21/04/2026
Stop judging pet food by the ingredient list! Do you know the common pitfalls?
One of the biggest sources of confusion and misinformation in pet nutrition is the ingredient list and what it can, and cannot, tell us.
There are strict rules when it comes to ingredients that can be used in pet food and the details that must be provided on packaging. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation and scaremongering that can make reading pet food labels confusing.
So, ingredients with high moisture content (like fresh chicken) appear higher up — even if they contribute fewer nutrients overall.
➡️ Example:
A food with fresh chicken as the first ingredient may contain less actual chicken than a food listing chicken meal second or third, because chicken meal is far more concentrated.
Manufacturers also know ingredient lists are used as marketing tools. Some may add “appealing” ingredients in tiny amounts just to attract buyers — not because they meaningfully improve the diet.
Misinformation in pet nutrition is everywhere
People often use fear and emotion to make you doubt your feeding choices.
The most important thing is simple:
✅ Your pet is fed
✅ Your pet is healthy
✅ The diet is complete
✅ The diet is safe for your pet and for you
Then we can look at other important factors like:
-Does the company employ a Veterinary Nutritionist?
-Do they rely only on spreadsheets, or do they perform feeding trials?
-Is the diet nutritionally balanced and quality controlled?
Common Pet Food Myths (and the truth)
❎Myth - animal parts that are not safe for human consumption are included in pet food
✅Reality – all animal derived products used in pet food in the UK must be safe for human consumption. Pet food manufacturers may make use of parts that there is a lower demand for in the human food chain but that are still safe and nutritious, for example offal. Using the term 'human grade' does not really make a difference in the UK, we MUST use products safe for human consumption.
❎Myth – the term “meat and animal derivatives” means that the animal derived ingredients are of poor quality
✅Reality – This term is used because of labelling regulations and is an example of category labelling, it does not reflect ingredient quality. Category labelling allows manufacturers to adjust some ingredients without having to print new packaging. This means that they can make use of what is seasonally available, helping to keep the food affordable. For pets that are sensitive to changes, the alternative is that each ingredient is listed individually which is more often the case for foods with a fixed formula. “Meat and animal derivatives” are ingredients which are often surplus in the human food chain. For example, parts of animals that are not normally consumed by people in the UK but that are highly nutritious, such as offal.
❎Myth – Pet food often only contains 4% meat/animal derived products.
✅Reality – This misunderstanding is usually due to labelling rules when a specific ingredient is named. For a product to be labelled as “containing” or “with” a particular ingredient, it must have at least 4% of the specified ingredient. For example, a product that “contains chicken”, must be a minimum of 4% chicken. It may contain much more, and it may also contain other species of animal, such as pork or lamb, under the umbrella of “meat and animal derivatives”, (which has previously been explained still provides good nutrition).
❎Myth – dogs and cats shouldn’t be fed grains. They are used as fillers.
✅Reality – properly prepared grains are a great source of beneficial nutrients. For example, they can provide slowly released energy, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and fibre. Grain allergies and intolerances are uncommon in dogs and cats.
❎Myth – pet food contains ash
✅Reality – the “crude ash” listed on the label under analytical constituents is a legal definition which reflects the mineral content of the food e.g. calcium and phosphorus. Other names include inorganic matter or incinerated residue.
❎Myth – higher protein = higher quality food
✅Reality – you can’t judge the quality of complete pet foods by the ingredients list or analytical constituents (e.g. protein %) alone. For example, a higher protein quantity isn’t beneficial if it’s of low quality and not very digestible, or if it is in excess of what the animal can make use of. Choosing a pet food – you should look to feed a complete diet made by a reputable manufacturer that employs experts to formulate the food following FEDIAF guidelines, has strict quality control procedures and analyses the finished product. Further reassurance can be gained by choosing a manufacturer that performs feeding trials on their products and doesn’t rely wholly on computer-based formulations.
⭐ So what should you look for instead?
✔ Complete diet
✔ Reputable manufacturer
✔ Formulation (FEDIAF compliant)
✔ Strong quality control
✔ Feeding trials when possible
📌 Helpful resources:
➡ WSAVA guide to choosing a food: https://wsava.org/global-guidelines/global-nutrition-guidelines/
➡ UK Pet Food ingredient info: https://www.ukpetfood.org/information-centre/industry-guidance/ingredients.html
➡ Tufts articles:
https://sites.tufts.edu/petfoodology/2019/03/01/stop-reading-your-pet-food-ingredient-list/
https://sites.tufts.edu/petfoodology/2016/06/21/why-you-shouldnt-judge-a-pet-food-by-its-ingredient-list/
https://vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2026/01/16/how-safe-is-pet-food-really-understanding-regulations-and-risks-in-the-uk-pet-food-industry/
🐾 Feed the pet in front of you — not the marketing on the label.
