The ingredients on a pet food label are listed in descending order of predominance by weight, meaning the ingredients that weigh the most before processing are listed first. This order provides insight into the composition and quality of the pet food.

Percentage of Meat Inclusion: Transparency in Labeling

Some manufacturers provide the exact percentage of meat inclusion on the packaging. In certain countries, regulations require listing the percentage of each meat ingredient in the ingredients list. This transparency helps pet owners understand the actual meat content in the food.

Interpreting Numbers Correctly: Context Matters

Numbers on pet food labels can be deceiving if not interpreted correctly. While more meat can be beneficial, it’s only advantageous when a higher meat content aligns with your pet’s dietary needs. In some cases, more fruits and vegetables can be more beneficial, depending on the pet’s specific health requirements.

Ingredient Splitting: A Common Practice to Watch Out For

Ingredient splitting is a technique used by some pet food manufacturers to make a particular ingredient appear more prominent. For example, a pet food might list “chicken” as the first ingredient, followed by “corn meal,” “corn gluten,” and “ground corn.” By splitting corn into multiple components, the manufacturer can place chicken at the top of the list, even if the total amount of corn is greater than the amount of chicken.

Pet Food Selector: Our Approach

In our Pet Food Selector, we use “Main carb” and “Main protein” to identify the first carbohydrate and the first protein listed in the ingredients. This method helps provide a straightforward understanding of the primary components of the pet food, given that we do not always know the exact proportions. By focusing on the first listed carb and protein, we can infer which ingredients are most prevalent and better evaluate the food’s composition.