How to read a pet food label in 5 minutes
Three ingredients, two figures, one rule. What to look at BEFORE the price and marketing on a bag of pellets.
How to read a pet food label
Labels are designed to reassure, not to inform. With 5 minutes and 3 reflexes, you'll know how to distinguish a good product from marketing packaging. Let's review.
Reflex 1: the first 3 ingredients
EU legislation requires ranking in decreasing order by weight at manufacture. The first 3 ingredients typically represent 50–70% of the finished product. That's where everything happens.
What is GOOD
- A named meat in #1: "Fresh chicken (25%)", "Salmon (30%)", "Turkey"
- Two meats/fish in the first 3
- An identifiable starch (rice, sweet potato, peas) instead of a vague "cereals"
What is SUSPECT
- "Meats and animal by-products" → unidentified source, can include feathers, beaks, marc
- "Cereals" → catch-all word, no quality commitment
- "Dehydrated poultry protein" in #1 → often concentrated waste
- 3 plant ingredients out of 3 → cat or ferret inappropriate
The "splitting" trap
A brand can write: Chicken 20%, yellow peas, pea protein, pea fiber, pea starch... It looks like "lots of chicken", but added together, peas represent 40% of the product and chicken only 20%. If you see the same ingredient listed 3 times, add it up.
Reflex 2: analytical constituents
Figures required by law. At the end of the package, sometimes very small.
What must be listed
- Crude protein (%)
- Crude fat (%)
- Crude fiber (fiber, %)
- Crude ash (minerals, %)
- Moisture (water, %)
Target ranges by animal
| Animal | Dry product | Wet food |
|---|---|---|
| Adult dog | Protein 22–32%, Fat 12–18% | Protein 7–11%, Fat 4–7% |
| Large puppy | Protein 26–32%, Fat 12–16% | — |
| Adult cat | Protein 30–42%, Fat 12–20% | Protein 8–12%, Fat 3–7% |
| Senior cat | Protein 32–45% (quality +++) | — |
| Ferret | Protein 36–45%, Fat 18–22% | — |
| Rabbit (pellets) | Fiber > 20%, Protein 12–16% | — |
The "dry matter" vs "crude" trap
A "dry" pellet at 30% crude protein contains approximately 33% on dry matter (8% moisture). A wet food at 10% crude protein contains ~50% on dry matter (80% moisture). To compare DRY and WET, convert to dry matter:
% on dry matter = % crude / (100 − moisture) × 100
Reflex 3: nutritional additives
Find the "Additives" section. Vitamins and minerals are listed, with an expiry date (example: "Vitamin A 15,000 IU/kg, Vitamin E 500 mg/kg...").
- Complete presence (A, D, E, B1 to B12, minerals) = "complete" food
- Total absence on a dry dog/cat = suspect (unless natural, stated on package)
- Very long list of colorants, flavorings, enhancers = weak signals of questionable quality
5 instant warning signals
1. "Cereals" unspecified as first ingredient
2. Sugar, glucose syrup, molasses in the list
3. Colorants (E100–E180, red, yellow, blue)
4. BHA/BHT/Ethoxyquin preservatives (prefer natural tocopherols)
5. Claims without figures ("meat-rich", "high quality" — without percentage)
The final test
Take 3 brands you're hesitant about. Scan them on SokoScan. The score out of 100 incorporates everything we just covered + ingredient quality, additives, species appropriateness and type. You'll have your answer in 5 seconds.
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Want to go further? Discover our complete methodology — every score point is justified, transparent, verifiable.
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