What the Words on Dog-Food Labels Really Mean

In this article:

• What does “AAFCO complete and balanced” mean on a dog-food label?
• What does “human-grade” mean on a dog-food label?
• What does “holistic” mean on a dog-food label?
• What does “premium” mean on a dog-food label?
• What does “natural” mean on a dog-food label?
• What does “with” mean on a dog-food label?
• Dog-food terms at a glance

This article was originally published in June of 2025, and has been updated.

The words on a dog-food package don’t always mean what you expect them to. Words like “premium” and “holistic” are marketing fluff that essentially tell you nothing about a product. On the other hand, terms like “AAFCO complete and balanced” and “human-grade” are very meaningful and give you important information about what you’re feeding your dog and how it’s made. Here are some terms you might see on a bag of dog food, and what they really mean.

What does “AAFCO complete and balanced” mean on a dog-food label?

If you see these words on a label, they tell you that a food is formulated to meet all of a dog’s nutritional requirements.

Our food is always complete and balanced according to standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). But the claim on the label isn’t the whole story, and we go further than many other brands to make sure our food is healthy, including through a partnership with the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine on a long-term feeding study.

On-staff, Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionists® are responsible for formulating every one of our recipes. That’s one of many reasons we meet or exceed all of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s (WSAVA’s) guidelines for selecting a pet food.

What does “human-grade” mean on a dog-food label?

This is a big one. AAFCO has a strict definition of “human grade”: It means that every ingredient and the pet food itself is sourced, cooked, packaged, and stored to the same standards required for human food. We clear this bar.

In other words, the human-grade standard doesn’t apply only to the ingredients in the food, but also to how the food is made, stored, and transported. The Farmer’s Dog food is made in facilities licensed to produce human food, alongside food made for humans. Very few pet foods are made to this strict standard.

What does “holistic” mean on a dog-food label?

One of our own vets has a joke that goes like this:

“How do you make a dog food holistic?”

“Write it on the label.”

Sadly, at this point, that’s the whole process.

There’s no regulated definition of “holistic” on a dog-food label. While it’s a good thought to take a dog’s overall health into account when you make any decision on their behalf, the fact is that the word “holistic” on a product doesn’t provide any information.

What does “premium” mean on a dog-food label?

This is just a marketing term. While premium gasoline must meet a certain octane rating, which varies by state, there’s no such standard for “premium” dog food. Any company can put this word on their label, and it won’t tell you anything about the food. The same goes for “gourmet.”

What does “natural” mean on a dog-food label?

This word does have an official definition from AAFCO, but it’s so broad that you might be surprised by what can go into a food that’s technically natural. As long as an ingredient is “derived solely from plant, animal or mined sources,” it can undergo a wide range of processes and still be called “natural.” For example, meat could be rendered at high heat, turned into a powdered meal, end up in a dry little kibble ball that looks nothing like its original form—and, according to regulations, still be “natural!” This may be true, but it’s not necessarily reassuring.

What does “with” mean on a dog-food label?

Companies aren’t allowed to say that their product is made “with” a certain ingredient without using any of it at all—but they don’t have to use very much. If a food is labeled as being made “with chicken,” for example, it only has to include 3% chicken. So you’ll want to take a much closer look before you assume that what you’re feeding your dog is substantially made up of that ingredient.

If you’d like to switch your dog’s diet now that you know what’s important to look for on a dog-food label, sign up for your first box of The Farmer’s Dog today.

Dog-food terms at a glance