Section 250-RICR-40-20-5.15 - Official Pet Food Regulations - Brand and Product NamesA. No flavor designation shall be used on a pet food label unless the designated flavor is detectable by a recognized test method, or is one the presence of which provides a characteristic distinguishable by the pet. Any flavor designation on a pet food label must either conform to the name of its source as shown in the ingredient statement or the ingredient statement shall show the source of the flavor. The word flavor shall be printed in the same size type and with an equal degree of conspicuousness as the ingredient term(s) from which the flavor designation is derived.1. Distributors of pet food employing such flavor designation or claims on the labels of the product distributed by them shall, upon request, supply verification of the designated or claimed flavor to the appropriate control official.B. The designation "100%" or "all" or words of similar connotation shall not be used in the brand or product name of a pet food if it contains more than one ingredient. However, for the purpose of this provision, water sufficient for processing, required decharacterizing agents and trace amount of preservatives and condiments shall not be considered ingredients.C. The term "meat" and "meat by-products" shall be qualified to designate the animal from which the meat and meat-by-products are derived unless the meat and meat-by-products are from cattle, swine, sheep, and goats. For example, "horsemeat" and "horsemeat-by-products."D. The name of the pet food shall not be derived from one (1) or more ingredients of a mixture to the exclusion of other ingredients and shall not be one representing any components of a mixture of a pet food product unless all components or ingredients are included in the name except as specified by §§ 5.15(A), (E) and (F) of this Part; provided that the name of an ingredient or combination of ingredients may be used as a part of the product name if: 1. The ingredient or combination of ingredients is present in sufficient quantity to impart a distinctive characteristic to the product or is present in amounts which have a material bearing upon the price of the product or upon acceptance of the product by the purchaser thereof; or,2. It does not constitute a representation that the ingredient or combination of ingredients is present to the exclusion of other ingredients; or,3. It is not otherwise false or misleading.E. When an ingredient or a combination of ingredients derived from animals, poultry, or fish constitutes ninety-five percent (95%) or more of the total weight of all ingredients of a pet food mixture, the name or names of such ingredient(s) may form a part of the product name of the pet food: Provided, that where more than one (1) ingredient is part of such product name, then all such ingredient names shall be in the same size, style, and color print.F. When an ingredient or a combination of ingredients derived from animals, poultry or fish constitutes at least twenty-five percent (25%) but less than ninety-five percent (95%) of the total weight of all ingredients of a pet food mixture the name or names of such ingredient or ingredients may form a part of the product name of the pet food only if the product name also includes a primary descriptive term such as "meat- balls" or "fishcakes" so that the product name describes the contents of the product in accordance with an established law, custom or usage or so that the product name is not misleading. All such ingredient names and primary descriptive term shall be,G. Contractions or coined names referring to ingredients shall be used in the brand name of a pet food unless it is in compliance with §§ 5.15(A), (D), (E) or (F) of this Part.250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-40-20-5.15
Amended effective 1/5/2022