Nasc Quality Seal Now Available for Treat Products

A new program brings structure, compliance and consumer confidence to the $12 billion to $14 billion treats market.

For 25 years, the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) has set the industry standard for quality in animal health supplements. Now, that trusted framework officially extends to treats — and independent pet retailers will be among the first to see the difference on their shelves.

NASC has officially launched its Treat Program, extending the organization’s compliance requirements and coveted Quality Seal to treat products for dogs, cats and horses. The program addresses a long-standing source of regulatory confusion in one of the pet industry’s fastest-growing and most valuable segments.

“This program brings structure and oversight to an emerging category while supporting responsible innovation, maintaining compliance and protecting animal health,” said Bill  Bookout, NASC president.

With NASC’s new Treat Program, treats that meet NASC’s gold standard for quality can earn the seal to prove it.

Treats, Supplements and the Regulatory Divide

The distinction matters more than many retailers realize. Treats are regulated as food, meaning all ingredients must be AAFCO approved and claims are limited to dental or nutritional benefits. But many products marketed as “functional treats” go beyond those boundaries — making claims for joint health, calming or other non-nutritional benefits that legally qualify them as health supplements, not food.

“Treats with stated benefits outside of nutrition or dental benefits can cause disruption to a treat supplier’s business due to regulatory issues,” Bookout said. “A similar challenge in animal health supplements led to the formation of NASC 25 years ago. Extending our compliance programs and Quality Seal to treats was the logical next step.”

Under the law, products making claims like joint support or calming are health supplements regardless of their format — a position NASC has secured legal opinion on.

What It Means for Your Store

For independent retailers, the NASC Quality Seal on a treat product carries the same assurance it does on supplements. Products bearing the seal have passed a comprehensive audit verifying that ingredients and manufacturing meet established standards, directly protecting retailers from costly stopsale orders on non-compliant products.

NASC has also updated its adverse event reporting system (NAERS) to include treats, adding a critical layer of post-market surveillance to a category that has long lacked it. 

Implementation is already underway. Existing NASC members who have passed the organization’s quality audit may be able to leverage that approval to certify their treat products. New treat companies can apply for NASC membership and proceed through the standard audit process to earn the right to display the Quality Seal. 

“Our role has always been to help create a responsible, transparent path forward when regulations and consumer demand don’t align,” Bookout added. 

Independent retailers can join NASC free of charge to access educational resources about the Treat Program and the value of NASC-certified products. For more information, contact NASC directly.