Is Bowlsome Bug Bowl a good dog food?
We score it 63/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
The product scores 63 out of 100. The meat content contributed +2.4 points and the overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +3.3 points. However, the carbohydrate content deducted -5.3 points and lower-quality ingredients deducted -0.7 points from the final score.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
- Recipe63
- Nutritionallow99
- Transparency60
- Safety100
- EvidenceNot recorded
The Recipe score measures how attractive and transparent the declared ingredient list is. It is not, by itself, proof that the food is nutritionally appropriate for long-term feeding. The Nutritional and Evidence scores measure what we can verify towards that stronger claim.
Why you might choose it
- Scores 63, in the top quarter of fresh foods we track.
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
- Prints a percentage for nearly every ingredient, so the recipe is fully auditable.
Why you might not
- Only protein, fat and moisture declared; fibre and ash missing from the analysis.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 7.16%
- Fat
- 3.12%
- Moisture
- 75.29%
- Carbohydrates
- 5.70%
Energy: 86 kcal/100g
Dry matter basis
- Protein
- 28.97%
- Fat
- 12.64%
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Feeding guide
0-5kg: up to 435g; 5-10kg: 435g to 732g; 10-15kg: 732g to 993g; 15-25kg: 993g to 1456g; 25-50kg: 1456g to 2449g
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
- Doesn't list chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists fish oil
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists rice - brown / whole grain
- You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein
These points are derived from declared ingredients and analysis, not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your dog has a diagnosed condition, food choice is a medical nutrition decision: speak to your vet. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (15)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 37.9% Black Soldier Fly Larvae | Hermetia Illucens Larvae | meat | good | 37.9 | 37.9 |
| 2 | 14.16% Pumpkin | Pumpkin | veg | good | 14.16 | 14.2 |
| 3 | 12.14% Carrots | Carrots | veg | good | 12.14 | 12.1 |
| 4 | 12.14% Brown Rice | Rice - brown / whole grain | carb | medium | 12.14 | 12.1 |
| 5 | 10.07% Soy Protein | Soy Protein | carb | poor | 10.07 | 10.1 |
| 6 | 5.06% Green Beans | Green Beans | veg | good | 5.06 | 5.1 |
| 7 | 2.98% Bamboo Fibre | Bamboo Fibre | fibre | medium | 2.98 | 3.0 |
| 8 | 2.74% Vitamins and Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | 2.74 | 2.7 |
| 9 | 1.36% Natural Gelling Agent | Vegetable Gelling Agent | additive | medium | 1.36 | 1.4 |
| 10 | 0.72% Natural Palatant | unmatched | - | - | 0.72 | 0.7 |
| 11 | 0.21% Fish Oil | Fish Oil | oil | good | 0.21 | 0.2 |
| 12 | 0.17% Natural Antioxidant | Antioxidants | additive | medium | 0.17 | 0.2 |
| 13 | 0.08% Algimun | unmatched | - | - | 0.08 | 0.08 |
| 14 | 0.05% Flaxseed Oil | Linseed oil | oil | good | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| 15 | 0.03% Salt | Salt | additive | medium | 0.03 | 0.03 |
Brand
- Website
- https://bowlsome.au/
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-18
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- bowlsome.au
Recall history is presentation-only and never affects the score. Dates are when we recorded the data, not when the manufacturer last changed the recipe.
Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.
Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated
Scored with model v3 on 2026-09-26. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.4 | 9.191 | +3.32 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 25.2% | 0.096 | +2.42 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 46.4% | -0.115 | -5.34 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.6% | -0.092 | -0.06 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 11.2% | -0.005 | -0.06 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 3.3% | 0.163 | +0.54 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 6.0% | -0.012 | -0.07 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.9% | -0.027 | -0.03 |
| Recipe graded poor | 10.1% | -0.065 | -0.65 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 10.1% | 0.060 | +0.60 |
| Undeclared quantities | 0.2% | -0.106 | -0.02 |
| Additive penalty | -1.87 | 0.222 | -0.42 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Fresh Shelf | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.4 | 9.191 | +3.32 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 25.2% | 0.096 | +2.42 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 46.4% | -0.115 | -5.34 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.6% | -0.092 | -0.06 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 11.2% | -0.005 | -0.06 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 3.3% | 0.163 | +0.54 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 6.0% | -0.012 | -0.07 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.375 | +0.00 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.9% | -0.027 | -0.03 |
| Recipe graded poor | 10.1% | -0.065 | -0.65 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 10.1% | 0.060 | +0.60 |
| Undeclared quantities | 0.2% | -0.106 | -0.02 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | no | 2.294 | +0.00 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | no | 0.707 | +0.00 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | no | -3.158 | +0.00 |
| High carb and low meat | no | -1.180 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 0.0 | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 11.084 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | -1.87 | 0.222 | -0.42 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Raw | no | -0.054 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Chilled | no | -2.354 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Frozen | no | -2.354 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Refrigerated | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Shelf | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
| Processing: Dry Freeze Dried | no | 6.629 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | no | 6.331 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Cold Pressed | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Baked | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Semi Moist | no | -6.174 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Muesli | no | -10.146 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.08
- Subtotal
- 63.3
- Final score
- 63/100
Contributions are rounded to two decimals, so they may not sum exactly to the subtotal. The full coefficient table is published on the methodology page.
Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges
How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for adult dogs. The label prints as-fed values; we convert to a dry-matter basis before scoring, and the bands are dry-matter ranges. Scores rise to 100 at the band midpoint: the reference is adequacy, not maximisation. Nutrients with a published upper limit taper again above it; fat is policed through calorie density rather than a direct penalty.
Guaranteed-analysis FEDIAF score: crude minimums and maximums are bounds, not typical values; moisture (a maximum) uses the processing median where available; experimental US score.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7.16 | 28.6 (band 18 to 40%) | 99 |
| Fat | 3.12 | 12.5 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 98.9 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 86 | 344 | 100 |
Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 75% from the food type.
Low confidence: partial analysis or moisture estimated from the food type.
This measures agreement with published reference ranges, not suitability for an individual dog. For medical conditions, follow veterinary guidance.
Transparency: what the label discloses
How much the manufacturer discloses, measured against the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice and Regulation 767/2009. Mandatory items dominate the weighting.
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Ingredient list on the label (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Printed percentages on the label (99.8% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 20/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) | 5/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory) | 5/10 |
| Country of manufacture stated (voluntary) | 10/10 |
| Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file | 0/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared, Additives declared, Batch and date labelling).
Safety: recall history
Recall and safety-notice history, time-decayed. This dimension is shown alongside the score and never feeds the headline number.
No recalls recorded in our database.
Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it
The claims made on the pack and product page, checked against the declared label. We record claims as stated; "consistent" means our stored label data supports the claim, "contradicted" means it conflicts with it. Functional claims are recorded but never scored.
Claims on file; none we can check against the label
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainable and eco-friendly protein source (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Packed full of essential nutrients to boost your dog's wellbeing and vitality (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Insect protein promotes muscle development, immune health, and overall vitality in dogs (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Pumpkin, rice, and bamboo fibre aid digestion (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Omega-rich oils support a healthy, shiny coat (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Insect protein is perfect for allergy-prone pups (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Aussie first insect-based casserole (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Freshly prepared and sealed in stay-fresh pouches, our bowls maintain peak quality without needing refrigeration (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| High protein, hypoallergenic ingredients (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Bug Bowl meets AAFCO nutritional standards, making it suitable for dogs of every life stage (on page) | Nutrient | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
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