> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.accentuate.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.accentuate.io/use-case-guides/pet-products/dietary-needs.md).

# Dietary needs

#### OVERVIEW

What is this field?

The Dietary Needs field captures specific nutritional requirements, dietary restrictions, or formulation characteristics of a pet food or treat product. It answers the question pet owners are actually asking when they filter food: "Is this grain-free? Is it high-protein? Does it contain fish?"

Pet food customers are among the most ingredient-aware shoppers in e-commerce. They have dogs with allergies, cats on prescription diets, and rabbits with sensitive digestive systems. Dietary needs data turns your food catalog from a grid of bags into a personalized recommendation engine.<br>

#### BUSINESS VALUE

Why this field matters

* Food allergies in pets are common — grain, chicken, and beef allergies drive specific filter behavior
* Vet-recommended diets (renal, hepatic, hypoallergenic) are high-intent, high-margin searches
* Raw and freeze-dried food segments are growing rapidly and need explicit dietary classification
* Protein source ("salmon-based", "duck-based") are real search queries that need structured data to match
* Subscription customers need dietary consistency — this field enables intelligent subscription logic

ACF SETUP &#x20;

How to configure this field in Accentuate Custom Fields

| Where       | ACF dashboard → Templates tab → Product scope → Add new field                            |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Label       | Dietary Needs                                                                            |
| Name / Key  | dietary\_needs                                                                           |
| Namespace   | accentuate (default)                                                                     |
| Field type  | Shopify >> Single-line text (List)                                                       |
| Multi-value | Yes — a product can be grain-free AND high-protein AND limited ingredient simultaneously |

| Dietary attributes stack, so multi-value is essential. Shopify >> List type gives you built-in multi-select and storefront API compatibility. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

#### &#x20;STEP-BY-STEP IN ACF &#x20;

1. In ACF, open Templates tab and select the Product scope
2. Click "Add new field"
3. Label: "Dietary Needs" — Key auto-fills as "dietary\_needs"
4. Namespace: leave as "accentuate"
5. Field type: Shopify >> Single-line text (List)
6. Enable "Allow multiple selections" — dietary attributes stack
7. Click Done, then Save
8. Open a food product and test filtering by multiple dietary values simultaneously

| Shopify admin (optional pinning): Pin in Shopify admin: Settings → Custom data → Products. Namespace: "accentuate", Key: "dietary\_needs", Type: Single-line text (List). ACF confirms the match with a green checkmark on the field definition. |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

| Repeatability: Shopify >> List handles multi-value natively. Do not also enable "Repeatable section" — that is for groups of fields, not multiple values of a single field. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

#### REFERENCE VALUES &#x20;

Example values — adapt to your catalog

| Value                       | When to use                                                   |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Grain-free                  | No wheat, corn, rice, or other grains; for allergy-prone pets |
| Gluten-free                 | No gluten-containing ingredients; different from grain-free   |
| High protein                | Protein above 30% dry matter; active dogs and muscle support  |
| Limited ingredient          | Single protein source, minimal ingredients; elimination diets |
| Raw / Freeze-dried          | Minimally processed; biologically appropriate raw food diets  |
| Hypoallergenic              | Novel protein sources to minimize allergic response           |
| Omega-3 enriched            | Added EPA/DHA; coat, joint, and cognitive benefits            |
| No artificial preservatives | Free from BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin; clean label products          |
| Probiotic / Prebiotic       | Added gut health support; digestive microbiome                |
| Vet-recommended formula     | Formulated to meet veterinary nutritional guidelines          |

&#x20;

#### BEST PRACTICES &#x20;

* Always cross-reference dietary claims against the actual ingredient list — accuracy is a legal matter
* Use "Grain-free" and "Gluten-free" as separate values — they are not synonyms
* Keep dietary values consistent with how customers search, not how manufacturers market
* Add a note in product description for vet diets requiring professional recommendation
* Update dietary values whenever a supplier changes the formulation

#### &#x20;COMMON MISTAKES — AVOID THESE &#x20;

* Using marketing phrases as dietary values: "Premium quality" is not a dietary attribute
* Claiming hypoallergenic without specifying which allergen is avoided
* Omitting this field for treats — a dog with a chicken allergy cannot eat a chicken dental chew
* Not updating dietary values after a formula change — this is a safety and legal issue
* Confusing this field with Ingredients — dietary\_needs is the classification, not the raw list

&#x20;&#x20;

#### IN CONTEXT — EXAMPLE PRODUCT &#x20;

| Wild Salmon & Sweet Potato — Grain-Free Adult Dog Food                                   |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Pet type:   Dog                                                                          |
| Age group:   Adult                                                                       |
| Dietary needs:   Grain-free, High protein, Omega-3 enriched, No artificial preservatives |
| Breed size:   S / Small, M / Medium, L / Large                                           |
| Health support:   Skin & coat, Joint support                                             |

#### Developer Implementation

| Liquid note: Use .value to unwrap the Shopify >> List type. Render as pills — each dietary attribute is a separate array element. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

```
{% comment %}
  Dietary Needs — Shopify >> List type
  Renders each attribute as a clickable badge/pill
{% endcomment %}

{% assign dietary = product.metafields.accentuate.dietary_needs.value %}


{% if dietary %}
  <div class="dietary-badges">
    {% for item in dietary %}
      <span class="badge badge--dietary">{{ item }}</span>
    {% endfor %}
  </div>
{% endif %}
```