ZEAL Air-Dried Beef Recipe
Dry Air Dried complete High meat Clear label Full label
Is ZEAL Air-Dried Beef Recipe a good dog food?
We score it 96/100 (Good). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
This product reaches an overall score of 96 out of 100. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +9.1 points, the meat content contributed +9 points, the processing format contributed +6.3 points, and being labelled nutritionally complete contributed +2.3 points.
- Recipe96
- Nutritionalmedium99
- Transparency60
- Safety100
- Evidencemoderate100
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 96, in the top quarter of dry foods we track.
- Meat makes up an estimated 93% of the dry matter (96% as fed).
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
Why you might not
We found no significant drawbacks in the data we hold for this product.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 46.99%
- Fat
- 24.70%
- Fibre
- 3.20%
- Ash
- 9.50%
- Moisture
- 9.27%
- Carbohydrates
- 13.34%
- Calcium
- 1.62%
- Phosphorus
- 1.24%
- Sodium
- 0.80%
Energy: 400 kcal/100g
Dry matter basis
- Protein
- 51.79%
- Fat
- 27.22%
- Fibre
- 3.53%
- Ash
- 10.47%
- Carbohydrates
- 14.70%
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Zinc Sulfate; Zinc Proteinate; Iron Proteinate; Ferrous Sulfate; Copper Proteinate; Manganese Sulfate; Sodium Selenite; Manganese Proteinate; Copper Sulfate; Choline Chloride; Vitamin A 33470 IU/kg; Vitamin D 2140 IU/kg; Vitamin E 558 IU/kg
Technological additives
Natural mixed tocopherol; Yucca Schidigera extract
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list chicken, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids beef: the label lists beef
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists green-lipped mussel
- 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 | 19.2% Beef | Beef | meat | medium | 19.2 | 19.2 |
| 2 | 19.2% Beef tripe | Beef Tripe | meat | medium | 19.2 | 19.2 |
| 3 | 19.2% Beef lung | Beef lung | meat | medium | 19.2 | 19.2 |
| 4 | 19.2% Beef liver | Beef Liver | meat | good | 19.2 | 19.2 |
| 5 | 19.2% Beef heart | Beef Heart | meat | good | 19.2 | 19.2 |
| 6 | Pumpkin (1%) | Pumpkin | veg | good | 1 | 1.0 |
| 7 | Bamboo fiber (1%) | Bamboo | veg | medium | 1 | 1.0 |
| 8 | Eggshell | Crushed Eggshells | supplement | good | - | 0.3 |
| 9 | Dicalcium phosphate | Dicalcium phosphate | supplement | medium | - | 0.3 |
| 10 | Yucca Schidigera extract (0.12%) | Yucca Schidigera | supplement | good | 0.12 | 0.1 |
| 11 | Carrot | Carrots | veg | good | - | 0.3 |
| 12 | Ginger root | Ginger | veg | good | - | 0.3 |
| 13 | Green Lipped Mussel | Green-Lipped Mussel | supplement | good | - | 0.2 |
| 14 | Kelp | Kelp | veg | good | - | 0.2 |
| 15 | Turmeric root | Turmeric | veg | good | - | 0.2 |
Brand
- [email protected]
- Address
- 2400 E Francis St, Ontario, CA 91761-7728
- Contact page
- www.zealpetfood.com
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-19
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.zealpetfood.com
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 | 1.0 | 9.191 | +9.09 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 93.4% | 0.096 | +8.97 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 3.3% | -0.005 | -0.02 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 3.3% | -0.012 | -0.04 |
| Undeclared quantities | 1.9% | -0.106 | -0.20 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.08 | 33.786 | +36.49 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | yes | 6.331 | +6.33 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 1.0 | 9.191 | +9.09 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 93.4% | 0.096 | +8.97 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.115 | +0.00 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.092 | +0.00 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 3.3% | -0.005 | -0.02 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 3.3% | -0.012 | -0.04 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.375 | +0.00 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.027 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 0.0% | -0.065 | +0.00 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 0 | -0.876 | +0.00 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 0.0% | 0.060 | +0.00 |
| Undeclared quantities | 1.9% | -0.106 | -0.20 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| 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 | 0.00 | 0.222 | +0.00 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.08 | 33.786 | +36.49 |
| 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 | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Freeze Dried | no | 6.629 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | yes | 6.331 | +6.33 |
| 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
- +0.28
- Additives declared on label
- +2 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 96.8
- Final score
- 96/100
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 | 46.99 | 51.8 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 24.7 | 27.2 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 3.2 | 3.5 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
| Calcium | 1.62 | 1.8 (band 0.5 to 2.5%) | 100 |
| Phosphorus | 1.24 | 1.4 (band 0.4 to 1.6%) | 100 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.3 | 1.3 (band 1 to 2%) | 88.4 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 400 | 440.9 | 100 |
Scored over 7 declared nutrients (combined weight 90); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.
Medium confidence: the full five-part analysis is on file; where moisture was not declared it was 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 (98.1% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 19.6/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) | 15/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) | 5/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Country of manufacture stated (voluntary) | 10/10 |
| Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file | 0/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Feeding guidance given, 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.
100/100 · moderate — 1 checkable claim: 1 consistent, 0 contradicted.
Consistent with the label
- "No fillers, grains, artificial preservatives, or by-products" — supported by the declared grain-free data.
10 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.
Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crafted in Canada - Ethically sourced with premium quality & care. (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Versatile Feeding - Serve as a meal, mixer, or topper for simple, natural nutrition to accompany all life stages. (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Gently Air-dried to Preserve Nutrition (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Supports Healthy Digestion, Skin and Coat, and Immune System (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Ideal as a Full Meal, Fantastic as a Topper, or High-reward Treat (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| No fillers, grains, artificial preservatives, or by-products (on page) | Free-from | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| Sourced and Crafted in Canada, Fully Traceable (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 4:1 Nutrient Dense, Higher Calory per Serving (on page) | High/low level | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Air-Dried for Nutrients - Locks in nutrients & flavor without additives or preservatives. (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 96% Beef & Organs - Beef tripe, liver, & heart provide high-quality protein for muscle & vitality. (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Superfood Support - Green-lipped mussels, turmeric & organic fruits boost joints, immunity & digestion. (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
Other products from ZEAL
Alternatives to Air-Dried Beef Recipe
Foods in our database that are similar on ingredients, protein, format or price. Scores and figures are from the same deterministic model used everywhere on the site.
Community
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share how this went down with your dog.