Welcome to the Ingredient Definitions Committee page. The actual definitions are published annually in the AAFCO Official Publication (OP). This book is a primary source of revenue to pay for the costs of running the ingredient definition process. Your purchase of the OP is appreciated. We understand it may be a burden to purchase an OP to get one definition, and in those cases, we recommend you contact your state Department of Agriculture or look for the AAFCO Official Publication at your local library. (click here to find state contacts). A 14 day trial subscription is available for the AAFCO Online Official Publication (OP) for $20. The online version is a secured read only document that cannot be downloaded or printed. To purchase please visit the publications page. These definitions apply to all animal feeds. Many pet food manufacturers have tighter specifications than these definitions. We recommend talking with your pet food company about the ingredients and sources they use.
If you have questions about how ingredients are defined by AAFCO, an established definition, or a suggested definition, please complete the following form and submit it
AAFCO will only respond to information requests submitted into our system in English. Requests submitted in a language other than English will be deleted.