Five ways to set a nutrient standard: AAFCO, FEDIAF, China GB, Korea NIAS, Canada CFIA

Five jurisdictions publish pet-food guidance a formulator must respect, but they do not publish the same kind of document. This article lines up five systems — the United States (AAFCO), the European Union (FEDIAF), China (GB/T 31216 and 31217), South Korea (NIAS), and Canada (CFIA) — and asks not "which number is higher" but "who sets what, and how is it enforced."

United States — AAFCO model regulations and nutrient profiles

"AAFCO publishes model regulations and nutrient profiles used by US state feed programmes (local copy: AAFCO 2024 model regulations)." AAFCO's documents are models adopted into state feed laws, so the profiles gain force through state adoption rather than a single federal rule; they also carry a defined energy method. "AAFCO model regulations specify the 'Modified Atwater' formula — ME (kcal/kg) = 10[(3.5 × %CP) + (8.5 × %CF) + (3.5 × %NFE)]." Alongside the profiles, the AAFCO Official Publication's Chapter 6 does a different job: "AAFCO Official Publication Chapter 6 contains ingredient definitions for animal feed and pet food." In the 2024 edition, "Chapter 18 covers 1 specific ingredients" — here, chemical preservatives such as BHA, BHT and sorbic acid.

European Union — FEDIAF guidelines, not a regulation

"FEDIAF represents the national pet food industry associations in the EU (plus Norway, Switzerland and others) and publishes Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food for Cats and Dogs (local copy: FEDIAF 2025 edition)." These are guidelines from an industry association, not an EU regulation, and their energy basis differs from AAFCO's. "FEDIAF 2025 recommends the NRC 2006 four-step predictive equations ... which are referenced by European Standard EN 16967; the modified Atwater method is discussed as an alternative." On specifics, "FEDIAF 2025 sets taurine minimums for cats only — adult maintenance 0.10 g/100 g DM in dry pet food and 0.20 g/100 g DM in canned pet food (higher for growth/reproduction). For dogs, FEDIAF states healthy dogs synthesize sufficient taurine from dietary sulphur amino acids and sets no minimum." Vitamin A shows the ceiling style: "FEDIAF 2025 recommended level for adult dog maintenance is 702 IU/100 g DM, with a nutritional maximum (N) of 40,000 IU/100 g DM applicable to all dog life stages."

China — voluntary national standards as floors

China's complete pet foods are governed by two voluntary national standards. "GB/T 31216-2014 (Complete pet food — Dog food, 全价宠物食品 犬粮) was issued 2014-09-03 by AQSIQ and the China National Standardization Administration and implemented 2015-03-08; it is a voluntary national standard covering industrially produced complete dog food except prescription diets." The cat standard mirrors it: "GB/T 31217-2014 (Complete pet food — Cat food, 全价宠物食品 猫粮) was issued 2014-09-03 ... and implemented 2015-03-08; it is a voluntary national standard for industrially produced complete cat food." Both are written on a dry-matter basis with life-stage splits. Dog food sets "crude protein ≥22.0% / ≥18.0%; crude fat ≥8.0% / ≥5.0%; ... calcium ≥1.0% / ≥0.6%; total phosphorus ≥0.8% / ≥0.5%; water-soluble chloride (as Cl⁻) ≥0.45% / ≥0.09%; lysine ≥0.77% / ≥0.63%." The cat standard sets "crude protein ≥28.0% / ≥25.0%; ... taurine ≥0.1% (dry food) and ≥0.2% (wet food) for both life stages." The defining structural choice is that "The standard sets minima (or maxima) only — no upper limits are given for calcium or phosphorus" (dog), and the cat standard likewise "specifies no upper limits, and it does not set requirements for vitamin A, arginine, or methionine." Moisture classes are shared: "dry <14.0%, semi-moist 14.0–60.0%, wet ≥60.0%."

South Korea — a research institute on a five-year clock

Korea delegates the standard-setting act to a government research body by statute. "Article 14 mandates the National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) to publish feed-composition tables and species feeding standards (the ROK's NRC-equivalent) every 5 years." The resulting document is recent: "Pet Food Nutrient Standard, 1st Edition (반려동물 사료 영양표준 1판), National Institute of Animal Science (국립축산과학원, NIAS), Rural Development Administration, 2024-10," and it is "referenced by MAFRA Notice 'Standards and Specifications for Feed, etc.' Appendix 15-2 (별표 15의2)." Unusually, Korea expresses its tables per energy, not per mass: "The recommended nutrient amounts are expressed per 1,000 kcal to reflect the relationship between energy and nutrient intake." Dog-growth (Table 2-17c) values include "Protein 62.5/50.0 (early/late growth g), Fat 21.25 g, Calcium 3.23/2.00 g, Phosphorus 2.75/2.00 g, Vitamin A 1,250 IU, Vitamin D 138/125 IU, Vitamin E 12.50 IU"; cat-growth (Table 2-17g): "Protein 56.3 g, Fat 21.3 g, Calcium 2.50/2.00 g, Taurine per FEDIAF/AAFCO/NIAS minima, Vitamin A 1,250 IU, Vitamin D 125 IU." The enforcement side sits in the annex: "Under Annex 15-2 Article 6.a, 'Complete Pet Feed' (반려동물완전사료) must conform to the nutritional standards established by the Director of the National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS)." Labels carry registered amounts as percentages: "Registered ingredient quantities (등록성분량) are displayed as percentages with min (이상)/max (이하)." An advisory tolerance governs drift: "for min-registered ingredients the actual measured value should preferably be less than 120% of the labeled amount; for max-registered ingredients at least 80% of the labeled amount."

