Reading the label on freeze-dried beef heart

The freeze-dried beef heart guaranteed analysis prints four lines: crude protein minimum 68%, crude fat minimum 9%, crude fiber maximum 13% and moisture maximum 17%. Energy is listed as 2,657 kcal ME per kilogram, about 75.3 per ounce. This page walks through each line and what the label leaves out.

What does the guaranteed analysis on a bag of beef heart say?

Here is the analysis exactly as it is printed on the package. We are not adding to it or interpreting it, just laying it out so you can find each line on your own bag.

That is the whole list. One of the pleasant things about a single ingredient product is that there is only one thing the numbers can be describing.

What do minimum and maximum mean on a treat label?

A minimum is a floor. The product is guaranteed to contain at least that much, and it may contain more. A maximum is a ceiling. The product is guaranteed to contain no more than that much, and it may contain less.

So "crude protein min 68%" does not mean the bag is exactly 68% protein. It means it will not fall below that. In the same way, "moisture max 17%" means it will not be wetter than that.

The word "crude" is a label term. It means the figure comes from a standard laboratory method rather than a description of any particular part of the ingredient. We keep it at that, because anything beyond it would be us reading more into the number than the bag does.

How 2,657 kcal per kilogram becomes 75.3 kcal per ounce

The label lists energy as metabolizable energy, written kcal ME. That is the energy figure printed on the bag, given per kilogram: 2,657 kcal ME/kg.

Most of us do not weigh treats in kilograms. Spreading the per-kilogram figure across the ounces in a kilogram gives the per-ounce number, and the bag states that as approximately 75.3. So that is the number to use.

If you are the type who checks the sticker on a car window before you check the engine, this is the same habit. The number is there. It just helps to know which unit it is in.

With an ounce figure, you can budget treats by weight. The treat budget tool on the product page takes your dog's daily calories and does that division for you.

What single ingredient means on this bag

The ingredient list has one item: beef heart. Nothing is added to it. It comes from a Pennsylvania farm, which we do not name, and it is freeze dried raw in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

The label adds no statement beyond that single ingredient, and neither do we. If you wonder whether a beef product suits your dog, that is a question for your vet, who knows your dog's history.

The feeding lines sit next to the analysis. The bag says: "Not intended as a complete diet. Provide fresh water at all times." It also asks you to supervise while your dog eats and to wash your hands after handling.

What the label does not tell you

A label is a short document, and this one leaves out several things people reasonably ask about. It does not state a piece count or how many pieces are in an ounce. It does not state a shelf life or a best-by date. It does not state calories per bag. And it does not print where the beef comes from.

Those gaps are normal, but they are worth knowing before you plan around them. For calories per bag, you can do the multiplication yourself from the per-ounce figure. For piece count, the bag gives nothing to go on, so weigh by ounces, not pieces.

For the broader question of whether beef heart is a good fit for dogs at all, our guide to beef heart and dogs is the place to go, and the guides hub lists the rest.