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Understanding and learning how to decipher kitten food product codes will help you choose the right kitten food. While selecting the right ingredients is important, making sure those ingredients are fresh is just as vital to your young cat. Learn how to read the product codes of kitten food packages and cans with our handy guide.
A product code is a series of numbers and letters printed on the outer package of each product a manufacturer produces. This code provides information about when and where the kitten food was made.
As part of the product code, IAMS™ products include a “Best Used By” date, or the date at which the product is no longer considered fresh and should no longer be sold. This date is expressed in “ddmmyy” and “ddmmmyy” formats.
The second line of the product code represents company internal information for use in traceability and inventory control.
Line 1: (ddmmyy) (ddmmmyy)
Example: 040220 04FEB20
Line 2: 60351111## QQQQQQQ
This product should be used before February 4, 2020.
Depending on the production line, pouch products* may have code date information in a single or double line. By recognizing and understanding these codes, customers can make sure they are receiving a fresh product.
Shelf life is the duration, measured in months, during which a properly stored kitten food product maintains its freshness. This means if a product has a 16-month shelf life, it is fresh for up to 16 months from the date of manufacture.
The shelf life for IAMS dry kitten foods is 16 months. All canned formulas have a shelf life of 24 months.
Unopened dry kitten food products are best stored off the floor in a cool, dry place. Open bags of kitten food should be stored in a clean, dry container with a tight seal. Dry kitten food products may also be frozen without loss of nutrients.
Opened wet kitten food products are best kept refrigerated in tightly sealed containers for no more than three days after the container has been opened. Wet products should not be frozen in unopened cans. However, wet kitten foods can be frozen if removed from the container, packed in freezer containers and frozen immediately.
*IAMS has no kitten pouch products at this time.
Corn is found in many cat foods — but not all corn is created equal. Learn more about this ingredient, its forms and its role as a source of energy for your cat.
Corn is included in cat food formulas in various forms, such as ground corn, corn meal, corn grits, corn gluten meal and corn bran. When reviewing the ingredients list on cat food packaging, you may see one or more of the following corn ingredients:
Corn Ingredient | What It Is |
Ground corn or corn meal | Finely ground and chopped whole corn |
Corn grits | The portion of ground corn containing little or none of the bran (fiber) or germ (the small protein portion at the end of the kernel) |
Corn bran | The outer coating of the corn kernel; largely fiber |
Corn gluten meal | A dried protein source that remains after the corn’s bran has been separated and removed and a large portion of the carbohydrate and germ have been removed |
Corn is included in the formulas for all IAMS cat foods, including IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Healthy Adult and ProActive Health™ Healthy Kitten. It is more appropriate to associate the corn used in our products with “corn bread” rather than “corn on the cob.” The difference is similar to cooked corn versus raw corn. We use only the highest-quality corn in our products. The corn is finely ground to a meal, which breaks up the outside covering of each kernel, and then it is cooked, which increases its digestibility.
Corn grits and corn meal are used in our foods as high-quality sources of carbohydrates, which are an important source of energy. Corn generally also results in lower glycemic and insulin response than rice. This can be especially beneficial for senior and overweight cats.
