Section 200.130  Label Format and Labeling

a)         The statement of net content and product name shall be shown on the principal display panel.  All other required information may be placed elsewhere on the label but shall be conspicuous as to render it easily read under ordinary conditions of purchase and sale.

b)         The declaration of the net content shall be made in conformity with the Illinois Weights and Measures Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1991, ch. 147, par. 101 et seq.).

c)         The information which is required to appear in the "Guaranteed Analysis" shall be listed in the following order:

1)         Crude protein (Minimum Percent)

2)         Crude fat (Minimum Percent)

3)         Crude fiber (Maximum Percent)

4)         Moisture (Maximum Percent)

5)         Additional guarantees, if any, shall follow moisture.

d)         The label of a pet food shall specify the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or distributor of the pet food.

e)         If a person manufactures, packages, or distributes a pet food in a place other than the principal place of business, the label may state the principal place of business in lieu of the actual place where each package of such pet food was manufactured or packaged or is to be distributed, if such statement is not misleading in any particular.

f)         A vignette, graphic, or pictorial representation of a product on a pet food label shall not misrepresent the contents of the package.

g)         The use of the word "proven" in connection with label claims for a pet food is not permitted unless scientific or other empirical evidence establishing the claim represented as "proven" is available.

h)         No statement shall appear upon the label of a pet food which makes false or misleading comparisons between that pet food and any other pet food.

i)          Personal or commercial endorsements are permitted on pet food labels where said endorsements are factual and not otherwise misleading.

j)          When a pet food is enclosed in any outer container or wrapper which is intended for retail sale, all required label information shall appear on such outside container or wrapper.

k)         The words "Dog Food", "Cat Food", or similar designations shall appear conspicuously upon the principal display panel of the pet food label.

l)          The label of a pet food shall not contain an unqualified representation or claim that the pet food is or meets the requisites of a complete, perfect, scientific or balanced ration for dogs or cats unless such product:

1)         contains ingredients in quantities sufficient to provide the estimated nutrient requirements for all stages of the life of a dog or cat which have been determined by the AAFCO Pet Food Nutrient Profile, as adopted in Section 10 of the Act; or

2)         contains a combination of ingredients which when fed to a normal animal as the only source of nourishment shall provide for fertility, gestation and lactation of females, normal growth from weaning to maturity without supplemental feeding, and will maintain the normal weight of an adult animal whether working or at rest and has had its capabilities demonstrated by testing.

m)        Labels for products which are compounded for or which are suitable for only a limited purpose (i.e., a product designed for the feeding of puppies) may contain representations (e.g., "complete food for puppies") stating that the product meets the requisites of a complete, perfect, scientific or balanced ration for dogs or cats only if:

1)         Such representations and the required qualification shall appear on the same panel and in the same size, style and color print; and

2)         The pet food contains:

A)        ingredients in quantities sufficient to satisfy the estimated nutrient requirements as determined by AAFCO and adopted in Section 10 of the Act; or

B)        a combination of ingredients which when fed for such limited purpose shall satisfy the nutrient requirements for such limited purpose and has had its capabilities demonstrated by testing.

n)         Except as specified by Section 200.140(a), the name of any ingredient which appears on the label, other than in the product name, shall not be given emphasis so as to create the impression that such an ingredient is present in the product in a larger amount than is the fact, shall constitute at least 3% of the total ingredients (exclusive of water sufficient for processing) when preceded by the designation "with" or like term, and shall be in the same size, style and color print.  If the names of more than one such ingredient are shown, they shall appear in the order of their respective predominance by weight in the product.

o)         The label of a dog or cat food, other than one prominently identified as a snack or treat as part of the designation required upon the principal display panel under subsection (k) of this Section shall bear, on either the principal display panel or the information panel in type of the same size as the largest type on the panel, a statement of the nutritional adequacy or purpose of the product. Such statement shall consist of one of the following:

1)         A claim that the pet food meets or exceeds the requirements of one or more of the recognized categories of nutritional adequacy (i.e., gestation, lactation, growth, maintenance, and complete for all life stages) in accordance with subsection (l) and (m) of this Section.

2)         A nutrition or dietary claim for purposes other than those listed in subsections (l) and (m) of this Section if the claim is scientifically substantiated.

3)         The statement:  "This product is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only," if a product does not meet either the requirements of subsections (l) and (m) of this Section or any other special nutritional or dietary need and so is suitable only for limited or intermittent or supplementary feeding.

4)         The statement:  "Use only as directed by your veterinarian", if it is pet food product intended for use by, or under the supervision or direction of, a veterinarian and shall make a statement in accordance with subsections (o)(1) or (o)(3) above.

p)         The use of claims on pet food labels stating improvement or newness shall be substantiated by the manufacturer and limited to six months production.  The use of claims stating preference or comparative attribute claims shall be substantiated by the manufacturer and limited to one (1) year production after which the claim must be removed or resubstantiated.

q)         Dog and cat foods labeled as complete and balanced for any or all life's stages as provided in subsection (o)(1) above, except those pet foods labeled in accordance with subsection (o)(4) above, shall list feeding directions on the product label.  These directions shall be expressed in common terms and shall appear prominently on the label.  Feeding directions shall, at a minimum, state "Feed (weight/unit of product) per (weight unit) of dog (or cat)".

(Source:  Added at 16 Ill. Reg. 15889, effective September 30, 1992)