AAFCO (the Association of American Feed Control Officials) is a non-profit that publishes nutrient profiles, ingredient definitions, and labeling standards for animal feed. State agriculture regulators use AAFCO standards to define what "complete and balanced" means on pet food labels. AAFCO doesn't approve, test, or certify products itself — manufacturers self-certify against the published standards. Compliance can be claimed via either nutrient profile calculation or feeding trials, with feeding trials being the stronger evidence.