ZEAL Chicken Recipe

Wet Pate · complete

57out of 100

Average

our rating

Our verdict

Is ZEAL Chicken Recipe a good dog food?

We score it 57/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

How we score

100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

Why you might choose it

Scores 57, in the top quarter of wet foods we track.
Doesn't list grain ingredients.
Declares energy content, which most labels omit.

Why you might not

Meat makes up an estimated 5% of the dry matter (12% as fed); carbohydrates dominate.
100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.

Who is this food for?

Suits

Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
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. Find foods that fit your dog.

Ingredients (30)100% of the recipe is estimated

Estimated composition

supplement 61.8%
meat 12.5%
mineral 9.6%
veg 7.8%
other 4.3%
oil 4.0%

#	As declared	Matched	Label reading	Declared %	Est. %
1	Chicken	Chicken	meat · medium	-	4.4
2	Water	Water	other	-	4.3
3	Chicken Liver	Chicken Liver	meat · good	-	4.2
4	NZ Green Lipped Mussel	Green-Lipped Mussel	supplement · good	-	4.2
5	Peas	Peas	veg · good	-	4.1
6	Salmon Oil	Salmon Oil	oil · good	-	4.0
7	Lecithin	Lecithin	supplement · good	-	4.0
8	Dried Yeast	Yeast	supplement · good	-	3.9
9	Egg Yolk	Egg	meat · good	-	3.8
10	Dried Kelp	Kelp	veg · good	-	3.7
11	Potassium Chloride	Potassium Chloride	supplement · medium	-	3.7
12	Calcium Carbonate	Calcium Carbonate	supplement · medium	-	3.6
13	Choline Chloride	Choline	supplement · good	-	3.5
14	Iron Proteinate	Iron Proteinate	mineral · good	-	3.4
15	Zinc Amino Acid Complex	Zinc Oxide	supplement · good	-	3.4
16	Niacin	Niacin	supplement · good	-	3.3
17	alpha-Tocopherol Acetate	Vitamin E	supplement · good	-	3.2
18	Selenium Yeast	Selenium	mineral · good	-	3.2
19	Manganese Proteinate	Manganese proteinate	supplement · good	-	3.1
20	Copper Amino Acid Complex	Copper	mineral · good	-	3.0
21	Thiamine Mononitrate	Thiamine mononitrate	supplement · good	-	2.9
22	Calcium Pantothenate	Calcium pantothenate	supplement · good	-	2.9
23	Riboflavin	Riboflavin	supplement · good	-	2.8
24	Pyridoxine Hydrochloride	Pyridoxine hydrochloride	supplement · good	-	2.7
25	Vitamin A Acetate	Vitamin A	supplement · good	-	2.6
26	Biotin	Biotin	supplement · good	-	2.6
27	Vitamin B12 Supplement	Vitamin B12	supplement · good	-	2.5
28	Calcium Iodate	Calcium iodate	supplement · medium	-	2.4
29	Folic Acid	Folic acid	supplement · good	-	2.3
30	Vitamin D3	Vitamin D	supplement · good	-	2.3

1. Chicken4.4% estimated
Chicken · meat · medium
2. Water4.3% estimated
Water · other
3. Chicken Liver4.2% estimated
Chicken Liver · meat · good
4. NZ Green Lipped Mussel4.2% estimated
Green-Lipped Mussel · supplement · good
5. Peas4.1% estimated
Peas · veg · good
6. Salmon Oil4.0% estimated
Salmon Oil · oil · good
7. Lecithin4.0% estimated
Lecithin · supplement · good
8. Dried Yeast3.9% estimated
Yeast · supplement · good
9. Egg Yolk3.8% estimated
Egg · meat · good
10. Dried Kelp3.7% estimated
Kelp · veg · good
11. Potassium Chloride3.7% estimated
Potassium Chloride · supplement · medium
12. Calcium Carbonate3.6% estimated
Calcium Carbonate · supplement · medium
13. Choline Chloride3.5% estimated
Choline · supplement · good
14. Iron Proteinate3.4% estimated
Iron Proteinate · mineral · good
15. Zinc Amino Acid Complex3.4% estimated
Zinc Oxide · supplement · good
16. Niacin3.3% estimated
Niacin · supplement · good
17. alpha-Tocopherol Acetate3.2% estimated
Vitamin E · supplement · good
18. Selenium Yeast3.2% estimated
Selenium · mineral · good
19. Manganese Proteinate3.1% estimated
Manganese proteinate · supplement · good
20. Copper Amino Acid Complex3.0% estimated
Copper · mineral · good
21. Thiamine Mononitrate2.9% estimated
Thiamine mononitrate · supplement · good
22. Calcium Pantothenate2.9% estimated
Calcium pantothenate · supplement · good
23. Riboflavin2.8% estimated
Riboflavin · supplement · good
24. Pyridoxine Hydrochloride2.7% estimated
Pyridoxine hydrochloride · supplement · good
25. Vitamin A Acetate2.6% estimated
Vitamin A · supplement · good
26. Biotin2.6% estimated
Biotin · supplement · good
27. Vitamin B12 Supplement2.5% estimated
Vitamin B12 · supplement · good
28. Calcium Iodate2.4% estimated
Calcium iodate · supplement · medium
29. Folic Acid2.3% estimated
Folic acid · supplement · good
30. Vitamin D32.3% estimated
Vitamin D · supplement · good

