With a name like Coles Complete Cuisine, you'd be forgiven for assuming this product is a nutritionally 'complete' food.
But based on the small print on the back of the can, it's likely this tinned treat would be too low in fat to qualify as a 'complete' food.
In order to be complete the product has to meet certain requirements such as a particular calcium to phosphorus ratio (amounts of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and sodium – not too much or too little), and minimum protein, fat and taurine content.
Coles Complete Cuisine cat food – CHOICE Shonky Awards 2017
Pet nutritionists recommend that treats like Coles Complete Cuisine should only comprise 5–10% of a cat's total energy intake – any more than this and they could gain weight, or risk nutrient deficiencies if their complete food intake is reduced to account for the energy from treats.
Whether you offer your feline friends the occasional indulgence or not, confusing this tinned snack with a complete food could lead to significant problems like expensive vet bills, your animal companion getting sick, or worse.
We think this deserves a serve of clearly labelled Shonky just for Coles.
Coles has since confirmed it's removed the word 'complete' from the cat food's packaging.
"Coles commenced re-labelling this product over a year ago," a spokesperson tells CHOICE. "Our re-labelling process involved removing 'complete' from the label to help reinforce that this product is a complementary food.
"The label on the back of the product always stated that the product should be fed with dry cat food for a complete meal," they add.
The spokesperson did not elaborate on why the re-labelling process took more than a year.
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