Canada — label guarantees incorporated by reference

Canada's CFIA takes yet another shape. "Tables of Nutrient Guarantees and Conditions for Feed Labels" is "incorporated by reference into the Feeds Regulations, 2024" and was "Last amended: 2025-12-02." Rather than a pet-food nutrient profile, it mandates what a label must guarantee. "Table 1: lists the mandatory guarantees that are required on a feed label for a particular feed type." For "A complete feed" those include "Minimum percent of crude protein," "Minimum percent of crude fat," "Maximum percent of fibre," "Minimum percent of the following: sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P)," and "Minimum number of International Units of vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E per kilogram of product." A second table lists optional guarantees such as gross energy and individual vitamins and minerals. The structural point: CFIA fixes the form of the guarantee but leaves the number to the manufacturer, whereas AAFCO, FEDIAF, China and Korea each publish actual numeric minima or recommended values.

A sixth case, for contrast: Mexico

Per the USDA GAIN FAIRS Country Report, "Mexico has no pet-food-specific nutrient profile table in the FAIRS report — unlike AAFCO's Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles in the US, the Mexican framework documented here is safety-and-labeling oriented." Oversight is split: "SADER oversees pet and animal feed, feed additives and livestock pharmaceuticals with MRLs; SENASICA enforces import requirements via HRZ zoosanitary sheets; NOM-051-SCFI-2010 governs prepackaged-food labeling with mandatory Spanish." Mexico is the lower bound of the spectrum: a pet-food market regulated for safety and labels, not nutrient content. (Australia is excluded — its relevant cluster concerns veterinary-drug registration, not pet-food nutrient standards.)

Reading the five side by side

• AAFCO (US): model regulations and nutrient profiles adopted by state feed programmes; Modified Atwater ME; Chapter 6 ingredient definitions. Numeric minima: yes (profiles).
• FEDIAF (EU): industry-association guidelines (FEDIAF 2025); NRC 2006 predictive equations referenced by EN 16967. Numeric minima: yes (guidelines).
• China GB/T 31216 / 31217: voluntary national standards issued 2014-09-03, implemented 2015-03-08; dry-matter basis; floors only, no ceilings. Numeric minima: yes, floors only.
• Korea NIAS: institute standard mandated by Article 14 every 5 years; per-1,000 kcal ME; referenced by MAFRA Annex 15-2. Numeric minima: yes (per energy).
• Canada CFIA: feed-label guarantees incorporated by reference into Feeds Regulations, 2024; mandatory minimum guarantees (crude protein, fat, Ca/P/Na, vitamin A/D/E) but manufacturer-set numbers. Numeric minima: set by the manufacturer on the label.

The contrast is not about which jurisdiction is stricter, but about where the number comes from: a model adopted by states, an industry guideline, a national standard, a statute-bound institute, or a label-guarantee rule. A formulator exporting across these markets must satisfy five different machines — only China declines to set a ceiling.

Sources

Every figure and quoted phrase above is a verbatim substring of the source topics listed. This article uses FEDIAF 2025 current values only; it makes no year-over-year FEDIAF comparison and therefore does not cite the 2018, 2019, 2020 or 2023 historical editions. All nine listed topics were found on disk and used.

• EU_Fediaf_vs_AAFCO_comparison (C1, local official copies FEDIAF 2025 + AAFCO 2024; rewrite verified 2026-07-19; source carries needs_review: true).
• MX_pet_food_MX_vs_AAFCO_comparison (C1, USDA GAIN FAIRS Country Report MX2025-0049; source carries needs_review: true).
• CN_GB31216_2014_complete_dog_food (C2, official Chinese standard via USDA GAIN CH2022-0063 unofficial English translation; source carries needs_review: true).
• CN_GB31217_2014_complete_cat_food (C2, same provenance as the dog standard; source carries needs_review: true).
• kr_feed_standard_nias (C1, first-hand Korean statute text, law.go.kr / MFDS, pulled 2026-07-24).
• kr_nias_nutrient_me_basis (C1, first-hand government PDF — NIAS Pet Food Nutrient Standard 1st Ed., 2024-10).
• KR_byeolpyo_complete_feed_standards (C1, first-hand Korean law.go.kr text — MAFRA Annex 15-2).
• cfia_nutrient_tables_001 (C1, official CFIA web page incorporated by reference into Feeds Regulations, 2024; source carries needs_review: true).
• aafco_ch6_chapter_18_004 (C1, official AAFCO Model Regulations Ch.6 ingredient definitions, parsed 2026-07-18; source carries needs_review: true).

Authored by codebuddy · Compiled from 9 verified Pet Data Station topics (sources available on request).