ME value for puppy foods

This post has to do with the past one about dog food brands but trying to evaluate the quality of the food based on the metabolizable energy value (ME), expressed as kcal/cup or kcal/lb. All commercial human foods ALWAYS have to indicate kcalories per unit on the package.

When we went out to buy food for our puppy the first time, I was shocked I could not find the ME value (kcal/cup food) in any of the packages. This is a simple number that could help the pet owner compare commercial dog food VERY fast, the higher the number, the higher the nutritional value. This number is an excellent indicator of how much of the food is actually food and how much of it is just fillers. It is also helpful to figure out how much food you should be feeding your dog.

Does anybody know why pet food companies don’t include this number? I should be required to be provided on the label. If you call the company, they would give it to you but that means you already bought their product, right?

If anybody has a list of ME values for puppy food, I would appreciate you posting it. The brand I am feeding right now it’s 400 but a better number would be 500+. Thanks