Do you want to know what really ends up in your dog's bowl? Then it's important to understand the declaration of dog food. At first glance, many labels seem complicated – terms like "meat and animal by-products" or "vegetable by-products" often provide little insight. In this article, you'll learn how open and closed declarations work, what role feed law plays, and how to recognize transparently declared dog food.
Table of Contents
- What does declaration mean?
- Legal basis of feed labelling
- Composition and Declaration
- What is an open declaration?
- What is a closed declaration?
- Examples of open and closed declarations
- Checklist: Recognizing transparently declared dog food
- How BugBell ensures transparency
- coatther information and official sources
What does declaration mean?
The declaration of dog food refers to all information on the label that provides you with details about the composition, ingredients, and analytical constituents. It is intended to allow you to assess the food and compare it with other products. In practice, however, this is not always so simple – because not all manufacturers disclose their recipes in the same way.
Legal basis of feed labelling
In the European Union, the labelling of feed – and thus also of dog food – is primarily regulated by Regulation (EC) No 767/2009. It specifies the minimum information that must appear on the label, for example:
- Type of feed (e.g., complete feed, complementary feed)
- Composition (single feed materials or categories)
- Analytical constituents (e.g., crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, crude ash)
- Feed business operator (name and address)
- Minimum durability date and instructions for use
coatther practical information on feed labelling can be found, for example, at the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) or in the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice for Pet Food, an EU-recognized industry guide for pet food labelling.
Composition and Declaration
The composition of a food shows you which single feed materials it consists of. By law, these must be listed in descending order of their weight before processing. However, whether you can precisely identify which meat, which oil, or which grain was used depends on whether the manufacturer uses an open or a closed declaration.
What is an open declaration?
In an open declaration, all ingredients are listed with their specific names and often with exact quantities. This allows you to track exactly which raw materials end up in your dog's bowl. An example:
"Composition: 40% fresh insects (Hermetia illucens), 25% sweet potato, 15% peas, 10% carrots, 5% rapeseed oil, 5% apple pomace"
Advantages of an open declaration:
- Maximum transparency for you as a dog owner
- Particularly helpful for allergies or intolerances
- Better comparison of different dog foods possible
What is a closed declaration?
In a closed declaration, raw materials are grouped into categories. An example:
"Composition: Meat and animal by-products, cereals, vegetable by-products, oils and fats"
Here, it is clear which groups of ingredients have been used, but not which animal species, which grain or which oils are specifically included. This can make it difficult to assess the quality of the feed – especially if your dog is sensitive or allergic.
Examples of open and closed declarations
The differences between open and closed declarations can be easily illustrated with a simple example:
| Type of Declaration | Example | Transparency for you |
|---|---|---|
| Open Declaration | "40% chicken (breast, heart), 20% rice, 15% carrots, 10% peas, 5% salmon oil, 5% apple, 5% minerals" | You can see exactly which ingredients are used and can make a targeted selection for your dog. |
| Closed Declaration | "Meat and animal by-products, cereals, vegetable by-products, oils and fats, minerals" | You know that meat, cereals and co. are included – but not which ones or of what quality. |
Both types of declarations are legally permissible. From the perspective of many dog owners, however, the most open declaration possible is desirable because it offers more security and control when buying food.
Checklist: Recognizing transparently declared dog food
With this short checklist, you can more quickly decide whether a dog food is transparently declared on your next shopping trip:
- Are specific ingredients like "chicken", "sweet potato", "peas" mentioned – or only general terms?
- Are the ingredients listed in descending order (the first being the largest proportion)?
- Are animal species clearly named or only "meat and animal by-products"?
- Is it clear whether it is a complete feed or complementary feed?
- Are additives (e.g., vitamins, trace elements) listed comprehensibly?
- Does the declaration appear clear, understandable, and free of misleading statements?
Important: Even an open declaration is not an automatic guarantee of quality – but it is an important building block for transparency and a conscious food choice.
How BugBell ensures transparency
At BugBell, we consistently rely on an open declaration. This means for you:
- You can see at a glance which ingredients are in the food.
- We name our raw materials as specifically as possible – for example, insect protein, sweet potato, carrot instead of just "vegetable by-products".
- Our recipes are designed to be easy to understand and comprehensible.
Because your dog should not only be full – you should also have the good feeling of knowing exactly what you are feeding.
coatther information and official sources
If you would like to delve deeper into the topic of feed labelling, you will find some official and technical sources here:
