Bowl Charts

6.8

Acceptable

Overall Rating

Positive

Acceptable

Concern

Ingredient Audit

Ingredient audit — 25 ingredients in position order.
Ingredient	Rating	Type	Toxicity	Explanation	Source
Chicken	Positive	—	—	—	—
Rice	Acceptable	—	—	Recognizable carbohydrate ingredient, but the listing is less specific than brown rice or whole grain rice.	Veterinary nutrition references for grains/carbohydrates; AAFCO labeling framework
Chicken by-product meal	Acceptable	—	—	Named poultry by-product meal. It can be a usable animal-derived protein/mineral ingredient, but it is less transparent and less desirable as a quality signal than chicken meal because by-product composition can vary.	AAFCO poultry by-product meal definition
Corn Protein Meal	Acceptable	—	—	Processed corn protein ingredient. Useful as a plant protein source, but more of a formulation tool than a whole-food ingredient.	AAFCO ingredient labeling framework
Whole Grain Wheat	Positive	—	—	Clearly named whole grain carbohydrate ingredient.	Veterinary nutrition references for grains; AAFCO labeling framework
Animal Fat	Concern	—	Not toxic, but quality/transparency penalty	Generic fat source. Fat can be nutritionally useful in dog food, but this wording does not identify the animal source, so it reduces ingredient transparency under the Bowl Charts model.	AAFCO ingredient definitions / pet food labeling interpretation
Soybean Meal	Acceptable	—	—	Processed plant protein ingredient. Can contribute protein, but not equivalent to whole legumes or named animal protein.	AAFCO ingredient labeling framework; veterinary nutrition references
Oat Meal	Positive	—	—	Recognizable oat-based grain ingredient. Treated as a good whole-food carbohydrate source under the model.	Veterinary nutrition references for grains; AAFCO labeling framework
Whole Grain Corn	Positive	—	—	Clearly named whole grain carbohydrate ingredient.	Veterinary nutrition references for grains; AAFCO labeling framework
Fish Oil	Positive	—	—	Useful omega fat ingredient. Even when fish species is not named, fish oil is a recognized functional fat source under this model.	Merck Veterinary Manual fat/nutrient reference
Natural flavor	Concern	—	Not toxic, but quality/transparency penalty	Vague flavoring term without a clear source.	AAFCO/FDA pet food labeling framework
Glycerin	Acceptable	—	—	Humectant or texture/moisture-support ingredient. Useful in formulation but not a food-quality signal.	FDA/AAFCO ingredient and food additive framework
Calcium carbonate	Acceptable	—	—	Named calcium source used for mineral balancing.	Merck Veterinary Manual mineral nutrition reference
Mono And Dicalcium Phosphate	Acceptable	—	—	Named calcium/phosphorus mineral source used for nutrient balancing.	Merck Veterinary Manual mineral nutrition reference; AAFCO nutrient profile context
Salt	Acceptable	—	—	Common sodium/chloride source used for electrolyte balancing and palatability.	Merck Veterinary Manual mineral nutrition reference
Potassium chloride	Acceptable	—	—	Named potassium/chloride source used for electrolyte/mineral balancing.	Merck Veterinary Manual mineral nutrition reference
Carrots	Positive	—	—	Safe recognizable vegetable ingredient. Positive independent food ingredient signal.	ASPCA pet-safe snack guidance
Peas	Positive	—	—	Recognizable whole pulse ingredient.	Veterinary nutrition references for legumes/carbohydrates
Choline chloride	Acceptable	—	—	Named choline source used for nutrient balancing.	Merck Veterinary Manual nutrient reference
Vitamins	Concern	—	Not toxic, but quality/transparency penalty	Generic supplement group without individual compounds listed.	AAFCO/FDA pet food labeling framework
Vegetable Juice	Concern	—	Not toxic, but quality/transparency penalty	Vague plant-derived ingredient likely used for color or appearance, with limited nutritional transparency.	FDA/AAFCO color additive/labeling framework
Minerals	Concern	—	Not toxic, but quality/transparency penalty	Generic supplement group with no specific compounds listed. Low transparency for nutrient sources.	AAFCO/FDA pet food labeling framework
Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product	Acceptable	—	—	Probiotic or fermentation product listing, but strain ID, guaranteed CFU, survivability, and end-of-shelf-life guarantee are not shown here.	Today’s Veterinary Practice / veterinary probiotic references; AAFCO labeling context
DL-Methionine	Acceptable	—	—	Named amino acid supplement used to balance the amino acid profile or support formulation needs.	Merck Veterinary Manual amino acid/nutrient reference
L-Lysine Monohydrochloride	Acceptable	—	—	Specific lysine supplement form used for amino acid balancing.	Merck Veterinary Manual amino acid/nutrient reference