Feeding trials might sound like the gold standard in pet food testing, but the reality is far from ideal. These trials are short (just 6 months), use a tiny group of healthy adult animals, and only have to show that the food keeps them alive—not that it supports long-term health or prevents nutritionally-related diseases. There’s no focus on ingredient quality, contaminants, or evaluating the nutritional adequacy of the food, not to mention digestibility or assimilation parameters. Passing a ver