Nutrition and feedingProtein 12.20% · Fat 4.88%

Declared analysis (as fed)

Nutrient	As fed	Dry matter	Directory average
Protein	12.20%	53.28%	-
Fat	4.88%	21.31%	-
Fibre	0.50%	2.18%	-
Ash	2%	8.73%	-
Moisture	77.10%	-	-
Carbohydrates	3.32%	14.50%	-
Calcium	0.31%	-	-
Phosphorus	0.27%	-	-
Sodium	0.16%	-	-

Energy: 95.8 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

Feeding and storage

Feeding guide

How much should I feed? (link present, content not detailed on page)

No additives recorded yet.

Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-19

Brand and contact: ZEAL

Website: https://www.zealpetfood.com/collections/air-dried-dog-food
Email: [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.

Brand and retailer reviews

External platform ratings are not scores for this individual recipe.

Trustpilot: 3.7/5 · 1 reviews

47 reviews on this product · 4.9/5

Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.

Score details and methodologyCalculations, history and evidence

Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated

Why this score?

The overall score is 57 out of 100. Undeclared ingredient shares took off -10.6 points, while the overall quality of the ingredient list added +7.7 points. The added vitamins and minerals cost -0.9 points, and the processing format took off a further -0.7 points.

Scored with model v3 on 2026-10-25. 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	0.8	9.191	+7.73
Oil share of dry matter	5.2%	-0.092	-0.47
Vegetable share of dry matter	5.1%	-0.005	-0.03
Supplement share of dry matter	73.4%	-0.012	-0.90
Undeclared quantities	100.0%	-0.106	-10.56
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)	yes	-3.158	-3.16
Processing multiplier	1.00	33.786	+33.79
Processing: Wet Pate	yes	-0.672	-0.67

Show all 40 components

Component	Input	Coefficient	Contribution
Base score	-	30.909	+30.91
Average ingredient quality	0.8	9.191	+7.73
Meat share of dry matter	0.0%	0.096	+0.00
Carb share of dry matter	0.0%	-0.115	+0.00
Oil share of dry matter	5.2%	-0.092	-0.47
Vegetable share of dry matter	5.1%	-0.005	-0.03
Additive share of dry matter	0.0%	0.163	+0.00
Supplement share of dry matter	73.4%	-0.012	-0.90
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	100.0%	-0.106	-10.56
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)	yes	-3.158	-3.16
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	1.00	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	no	-0.672	+0.00
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	yes	-0.672	-0.67
Processing: Wet Chunks	no	-0.672	+0.00

Processing-type offset: -0.08
Subtotal: 56.6
Final score: 57/100

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	12.2	53.3 (band 18.825327510917024 to 40%)	100
Fat	4.88	21.3 (band 5.752183406113535 to 20%)	100
Fibre	0.5	2.2 (band 0.5 to 5%)	92.4
Calcium	0.31	1.4 (band 0.5229257641921395 to 2.5%)	95.2
Phosphorus	0.27	1.2 (band 0.41834061135371164 to 1.6%)	100
Sodium	0.16	0.7 (band 0.10458515283842791+%)	100
Calcium:phosphorus ratio	1.1	1.1 (band 1 to 2%)	78.9
Energy (kcal/100g)	95.8	418.3	100

Scored over 8 declared nutrients (combined weight 95); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.

No nutritional additives section declared on the label.

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 (voluntary) - not on file	0/20
✓ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory)	15/15
✗ 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)	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 (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
Responsibly sourced in New Zealand from grass-fed, free-range farms (on page)	provenance	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Superfood Blend – Green-lipped mussels, salmon oil & kelp promote joint, coat & digestion health. (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
94% Chicken & Organs – High-quality protein from chicken, supporting lean muscle & vitality. (on page)	Content	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
94% premium meat and organs (on page)	Content	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Hydration & Versatility – Moisture-rich, ideal as a full meal or topper to entice appetite (on page)	Content	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
No fillers, grains, artificial preservatives, or by-products (on page)	Free-from	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Loaded with Superfoods to boost joint, coat, and immunity support (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Hydration to support urinary health (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
No fillers, grains, gums, artificial flavors, or colors. (on page)	Free-from	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion