Page 176 - Raw Diet References Book 2019

Proposed Revisions Edited per Comments for 2014 Official Publication 9

FAT/FATTY ACIDS
The CNES increased the minimum recommended amount for total fat in the
AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles by 0.5% to 8.5% for Growth and Reproduction
and 5.5% for Adult Maintenance. These concentrations are consistent with the RA for
total fat in the 2006 NRC and the FEDIAF Guidelines. The CNES also increased the
minimum recommended linoleic acid concentration in the Growth and Reproduction
Profile from 1.0% to 1.3% and in the Adult Maintenance Profile from 1.0% to 1.1%,
again consistent with the RA in the 2006 NRC. The CNES did not set a minimum
recommended concentration for arachidonic acid in either profile, but did establish
minimum recommended concentrations for some fatty acids in the n-3 (omega-3)
series in the Growth and Reproduction Profile, specifically, alpha-linolenic acid at
0.08%, and the combination of eicosapentaenoic plus docosahexaenoic acids at 0.05%,
of DM. Because the scientific evidence to date indicates that these n-3 fatty acids are
needed for the development of the nervous and visual systems during fetal and
neonatal life stages, the CNES did not feel there was scientific justification for setting a
specific minimum recommended concentrations for n-3 fatty acids for adult
maintenance. A recommendation in a comment to list quantities of alpha-linolenic
acid and eicosapentaenoic plus docosahexaenoic acids for adult maintenance as being
not determined (ND) was accepted by the AAFCO Pet Food Committee.
The CNES did not establish maximum concentrations for fat or fatty acids despite
the NRC listing a safe upper limit (SUL) for total crude fat, linoleic acid, and the
combination of eicosapentaenoic plus docosahexaenoic acids. The CNES felt it likely
that insufficiencies in other nutrients will occur in a conventional formula before an
inclusion of 33% crude fat in DM is reached. Also, although some differences in
delayed hypersensitivity reactions were noted in studies cited by the NRC as the basis
for setting the SUL for eicosapentaenoic plus docosahexaenoic acids, the 2007 CNES
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noted that those differences are not unequivocally undesirable or detrimental. The
CNES did elect to set a maximum for the ratio of the sum of linoleic plus arachidonic
acids to the sum of alpha-linolenic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids at
30:1 given the modulating effects of n-3 fatty acids on n-6 metabolism and the
predominant contribution of these fatty acids to the n-6 and n-3 fatty acid contents,
respectively, in conventional dog food formulas.

CALCIUM & PHOSPHORUS
The CNES decreased the recommended minimum concentration of calcium and
phosphorus in the Adult Maintenance Profile by 0.1% to 0.5% and 0.4%, respectively.
The current recommended minimum concentrations are 0.1% more than the RA for
calcium and phosphorus on a DM basis for adult maintenance in the 2006 NRC but
consistent with the concentrations in the FEDIAF Guidelines. The CNES increased the
minimum calcium and phosphorus concentrations in the Growth and Reproduction
Profile to 1.2% and 1.0%, respectively, consistent with the 2006 NRC RA and
FEDIAF Guidelines. The CNES recommended that the calcium and phosphorus in
growth formulas for the large-bred or large-size dogs be allowed to decrease to 0.9%
and 0.75%, respectively, while still being judged to meet the Growth and Reproduction
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Nutrient Profile. However, based on comments and a publication demonstrating that
some diets containing 0.88% to 1.04% Ca on a DM basis (2.2 to 2.6 g Ca/1000 kcal
ME) when fed to medium- or large-breed puppies produced inhibited growth in 10-
week growth studies compared to diets containing between 1.3 to 1.8% Ca, the
AAFCO Pet Food Committee elected to keep the minimum recommended calcium and
phosphorus concentrations in the Growth and Reproduction Nutrient Profile at 1.2%
and 1.0%, respectively, for all dog food products that substantiate nutritional adequacy