Choosing the right pet food starts with understanding the ingredient list. While premium brands typically avoid low-cost ingredients like corn or by-products, it’s not because these ingredients are harmful. Rather, they don’t align with the high-meat, species-appropriate diets that premium foods aim to deliver. Knowing what to look for — and what to consider carefully — can help you make the best choice for your pet.
In the premium pet food space, manufacturers have already made key decisions to ensure higher-quality ingredients. You won’t find corn, meat by-products, or unnecessary fillers in these foods — not because those ingredients have zero value, but because they’re associated with cost-cutting mass-market brands. Premium foods focus on whole, recognizable ingredients like real meat, healthy fats, and nutrient-rich vegetables.
Interestingly, ingredients like by-products (e.g., chicken feet, duck heads) are celebrated in treats for their natural, single-source benefits. So why are they welcome in the treat aisle but avoided in food bags? The answer lies in context: in pet food, by-products are often opposed to whole cuts of meat and signal a cost-saving approach. In the treat section, however, they align with simple, single-ingredient dehydrated or freeze-dried treats, offering a natural alternative to carb-loaded cookies or artificially flavored soft treats. It’s about transparency and ensuring that the main food remains protein-focused while treats provide natural, species-appropriate snacks.Ingredients We Want to See
- Named Meat Proteins:
- Look for specific meat sources like chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, salmon, or duck. These should be the first ingredient listed, indicating that the food is protein-rich.
- Named Meat Meals (in Moderation):
- Ingredients like chicken meal or salmon meal can be highly concentrated sources of protein. The key is transparency—the more specific, the better. Example: “Chicken meal” is preferred over “poultry meal.”
- Whole Vegetables & Fruits:
- Ingredients like sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, blueberries, and pumpkin provide natural vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants.
- Healthy Fats:
- Look for omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids from sources like fish oil, flaxseed, or chicken fat. These promote healthy skin, a shiny coat, and overall wellness.
- Probiotics & Prebiotics:
- These support gut health and digestion. Common sources include dried fermentation products or chicory root.
- Named Whole Grains (if included):
- If grains are present, they should be easily digestible and nutrient-rich like brown rice, oats, barley, or quinoa.
Ingredients We Prefer to Avoid
- Meat By-Products:
- In pet food, by-products often refer to ambiguous animal parts like beaks, feathers, or feet. While these parts aren’t inherently bad (and are even celebrated in treats), we prefer whole cuts of meat in food for transparency and quality.
- Unspecified Meat Meals:
- Avoid vague terms like “animal meal,” “meat meal,” or “poultry meal.” These lack transparency and can include mixed, low-quality animal parts.
- Corn, Wheat, and Soy:
- These ingredients are common fillers used to reduce production costs. They offer limited nutritional value compared to whole meats and vegetables and can be harder to digest for some pets.
- Artificial Colors, Flavors, and Preservatives:
- Ingredients like BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, or artificial dyes have no place in premium pet food. Natural preservatives like vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) are safer alternatives.
- Excessive Starches and Fillers:
- Ingredients like cellulose (a form of plant fiber) or modified food starch are used to bulk up food without adding real nutritional value.
- Additives That Artificially Enhance Palatability:
- Watch out for sugars, molasses, and fructooligosaccharides — these sweeteners are often added to make food more palatable but offer no real nutritional benefit. High-quality pet foods should be naturally appealing due to their real meat content and wholesome ingredients, not because of added sugars.
The Grey Area: Ingredients That Aren’t Bad but Are Less Desirable in Premium Foods
- By-Products in Treats (But Not in Food):
- Chicken feet, duck heads, and tripe are celebrated in single-ingredient treats for their natural benefits. They’re minimally processed and rich in collagen and nutrients. However, in complete meals, we prefer whole cuts of meat for better transparency and digestibility.
- Natural Flavor:
- This isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s vague. It’s better when the source is specified (e.g., “natural chicken flavor”).
- Gums in wet food:
- Gums are used in wet pet foods to stabilize texture and prevent ingredient separation. While generally safe, their presence can indicate a more processed product. In mass-market foods, gums might replace higher-quality ingredients or create a richer appearance, while premium brands often minimize or avoid them altogether.
Potatoes, Tapioca, and Legumes (Peas, Lentils, Chickpeas)
These ingredients are abundant in premium dry pet foods, largely because the industry was differentiating from grains commonly used in mass-market brands. While grain-free diets became popular, it wasn’t because grains were harmful, but because brands sought to offer an alternative that aligned with consumer demand for something new and “healthier.”
The investigation into DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) raised concerns about legumes and potatoes, but the only clear conclusion was that more research is needed. The FDA did not establish a definitive link between these ingredients and DCM, nor are they planning to mandate changes or further investigate.
So, are these ingredients a problem? Not necessarily. Potatoes and legumes aren’t harmful in moderation, but they shouldn’t replace animal proteins as the primary ingredients in your pet’s food. The fact that raw foods contain none of these ingredients (because they aren’t needed for extrusion) and that some ultra-premium kibbles contain up to 90% animal-sourced ingredients shows that there’s a spectrum of quality in dry foods. It’s not the presence of these ingredients that matters — it’s how much is used and whether there are better options available.
In short, it’s about balance and transparency. There’s premium kibble, there’s ultra-premium kibble, and then there’s raw — each offering varying levels of reliance on plant-based ingredients.
Quick Takeaways
- Look for Transparency:
- Choose brands that clearly state the percentage of animal-sourced ingredients on the front or back of the packaging. Be cautious of ingredient splitting, where similar ingredients (like different forms of peas or potatoes) are listed separately to make meat appear higher on the list.
- Avoid Vague Terms:
- Steer clear of non-specific terms like “meat meal” or “by-product meal” in food. These lack transparency about the source and quality of the ingredients. However, by-products like chicken feet or duck heads are great in natural, single-ingredient treats. Also, avoid ingredients you can’t pronounce — but stay curious! Sometimes scientific names like pyridoxine hydrochloride are just another name for vitamin B6.
- Balance is Key:
- Consider how much plant-based ingredients (like legumes or potatoes) are used. While they aren’t inherently bad, they shouldn’t overshadow animal proteins. But remember: more meat isn’t always better. It’s about the right balance — more is more, but better is better.
Want to dive deeper into understanding ingredient labels? Check out Part 2!