Chicken

Real chicken — a named, whole muscle-meat protein. Named meats like this are considered high-quality protein sources because you know exactly what animal they come from, unlike vague terms like "meat" or "poultry by-products." Chicken is highly digestible and provides essential amino acids. When it appears at the top of an ingredient list, it's a sign of a quality recipe.

What it's doing there

Named muscle-meat protein; high-quality primary protein source.

The concern

One of the more commonly reported food allergens in dogs, largely because it's such a widely used ingredient. Relevant only for dogs with a diagnosed chicken sensitivity — not a concern for most.

How sure are we

High. This ingredient is well documented and there is broad agreement about how it behaves.

Note: A named, whole muscle-meat protein — a high-quality, digestible primary protein source; named meats are preferable to unnamed "meat" or by-products.

How this affects a score

In any product containing it, this ingredient raises Ingredient Quality. See the full formula →