Meeting Nutritional Standards for Your Dog’s Health
When choosing the right food for your dog, it’s important to know that it meets recognized nutritional standards. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) provides guidelines to ensure dog foods deliver a complete and balanced diet. While AAFCO itself doesn’t certify or endorse specific dog foods, reputable companies ensure their recipes meet AAFCO nutrient guidelines, verify them through testing, and label them to reflect compliance.
At Brothers Dog Food, we hold ourselves to the highest standards—formulating every recipe to meet (and often surpass) AAFCO guidelines while providing advanced nutrition through probiotics, high protein, and grain-free ingredients.
What Does AAFCO-Approved Dog Food Mean?
Many dog owners search for AAFCO approved dog food, but technically, AAFCO does not “approve” or “certify” products. Instead, AAFCO sets nutrient profiles — minimum and maximum requirements for protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals.
A food labeled as meeting AAFCO standards must:
- Contain the essential nutrients in the required amounts
- Be tested either through feeding trials (live dog studies) or formulation (laboratory recipe analysis)
- Display a nutritional adequacy statement on the label
All Brothers recipes are formulated to meet or exceed these requirements, ensuring your dog receives balanced nutrition in every meal.
Why AAFCO Standards Matter for Your Dog
AAFCO nutrient guidelines exist to prevent deficiencies and ensure dogs get the basics they need to survive and thrive. Meeting these standards supports:
- Complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages
- Healthy growth and development for puppies
- Maintenance of muscle and energy in adult dogs
- Digestible nutrition for senior dogs
However, AAFCO compliance is only the starting point. A food can meet the nutrient minimums while still relying on low-quality fillers or ingredients that are hard to digest. That’s why Brothers goes further by pairing AAFCO compliance with gut health support, premium proteins, and better ingredient choices.
AAFCO Dog Food and Brothers Standards
Every Brothers formula is AAFCO compliant, but we don’t stop there. Unlike many kibbles that simply meet the minimum, we focus on:
- High Protein, Low Carb – 30–36% protein to support lean muscle
- Gut Health First – prebiotics and probiotics built into the formula
- Grain-Free, No Fillers – avoids corn, wheat, soy, or potatoes
- Transparency – clear nutritional adequacy statements based on AAFCO guidelines.
By going beyond the baseline, Brothers offers AAFCO certified dog food quality with superior formulation and digestibility.
Best AAFCO-Certified Dog Food Options
Looking for the best AAFCO certified dog food? Here are Brothers’ recommended options, all designed to meet AAFCO standards while supporting long-term health:
- Turkey & Egg Formula – lean, highly digestible protein, excellent for sensitive stomachs
- Chicken & Egg Formula – protein-packed with amino acids dogs need for muscle health
Lamb Meal & Egg Formula – nutrient-dense red meat option for variety and energy
FAQs About Low Carb Dog Food
It means the food is formulated to meet or exceed AAFCO nutrient profiles. AAFCO itself does not approve or endorse specific brands. Instead, compliant foods carry a nutritional adequacy statement on the packaging to show they provide complete and balanced nutrition.
Yes. AAFCO compliance ensures that your dog’s food provides the basic nutrients needed for survival and health at each life stage. Without it, a food may not deliver essential vitamins, minerals, or amino acids — putting your dog at risk of nutritional deficiencies.
The best AAFCO certified dog food not only meets the nutrient minimums but also delivers digestibility, high-quality proteins, and gut health support. Brothers recipes combine AAFCO compliance with added prebiotics, probiotics, and premium proteins.
No. AAFCO sets the nutritional standards, but does not regulate or certify companies. State feed control officials and the FDA enforce compliance. Brands are responsible for creating foods that meet or exceed those standards.
They are sets of requirements that define what makes a dog food “complete and balanced.” Profiles exist for different life stages (growth, maintenance, and all life stages), covering nutrients like protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, and essential vitamins.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a dog food that meets AAFCO nutrient standards is the baseline for proper nutrition. But not all foods that meet the standard are created equal.
Brothers Dog Food is crafted to not only meet AAFCO dog food requirements but also deliver on gut health, protein quality, and ingredient integrity. For dog owners who want more than the minimum, Brothers provides AAFCO-compliant nutrition with superior benefits.
Explore our recipes or read our detailed page to see the difference in Brothers nutrition, designed for long-term vitality and health.
Why Dog Parents Love Us
We are a premium dog food brand founded on the gut-immune connection - balancing protein quality, low glycemic carbs, and gut support - made by a family who’s dedicated their lives to solving chronic canine health problems.
We are a premium dog food brand founded on the gut-immune connection - balancing protein quality, low glycemic carbs, and gut support - made by a family who’s dedicated their lives to solving chronic canine health problems.