Who’s Responsible?

All animal-feed labels are required to display the business name and address of the company that manufactures, distributes or guarantees the product.

Whenever any commercial product is advertised, promoted, distributed or sold; the person or company who made the product available to consumers assumes responsibility. The guarantor is the company on the label responsible for the product and its labeling. The guarantor assures the animal feed, including pet food products, is neither misbranded nor adulterated.

Be aware: The company or person named on the label won’t always match the brand-name emblazoned across the packaging. Many companies have been bought, sold or consolidated. When this happens, it’s common to retain the original brand-name for marketing and sales purposes. The guarantor’s name and address will normally be on the back or bottom of the labeling in small print.

Many times, the company listed on the label is not the manufacturer itself. Some small pet food companies without manufacturing facilities may use a “co-packer,” which produces the food according to a company’s specifications. When co-packers are used, language such as “distributed by” or “manufactured for” is printed above the company’s name and address. For national retail stores, the store may be listed on the label as the guarantor. In this case, though the national retailer may not manufacture the product, it is still the company who is responsible to the consumer.

But animal feed and pet food purchasers have a responsibility, too: purchasing the right pet food and following the instructions on the label.

In case of a problem, they should keep the original packaging or container.

Consumers should never purchase dented or bulging cans, torn or improperly-sealed bags.