Best-Scoring Patterns in UK Dog Food Labels

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What high-scoring labels have in common

After analysing hundreds of UK dog food labels, clear patterns emerge in the foods that score highest on the PetFoodFix quality framework. These patterns are not about specific brands — they are about label practices.

Understanding these patterns helps you spot quality indicators when shopping, even without running a full analysis.

Pattern 1: Named protein sources with percentages

The single most common feature of high-scoring foods is specific, named animal protein with a declared percentage:

High transparency: "Fresh chicken (30%), dried chicken (15%), sweet potato..."
Low transparency: "Meat and animal derivatives, cereals, oils and fats..."

The difference is clear. In the first example, you know exactly which animal, which form (fresh vs dried), and how much. In the second, you know almost nothing about the protein source.

Foods scoring in the top tier almost always name at least one animal protein with a percentage in the first three ingredients.

Pattern 2: Short, recognisable ingredient lists

High-scoring foods tend to have ingredient lists where most items are recognisable whole foods or clearly named components:

• Chicken, rice, chicken fat, peas, salmon oil, minerals, vitamins
• Lamb (40%), potato, lentils, lamb fat, seaweed, rosemary extract

Lower-scoring foods often have long lists with multiple vague categories, numbered additives, and repeated derivatives.

Fewer ingredients does not automatically mean better — but when every ingredient is named and understandable, the label is doing its job.

Pattern 3: No artificial colours

Artificial colours (E102 tartrazine, E110 sunset yellow, E129 allura red) serve no nutritional purpose. They are added to make the food visually appealing to the owner, not the dog.

Nearly all high-scoring foods in the database are free of artificial colours. This is one of the simplest indicators of formulation quality — not because colours are dangerous, but because brands investing in quality ingredients rarely need to disguise the food's appearance.

Pattern 4: Natural preservatives

High-scoring foods tend to use natural preservatives like:

• Mixed tocopherols (vitamin E)


• Rosemary extract


• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Lower-scoring foods sometimes use synthetic preservatives like BHA (E320) and BHT (E321). These are legally permitted but increasingly avoided by premium manufacturers.

Pattern 5: Clear feeding guides with calorie information

Top-scoring labels include detailed feeding guides with:

• Gram amounts by body weight range


• Total calorie content per 100g or per kg


• Guidance for adjusting based on activity level

Some economy labels provide only a minimal feeding table with no calorie information, making it harder for owners to manage portions accurately.

Pattern 6: Single or limited protein sources

Many high-scoring foods feature one or two clearly named protein sources rather than a mix of unspecified animals. This is valuable because:

• It makes the food easier to evaluate


• It helps owners manage food sensitivities


• It indicates the manufacturer has committed to specific sourcing

Pattern 7: Honest marketing claims

High-scoring foods tend to have front-of-pack claims that match the back-of-pack reality:

• "Rich in chicken" backed by 14%+ chicken in the ingredient list


• "With salmon" backed by named salmon at a clear percentage


• No unsupported "superfood" or "premium" claims without corresponding ingredient quality

Lower-scoring foods sometimes feature aspirational marketing on the front that the ingredient list does not support.

What these patterns do not guarantee

These patterns correlate with higher scores, but they are not a checklist for a perfect food:

• A food can have named proteins and still have formulation gaps


• A food can lack some patterns and still be nutritionally adequate


• Price does not always predict which patterns will be present

Check your dog's food

Curious where your dog's current food fits? Search the database to check whether it is already analysed, or start a new analysis to get the full breakdown.

View a sample report to see how these patterns are evaluated in practice — £14.90, one-off, no subscription.