{"topic_id":"nasc-treat_003","category":"us-2026","context":"---\ntopic_id: nasc-treat_003\ncategory: NASC-TREAT\ntitle: “Occasionally”—What It Means in Practice\nlang: en\nsource: nasc_treat_program_guide.pdf\ndate_parsed: 2026-07-18\ntokens_estimated: 758\nsource_document: \"NASC Quality Seal / supplement standards\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"US FDA / USDA APHIS\"\n  title: \"“Occasionally”—What It Means in Practice\"\n  url: \"\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-07-18\"\n  ref: \"\"\n  doc_type: \"official PDF\"\n  needs_review: true\nauthority_tier: T1\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T1:fda\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\n---\n\n“Occasionally”—What It Means in Practice\n\nTreats are meant for occasional use, not consistent nutritional delivery.\nHowever, a dental treat may be acceptable if:\n• The label is consistent with the product’s purpose (mechanical/\nabrasive dental action)\n• Claims stay within food boundaries (see next section)\nIf a product is designed to deliver a daily nutritional benefit (like vitamins/\nminerals), it should be labeled as a food supplement, not a treat.\nIngredient Rules for Treats\nFor treats (food), ingredients must:\n• Be approved for use in animal food\n• Appear in AAFCO Chapter 6 or be referenced in applicable CFR\nprovisions\n• Be included only for their intended purpose\nKey example: turmeric/curcumin\nIf an ingredient is approved as a spice/flavoring/seasoning, you can’t use it (or\nmarket it) for an unapproved purpose such as anti-inflammatory benefits on a\ntreat label or any food product.\nOther ingredients discussed as examples of non-nutritional benefit ingredients\n(problematic for treats when used for health claims) include:\n• Chamomile\n• Milk Thistle\n• CoQ10\n• SAMe\n• MSM\n\nClaims Boundaries for Treats (food claims only)\n","sources":["US FDA / USDA APHIS — “Occasionally”—What It Means in Practice (retrieved 2026-07-18)"],"source":{"authority":"US FDA / USDA APHIS","title":"“Occasionally”—What It Means in Practice","url":"https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/","retrieved":"2026-07-18","ref":"","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"NASC Quality Seal / supplement standards","verification_file":"nasc_treat_program_guide.pdf"},"source_document":"NASC Quality Seal / supplement standards","source_file":"nasc_treat_program_guide.pdf","trust":{"authority_tier":"T1","fidelity":"verbatim","license":null,"display_grade":"A"},"tokens_estimated":758,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}