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If you are unsure:
Tins, trays, pouches, (non-frozen) chubbs etc are all wet foods.
Raw complete foods come frozen.
Fresh foods are precooked and come chilled.
Dry foods can be harder to distinguish but as a general rule, if it doesn't say the dry food is something special on the packaging (baked, cold-pressed, freeze-dried, air-dried, semi-moist, muesli) it's probably extruded as these make up the vast majority of the market.
Although this information can affect a food's rating, they aren't absolutely essential for a quick overview so don't worry if you don't have it.
Wet, raw and fresh foods should declare their moisture content on the packaging in the 'typical analysis' (aka 'analytical constituents'). Dry foods, on the other hand, are not required to declare their moisture content so many don't. If in doubt, just leave it blank and we'll set it to the average moisture for the selected food type.
Manufacturers do not need to declare which selenium supplement they use but if they do you'll find it in the 'nutritional additives' section or, very occasionally, in the ingredients list (aka 'composition'). If in doubt, contact the manufacturer or just select 'not sure'.
Manufacturers do not need to declare which copper supplement they use but if they do you'll find it in the 'nutritional additives' section or, very occasionally, in the ingredients list (aka 'composition'). If in doubt, contact the manufacturer or just select 'not sure'.
Carrageenan is typically only used in wet foods but manufacturers are not required to declare its use. Where it is declared, you will either find it in the ingredients list (aka 'composition') or possibly under 'technological additives'. If in doubt, contact the manufacturer or just select 'not sure'.
To get an accurate instant review, it's very important that the ingredients list is entered correctly. Scroll down for our guidelines.
Mixing bowl composition
This is the ingredients list as printed on the packaging or manufacturer's website.
Think of the 'mixing bowl' composition like a recipe - all the ingredients you would need to put in a 'mixing bowl' in order to make the food.
Ingredients have to be listed in descending order of their weight so the higher it appears, the more there is.
Highlighted ingredients
Ingredients that we believe to be controversial or inferior are highlighted in yellow with particularly low grade, highly contentious or excessively vague ingredients in red.
Information in italics is not usually avaialble on the ingredients list but has been provided to us by the manufacturer to help with our ratings.
As fed composition
While the 'mixing bowl' composition is useful for knowing what went into the food, it doesn't always reflect what your dog is actually eating. This is because the processes that turn the ingredients into the finished pet food can significantly alter the relative weights of the ingredients.
For this reason we've calculated the approximate 'as fed' percentages for the main ingredient categories in the finished product.
Please note that these figures are very approximate. They are estimates based on the information provided by the manufacturer in the ingredients list so the clearer the terminology and the more percentages they provide, the more accurate our estimates will be. Wherever information is lacking, we always assume the worst.
Ingredient categories
◉ Meat ingredients: includes all meat and fish ingredients except isolated fats/oils.
◉Added oils and fats: includes all isolated oil and fat ingredients.
◉ Carb-rich ingredients: includes all ingredients derived from grains, pseudo-grains, potatoes and other starchy root vegetables, sweet potato and legumes (except whole peas which are categorised under fruit and veg) except for isolated protein and extracted oils. Also includes fibre supplements.
◉ Fruit and veg: includes all whole vegetables and fruits.
◉ Other: all other ingredients. Mostly made up by nutritional supplements and additives.
For more information on any ingredient, please take a look at our Dog Food Ingredient Glossary
Heather H •one year ago
I’ve tried the Review Generator a number of times, followed the instructions and double checked spellings etc., not working, all that appears is a blank rectangular box when I hit the Go button.
Heather H
Heather H
•one year ago
Apologies! Now working, my error.
BeeBonnet •one year ago
The owners of this site seem oblivious to the reports that grain free foods using peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils and other legumes are causing DCM heart valve problems in dogs. Dogs are actually dropping dead! Look it up! Grain free with potatoes and pease is MUCH WORSE than grains!
BuzzBee •2 years ago
HI, I’m getting so frustrated using this site. I just a LOW FAT wet food for my Border Terrier who suffers from reflux. PLEASE HELP?
Katie •3 years ago
Hi, will you be adding a complementary/treat food review generator anytime soon? Thanks.
Bootneck •3 years ago
I've just started my 10 month old GSD on Concept for Life Large Junior food, he's a big dog for his breed (49.3 kilos at last weigh in) & both his parents were also big dogs, this food has good reviews on Zooplus & when I put it into the instant review generator it scores a 63% rating. Please could you do a review of this food to add to the AADF list? Does anybody else out there use this food for their dog?
Alana K
Bootneck
•3 years ago
I just put in all the ingredients *and* nutritional/technological additives and it comes up with an AADF rating of 57%, not 63% (63% is if you don't put in the additives). I hope this helps :)
Richard F •3 years ago
We have 3 black labs and feed them mainly RC Satiety which I can't find on your list of 46 RC so I am keen to know what nutritional rating you would apply to this product. This would help to start making comparisons with other foods on you list. Cheers
Alana K
Richard F
•3 years ago
I copied and pasted the ingredients of RC Satiety from RC's website into the generator and it gave an AADF rating of 43%. I would recommend finding a food for your dogs with a higher nutritional value. Hope this helps a bit!
Clare Smith •3 years ago
Please could you review Skippers 50% Salmon, Trout & Sweet Potato GRAIN FREE Complete Dog Food (Sporting & Working Dog)
Ingredients: 50% Salmon & Trout (Including 36% Freshly Prepared Salmon & Trout, 12% Dried Salmon & 2% Fish Stock), 26% Sweet Potato, Peas, Potato, Beet Pulp, Linseed, Vitamins & Minerals, Vegetable Stock, Omega 3 Supplement, Asparagus
Analytical Constituents: Crude Protein 26%, Crude Oils & Fats 14%, Crude Fibres 3%, Crude Ash 8%, Calcium 1.34%, Phosphorus 0.94%, Omega 6 0.95%, Omega 3 3.41%
Energy: kCal/100g 359
Thank you so much, I want to be sure I've entered it correctly when i tried
Many thanks
MAE53 •3 years ago
Can you please review Brit Fresh Duck and Millet? Thanks in advance
Andrea Jackson •4 years ago
Hi, please can you addPurina ProPlan Vet diet GastroIntestinal?
Many thanks, and also I would like to let you know that I really appreciate this site and come back to it multiple times!
https://www.purina.co.uk/dog/dog-food/product-proplan-veterinary-diets-gastrointestinal-wet
Diamond •4 years ago
I have just bought Wainwrights grass fed beef with superfoods dry food, adult 1-7 years and dont appear to find it in your directory, can it be added?
Milica Tadic •4 years ago
Can you please review the new Carnilove True Fresh line? Thanks
Tanya James •4 years ago
Hello, I have recently switched my dog who is 13 months, onto Langhams Cuisine (Aldi own brand), from Lily's kitchen which is 3x the price! (5.99 for 6 x400g tins vs 15.99!) I used the generator to enter the ingredients and it came up with a respectible 83% for the chicken and turkey casserole. My pup seems happy, maybe could be added to comparison :). Thanks
Stooshe •4 years ago
What is the best non prescription dry food for a 9 yr old Rottweiler with pancreatitis
C L •4 years ago
Is there any change of reviewing both "Pooch & Mutt Primal" and also the new "Orijen Amazing Grains" range?
Also what are you thoughts on the meat contents of various dog foods? For example chicken/whole meats have a large percentage of water and depending on which way they are processed, a lot of this weight is removed. So with dry food the meat percentage may not be as high as seems. Is this taken into account when reviewing?
Many thanks!
Team AADF
C L
•4 years ago
Thanks for posting C L! I'll see about getting those two suggestions listed asap. And in answer to your question, yes we do take moisture loss during processing into account in both our nutritional ratings and the 'as fed' pie charts you'll find on every product's page. I hope that helps
megpagett •4 years ago
Please can you add Southcliffe Complete Chicken Mince. 80/10/10 Balanced, Raw Dog Food to the directory? thanks
Team AADF
megpagett
•4 years ago
Hi Megpagett! Yes, I've added them to the to-do list
Chris Chadwick •4 years ago
I put coco pops into this as a sole ingredient and it gave it 40% which is better than most dog foods you find in the supermarket
Team AADF
Chris Chadwick
•4 years ago
The algorithm only recognises established pet food ingredients so I'm afraid it won't work on things like cocopops. As a rule, unless it's used exactly as recommended in the guidelines above, the review generator is essentially useless
Rodrigo Perez •4 years ago
Hi! Which variables do you use to create the algorithm?
Team AADF
Rodrigo Perez
•4 years ago
Hi Rodrigo. There are a lot. You can find more info here: https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/frequently-asked-questions
Vagelis Vivikidis •4 years ago
Hello, I just use the generator for a local food here in Greece the name of the brand is Aellis and the review of the generator was 92% for a fairly good price, can you see if is something wrong? Thanks you very much. https://www.aellisfood.com/en/dogs-food/chicken-recipe/
Team AADF
Vagelis Vivikidis
•4 years ago
Hi Vagelis,
Unfortunately the ingredient list on that page is not in the correct order so the rating will not be accurate.
By law, ingredients should be listed in order from highest percentage to lowest but, as you'll see, 6% oat flakes comes after several 2% ingredients.
Since it's possible that other ingredients are also in incorrect positions, it's impossible to say what the likely rating would be
Nina •5 years ago
Hi. Tribal sausages seem to be very popular. Your generator evaluates the lamb at 85%. I think it is cooked in a different way to preserve the nutrients, so I kinda thought it might even be higher.
pudlice •6 years ago
Hi, the generator says 85 % for Nature Naturals Lamb, but this page 80 %. The generator also gave the min 30 % meat logo but this page didn’t. I added these in the generator, have I done something wrong?Fresh Lamb 21%, Dehydrated Lamb Meat 17%, Brown Rice, Purified Fat Chicken 10%, Hydrolyzate Lamb Liver 3%, Brewer’s Yeast, Potato, Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate, Apple, Carrot, Pumpkin, Spinach, Cranberries, Seaweed, Mannooligosaccharides, Fructooligosaccharides, Yucca Schidigera, Oregano, Rosemary, Parsley, Sage.Thanks in advance!
Team AADF
pudlice
•6 years ago
Hi Pudlice. According to those stated ingredients the rating of 85% would be about right but the final rating will depend on a few more factors than just the ingredients. It would also receive the high meat logo. Which page gives a rating of 80%?
pudlice
Team AADF
•6 years ago
Thank you for the answer :) Here’s the page of this site (lamb): https://www.allaboutdogfood...
pudlice
Team AADF
•6 years ago
Thank you for answering. It says 80 % on this page, All About Dog Food, on Naturea Naturals Adult (lamb).
Michelle •6 years ago
Hello. What an amazing site - it must take hours of work. I wish I'd found it earlier! Is there a reason why no Nutro products are listed? I am currently feeding my 9 month old the Nutro Dog Grain-Free Junior Large Breed - Lamb variety and I'm rather concerned that it is not listed on this site. Thanks in advance for your reply
Team AADF
Michelle
•6 years ago
Hi Michelle and thanks for posting. Nutro officially withdrew from the UK market some years back but now that their range is creeping back in via Zooplus, Amazon etc, I'll get it added to the to-do list.
dheepakh •7 years ago
I guess some meat ranges have not been updated on this tool, as it is not scoring high even if I entered a high value. The ranges are ostrich, kangaroo, prawn, goose, whelk, scallop, goat, haddock, camel, shark, hare, wild goose, water buffalo, msc haddock, patridge & alligator
Sharon •8 years ago
As an experiment I entered the ingredients for AVA Medium Breed Adult into the box but replaced maize with barley. Replacing maize with barley would score 4.9 (with the maize the score is 3.8). Manufacturers should look at simple things they can do to make their food much better.
Team AADF
Sharon
•8 years ago
Many thanks for posting Sharon. Just to clarify, with barely instead of maize the food would score 4.1. In this case, to get an accurate rating you have to re-jig the ingredients list a little, placing all of the ingredients in descending weight order. So rather thanChicken (44%) (Chicken Meal 24%, Fresh Chicken 12.5%, Chicken Fat 5%, Chicken Gravy 2.5%), Brown Rice (23.5%), Barley (18%), Beet Pulp (7%)...You should enterChicken Meal 24%, Brown Rice (23.5%), Barley (18%), Fresh Chicken 12.5%, Beet Pulp (7%), Chicken Fat 5%, Chicken Gravy 2.5%...
dee •8 years ago
can you please review ava weight mangement [ pets at home] asap
Lisa S •8 years ago
Hi, I have a 20 month old pug who has had pancreatitis and therefore needs a low fat diet. Pets at Home and the vet recommended Royal Canine Adult Pug food but that has only scored 1.9 on here which is a concern. We also have a puppy (pug) who is 10 month old who is on the same brand food but the Pug puppy type. Any thoughts on a better food for them?
Julie •9 years ago
Very surprised that Piccolo chicken and duck does not appear on the best food lists.
It is specifically for small breeds and is the only dog food my bichon will eat. Fabulous ingredients.
Bella •10 years ago
is there any reviews on earle langhams complete dog food from aldi
Bella
Bella
•10 years ago
hi i sat and put in every ingredient for aldis complete dog food the langhams from the packet....it rated as 3.0 out of 5 so not too bad for a cheap food i reckon and the dog loves it .my daughters dog has had digestive problems since she got her and she has tried all sorts of expensive foods now she is on this her poo is normal instead of the runs every day or solid first blob then runs .i think its good and my dog is staying on it.
here is the list of ingredients...
rice(34%), turkey meal (22%),barley brown rice(8%) ,poultry fat, beet pulp, poultry gravy, alfalfa(2%) ,minerals,linseed(1.5%),seaweed(0.5%),mannan oligosaccharides(0.1%),citrus extract(0.04%),glucosomine(0.025%),yukka extract(0.02%),chondroitin(0.015%),parsley(0.015%),origano(0.015%),cranberry extract(0.01%),marigold meal(0.005%)vitamin A 16,000iu/kg,vitamin D3(absorbyl monophosphate) 50 mg/kg,zinc chelate of amino acid hydrate 200 mg/kg,manganous oxide 156 mg /kg,iron sulphate monohydrate 133 mg/kg,L-carnitine 100 mg/kg,zinc sulphate monohydrate 97mg/kg,cupric sulphate pentahydrate 20 mg/kg,calcium iodate anhydrous 3.3 mg/kg,sodium selenite 0.03mg/kg,antioxidants,preservatives
Hugo •10 years ago
Picked up some Irish Rover select treats with the tag line "super foods for dogs". The generator spit out a 4.2 rating. The packaging says 85% real chicken not sure what is meant by this. I would appreciate an expert opinion on this one. Is it legit?The ingredients are:
Meat and animal derivatives ( 85% real chicken), derivatives of vegetable origin, vegetables (. 4% sweet potato, 4% carrot, 4% pumpkin), minerals.
Team AADF
Hugo
•10 years ago
Hi Hugo and thanks for posting. First off the generator is only for rating complete foods so the rating for the treats isn't accurate. I'm afraid the ingredients list you gave doesn't quite add up. Obviously, the percentages of all of the ingredients should add up to 100%. With 85% chicken and 12% vegetables, that only leaves 3% for the derivatives of vegetable origin and minerals but since ingredients have to be listed in order of their percentages (highest first, second highest second etc.), there should be more derivatives of vegetable origin than vegetables which would make a total percentage of over 100% which is impossible. Does that make sense? Maybe you could email me a photo of the ingredients to info@allaboutdogfood.co.uk
Steve •10 years ago
Surprised carrageenan is not a red list ingredient?
Team AADF
Steve
•10 years ago
It is now http://www.allaboutdogfood....
Bella
Steve
•10 years ago
what is that ingrediant