | Calcium (min) | Phosphorus (min) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AAFCO 2026 | 0.5 (max 2.5) | 0.4 (max 1.6) |
| FEDIAF 2025 | 0.58 (no max in index) | 0.46 |
| NIAS 2024 | 0.50 (max 2.5) | 0.40 (max 1.6) |
| GB/T 31216-2014 | ≥0.6 | ≥0.5 |
AAFCO and NIAS both express calcium and phosphorus as a min–max band (1:1 to 2:1 Ca:P ratio for adult dogs), while FEDIAF publishes only minima for adult maintenance and GB/T 31216 sets single minimums (with a calcium maximum of 2.5 % DM in NIAS, matching AAFCO's ceiling).
One important footnote
AAFCO notes that large-breed puppies use a stricter calcium ceiling — a maximum of 4.5 g/1000 kcal — so the adult 2.5 % DM calcium maximum does not apply to growth diets for big breeds. This is a growth-stage rule, not an adult-maintenance one.
What this means for a buyer
On a dry-matter basis the four standards are surprisingly close for adult dogs: any complete adult dog food clearing ~18 % protein and ~5 % fat on a DM basis satisfies every jurisdiction's floor. The real differences show up in growth/reproduction diets and in calcium ceilings, not in the adult baseline.
Sources
life_stage_nutrient_matrix— AAFCO 2026 and FEDIAF 2025 adult dog protein/fat/Ca/P (DM %); Ca:P 1:1–2:1; large-breed puppy Ca max 4.5 g/1000 kcal.nutrient_matrix_kr— NIAS 2024 adult dog protein 18.0 / fat 5.5 / Ca 0.50 (max 2.5) / P 0.40 (max 1.6) (% DM).nutrient_matrix_cn— GB/T 31216-2014 adult dog protein ≥18.0 / fat ≥5.0 / Ca ≥0.6 / P ≥0.5 (% DM).