Terms of Service | Chowmark

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Chowmark.com (the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service. These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Chowmark ("we," "us," or "our").

2. Description of Service

Chowmark provides an independent pet food scoring and information platform. The Service includes product scores, ingredient analysis, recall tracking, food safety information, and related tools. All scores and assessments are editorial opinions based on publicly available data and our published methodology.

3. Editorial Nature of Scores

The Chowmark Score and all related assessments are editorial opinions, not objective facts, professional advice, or guarantees of product safety or quality. Scores are based on publicly available data including FDA records, CFIA records, AAFCO standards, and Open Pet Food Facts data.

Scores do not constitute veterinary advice. Always consult a licensed veterinarian before making dietary changes for your pet. Chowmark makes no warranty that any product scoring above a given threshold is safe for your specific animal.

4. Recall Information Disclaimer

Recall data on Chowmark is sourced from the FDA, USDA FSIS, and CFIA and is refreshed regularly. However, we cannot guarantee real-time accuracy. Recall information may be delayed, incomplete, or subject to change. Always verify recall status directly with the relevant government agency (fda.gov/animal-veterinary or inspection.canada.ca) or the product manufacturer. Do not rely solely on Chowmark for recall information affecting your pet's health.

5. Affiliate Relationships

Chowmark participates in affiliate advertising programs. We may earn a commission when you purchase products through links on our site. These commissions help fund the platform. Our affiliate relationships never influence our scores or editorial assessments. Products are scored independently using our published methodology regardless of whether an affiliate relationship exists.

6. User Accounts

You may create an account to access features such as the Pantry watch list and recall alerts. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must provide accurate information when creating an account. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

7. User-Submitted Content

By submitting product information, reviews, or other content through the Service, you grant Chowmark a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, reproduce, and display that content in connection with the Service. You represent that you have the right to submit such content and that it does not violate any third-party rights.

8. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to:

Use the Service for any unlawful purpose
Scrape, crawl, or systematically extract data from the Service without our written permission
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Service
Use the Service to transmit spam or unsolicited communications
Reproduce or redistribute our scores or methodology without attribution
Impersonate Chowmark or misrepresent your affiliation with us

9. Intellectual Property

The Chowmark name, logo, scoring methodology, and all original content on the Service are owned by Chowmark and protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not use our trademarks, logos, or proprietary content without our prior written consent. Data sourced from government agencies (FDA, CFIA, USDA) is in the public domain; our editorial assessments and scoring outputs are not.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS. WE DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR TIMELINESS OF ANY INFORMATION ON THE SERVICE.

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CHOWMARK SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES ARISING FROM RELIANCE ON OUR SCORES, RECALL INFORMATION, OR FOOD SAFETY ASSESSMENTS. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) $100 CAD OR (B) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO CHOWMARK IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Chowmark and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third-party rights.

13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising from these Terms shall first be submitted to binding arbitration in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in accordance with the Arbitration Act, 1991 (Ontario), before any court proceedings may be initiated.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

14. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes by email or by posting a notice on the Service. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

15. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact us at [email protected].