Guide
Reading the label on a bag of freeze-dried tripe
Updated
The freeze-dried tripe guaranteed analysis on our bag prints four lines: crude protein minimum 49%, crude fat minimum 31%, crude fiber maximum 13% and moisture maximum 10%. Energy is given as 4,211 kcal ME per kilogram, approximately 119.4 per ounce. Here is what each of those words means on a label.
What does the guaranteed analysis on a tripe bag say?
It says five things, and the table below lays them out in the order the bag does. The middle column is what is printed. The right column is what that printing means as a label convention, nothing more.
| Label line | As printed | In plain words |
|---|---|---|
| Crude protein | min 49% | The bag promises at least this much |
| Crude fat | min 31% | The bag promises at least this much |
| Crude fiber | max 13% | The bag promises no more than this |
| Moisture | max 10% | The bag promises no more than this |
| Metabolizable energy | 4,211 kcal ME/kg | Energy per kilogram, with about 119.4 per ounce |
That is the whole panel. The ingredient list sits beside it and has one entry: beef tripe, sold raw and freeze-dried, with nothing added. We read the panel the way a mechanic reads a spec sheet. The numbers are there to be looked up, not admired.
What do minimum and maximum mean on the label?
A minimum is a floor. The maker promises the bag holds at least that much, and it may hold more. A maximum is a ceiling. The maker promises the bag holds no more than that much, and it may hold less.
So "crude fat min 31%" is not a claim that every piece is exactly 31% fat. It is a line the product will not fall below. In the same way, "crude fiber max 13%" is the most the bag can contain, not a measured average of what is in your hand.
The word "crude" is another label term. It names a standard laboratory method, not a part of the animal, and we leave it at that.
How does 4,211 kcal per kilogram become 119.4 per ounce?
The energy line is written as metabolizable energy, abbreviated kcal ME. The label gives it per kilogram: 4,211. Few of us weigh treats in kilograms, so the label also gives the same energy per ounce, approximately 119.4.
The step between them is plain division. Take the per kilogram figure and divide it by the number of ounces in a kilogram. The answer is the per ounce figure, rounded the way the label rounds it. We are not asking you to do the arithmetic, since the bag already did. We only want you to see that the two numbers describe the same food in two different units.
Once you know the per ounce figure, you can plan treats by weight. The treat budget calculator on our feeding guide shows what 10 percent of your dog's daily calories looks like, and you can set the tripe against that.
Why is the moisture line so low on freeze-dried tripe?
Moisture is listed as a maximum of 10%. Freeze drying removes water from the food while it is frozen, which is why the finished piece is light, crisp and shelf stable. The moisture line is where that shows up on paper.
It is also the reason the other lines read the way they do. The analysis describes the food as it sits in the bag, dry. Take the same tripe fresh, with its water still in, and the same four lines would print different numbers. Neither set is wrong. They are measuring different things, and a bag tells you which one it measured.
If you compare two tripe labels, read the moisture line on each before you compare the rest.
What does the tripe label not tell you?
A label is a short document, and this one leaves several things out. It does not print calories for the whole bag. It does not state a piece count or how many pieces make an ounce. It also does not say how much of anything your dog should eat.
None of that is a flaw. It is just the edge of what a guaranteed analysis is for. Weigh by ounces rather than by pieces, because pieces vary. For a dog's day, work from the per ounce energy figure and the calculator on the feeding guide.
The feeding lines sit on the bag too. The bag says: "Not intended as a complete diet." It also asks for fresh water at all times and for you to supervise while your dog eats. Because the tripe is sold raw, wash your hands after handling it. For anything about your own dog's needs, ask your vet.
The listing gives one panel for all three sizes, and the smallest bag is 1.5 ounces. You will find the full set of guides on the guides hub, and the bag itself on the product page.
Questions
Is crude protein the same thing as protein?
Not exactly. "Crude" tells you the figure comes from a standard laboratory test, which is how the label measures it. The bag prints crude protein at a minimum of 49%. That is a floor the product promises, and we do not read more into it than the label does.
Why does a tripe label list crude fiber at all?
Because the label format asks for it. Pet food panels list crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber and moisture together. Ours prints crude fiber at a maximum of 13%, a ceiling. Listing a line does not mean we are making a point about it.
Why is fat shown as a minimum and not an exact number?
That is how a guaranteed analysis is written: protein and fat as floors, fiber and moisture as ceilings. The bag prints crude fat at a minimum of 31%. Your bag may sit above that, and it will not fall below it.
Does the label give calories for a whole bag?
No. The label prints energy per kilogram, 4,211 kcal ME, and approximately 119.4 per ounce. It does not print a figure for the whole bag, and we do not work one out here. Use the per ounce number and weigh what you hand out.
Does the analysis change once the bag is open?
The printed numbers describe the food as packed. They do not change on the label, whatever happens afterward. The bag asks you to press it shut after every handful and keep it cool and dry, and the listing adds that an open bag smells.
Where can I read the label before I buy?
The product page lists the same guaranteed analysis, the ingredient and the three bag sizes, so you can compare the panel before ordering. Look for it in the Ingredient and label section of the product page.