How we score
Scoring version 2026.11.5
Every food gets a score from 0 to 100 built from six parts. The weights below add up to 100. Scoring version 2026.11.5.
Informational, not veterinary advice. The score is our opinion of a food, built from the facts on its label with the method on this page.
The six parts
Nutritional adequacy 20
Whether the label carries an AAFCO statement that the food is complete and balanced. Confirmed: 20. Dry or wet food whose statement we have not found yet: 12, with a note asking you to scan the bag; this is not capped. Dry or wet food that says it is not complete and balanced: 0. Treats, toppers and supplements: 8, since they are not meant to be a whole diet.
Guaranteed analysis, on a dry-matter basis 25
Protein, fat and fiber from the label, converted to dry matter so wet and dry foods compare fairly: value ÷ (100 − moisture) × 100, using the printed moisture or 10% for dry, 78% for wet and 12% for treats. Protein: 15 at the high band or more, 10 at the middle band or more, else 4. Fat: 6 inside the range, else 3. Fiber: 4 at the maximum or less, else 2. Dogs and cats have their own bands (table below). A value missing from the label gets the low score.
Ingredient quality 20
A named meat or meat meal first: 8. No unnamed meat or by-products in the first five: 6. At most one legume or grain split into several names: 3. No added sweeteners: 3.
Additives and preservatives 20
Each additive has a sourced risk level and takes points off: low 2, moderate 5, high 10. Any high-risk additive also caps the whole score at 49.
Manufacturer transparency 10
Owns its plants, has a nutritionist on staff, runs feeding trials. This describes the company, not the recipe. A brand we have not rated yet gets a neutral 5.
Recall history 5
Full points with no FDA recall of the brand in the last five years, 0 with any. A recall is active when it names this product, or when the brand was recalled in the last 180 days: the food then shows a red banner, its band is Bad and its score is capped at 24.
Dogs and cats are scored on their own bands
AAFCO sets higher minimums for cats than for dogs (adult protein 26% of dry matter against 18%, fat 9% against 5.5%), so a cat food needs more protein for the same points. The Low protein and High protein rows on a result use the same numbers. All values are percent of dry matter.
| Dry matter | Dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|
| Protein, 15 points | 30% or more | 40% or more |
| Protein, 10 points | 22% or more | 30% or more |
| Fat, 6 points | 10–20% | 12–25% |
| Fiber, 4 points | 6% or less | 5% or less |
Taurine: cats need it in their diet. A cat food whose label lists taurine gets a positive row, Taurine added. A complete-and-balanced cat food that does not list it by name gets a note that it must still meet the AAFCO taurine minimum. Taurine changes no points, and dog foods get neither.
Evidence grades
Every flagged ingredient carries a grade for how sure the science is.
- Strong evidence: A regulator finding or peer-reviewed research in pets.
- Under investigation: A regulator inquiry is open; no causal finding yet.
- Limited evidence: Reasoned caution with little pet-specific data.
A high-risk flag always needs strong evidence; anything weaker counts as moderate.
Toxic ingredients
Xylitol is toxic to dogs; onion and grapes to dogs and cats; propylene glycol to cats. When the label names one for that species, the score is capped at 24, the band is Bad and the result shows a red banner with two poison lines: ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435 and Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661. A consultation fee may apply.
Feeding guide
Daily calories = 70 × weight in kg0.75 (the resting energy requirement) × a life-stage factor. Dogs: puppy under 4 months 3.0, puppy 2.0, adult 1.6, senior 1.4. Cats: kitten under 4 months 2.5, kitten 2.0, adult 1.2, senior 1.1. A pet with obesity gets 1.0 (weight loss, with your vet). Without a birth date we use the adult factor. Cups come from the kcal per cup on a dry food label, otherwise grams from kcal per kg. Treats: at most 10 % of the day’s calories.
It is a starting point; adjust to body condition.
Bands
- 75–100: Excellent
- 50–74: Good
- 25–49: Poor
- 0–24: Bad
Caps
- A high-risk additive caps the score at 49.
- A dry or wet food whose label says it is not complete and balanced is capped at 49.
- An active recall caps the score at 24 and sets the band to Bad.
- An ingredient on our toxic list for that species (xylitol for dogs; onion and grapes for dogs and cats; propylene glycol for cats) caps the score at 24 and sets the band to Bad.
Your pet is scored separately
Pet fit is separate from the score: allergies, life stage and health conditions change the advice for your pet, not the food’s score. When a health condition is involved, talk to your vet.
Your pet’s avoid list
On your pet’s profile you can avoid whole ingredient families (poultry, red meat, fish & seafood, dairy, egg) and ingredient classes (grains, legumes, by-products & unnamed meats, artificial colors, artificial preservatives). “Except” lets a family rule skip an ingredient your pet does fine with, such as poultry except duck; an allergy always counts. When a label item matches, the pet fit says the food is not a match and names the items. The avoid list never changes the 0–100 score or its band.
In Explore and search, the badge reads the ingredients we stored for each food. An additive named in parentheses, such as “preserved with BHA”, is caught on the food’s result page, not in those lists.
Score history
We keep the last few scores (up to five) a food got from recent engine versions; a re-read label starts the history over. Under the score, the app shows where the label came from, the engine version and when the label last changed; tap it to see the earlier scores.
When a score moved, the app says whether the engine changed or the label was re-read. The point-by-point change is part of the full breakdown.
What the label can’t tell you
- Ingredient order is by weight before cooking, so fresh meat counts its water. When a label leaves something out, the result says so.
- A label does not show how well your pet digests the food, how a batch was made or where each ingredient came from.
- The guaranteed analysis gives minimums and maximums, not exact amounts.
- How your own pet does on a food, its weight, coat, energy and stools, matters more than any score. Your vet can help you read those signs.
Versions
The method has a version number. This page describes version 2026.11.5. When we change a weight, a cap or a band, the version changes and the foods are scored again, so a score you saw before can move. The version is shown in the app.
Flag an error
Every product page in the app has a “Flag an error” link. Pick what is wrong (the product, the ingredients, the score, a missing recall or something else) and add a note if you like. We check reports, correct the product data or the method when it is wrong, and score the food again. If you are offline, the report is sent when you are back online.
Where the data comes from
Product data comes in part from Open Pet Food Facts, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Foods added from label photos are read from the photo of the label you take. Recall history comes from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.