Use a recognized nutritional purpose
AAFCO-recognized nutritional life-stage routes include gestation and lactation, growth, adult maintenance and all life stages. Senior is not currently a separate AAFCO nutritional profile.
A marketing range can still be organized for older dogs, but age-positioning does not replace a supported nutritional-adequacy statement or claim review.
Puppy projects need an adult-weight question
Growth and all-life-stages projects can require specific wording about large-size dogs. The RFQ should capture expected adult weight and whether the project is intended for large-size growth before formula and artwork review.
- Intended life stage
- Expected mature body weight
- Large-size-dog inclusion or exclusion
- Calorie and feeding-direction basis
- Nutritional substantiation route
Breed and activity are not shortcuts to claims
Breed-specific, active, joint, weight-management or sensitive wording can change the evidence needed. Treat each proposed statement as its own approval item rather than inferring benefit from kibble size or ingredient imagery.