ACANA Small Breed Puppy Food
Dry Extruded complete High meat Clear label
Is ACANA Small Breed Puppy Food a good dog food?
We score it 66/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
This recipe achieves a total score of 66 out of 100 based on its formulation. Positive contributions come from the meat content which adds +7.3 and the overall quality of the ingredient list contributing +7.1. However, these are balanced by reductions for the processing format which takes off -7 and ingredients without printed percentages resulting in a deduction of -3.9.
30% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe66
- Nutritionalhigh99
- Transparency94
- Safety100
- Evidencelimited33
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.
Complete extruded dry food for puppies, with chicken, dried chicken protein and lentils as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- Meat makes up an estimated 63% of the dry matter (60% as fed).
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
- Doesn't list grain ingredients.
Why you might not
- High in fat: 23% fat on a dry-matter basis.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 33%
- Fat
- 20%
- Fibre
- 5%
- Ash
- 7%
- Moisture
- 12%
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- 1%
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- 2.70%
- Calcium
- 1.50%
- Phosphorus
- 1.10%
Energy: 366 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
3a890 Choline chloride (choline): 700 mg; 3b612 (Zinc: 112.5 mg); 3b407 (Copper: 11mg); 3a821 Vitamin B1: 100mg; 3a825i Vitamin B2: 20 mg; 3a314 Niacin: 200mg; 3a841 Calcium-D-pantothenate: 60mg; 3a831 Vitamin B6: 35mg; 3a316 Folic Acid: 7mg; 3a835 Vitamin B12: 0.2mg; 3a672a Vitamin A: 3750 IU; 3a671 Vitamin D3: 500 IU; 3a700 Vitamin E: 550 IU; 3a300 Ascorbic Acid: 0.15mg; 4b1707 Enterococcus faecium DSM 10663/NCIMB 10415: 1X10^9 CFU
Technological additives
1b306(i) Tocopherol extracts from vegetable oils: 121mg; 1a330 citric acid: 40mg
Storage
Once opened, store ACANA food in its packaging by rolling the top of the bag down after each use; in humid climates use an airtight container with the entire bag inside and wash the bin when changing food. Keep the lot number and Best Before date (on the back of the package near the top) handy. Refrigeration is not required; store in a cool, dry place at room temperature, not in a garage with large temperature fluctuations.
Feeding guide
Each dog is unique and feeding amounts will vary with age and activity. Please use this chart as an initial guide and adjust amounts accordingly. Feed twice daily and always provide your dog with fresh, clean water.
Reviews
Trustpilot: - · 1 reviews
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for puppies
- Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at small dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list beef, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
- Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists dehydrated turkey protein
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists hake
- You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein
- You are limiting fat: 22.7% on a dry-matter basis is in the high band
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 (40)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fresh chicken (18%) | Chicken | meat | medium | 18 | 18.0 |
| 2 | chicken meal (18%) | Dried chicken protein | meat | good | 18 | 18.0 |
| 3 | whole red lentils | Lentils | veg | good | - | 1.4 |
| 4 | whole green peas | Peas | veg | good | - | 1.3 |
| 5 | 3.5% liver | Chicken Liver | meat | good | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| 6 | 3.5% heart | Chicken Heart | meat | good | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| 7 | chicken fat (7%) | Chicken Oil and Fat | oil | good | 7 | 7.0 |
| 8 | turkey meal (4%) | Dehydrated turkey protein | meat | good | 4 | 4.0 |
| 9 | fresh eggs (4%) | Egg | meat | good | 4 | 4.0 |
| 10 | raw hake (4%) | Hake | meat | good | 4 | 4.0 |
| 11 | herring meal (4%) | Herring Meal | meat | medium | 4 | 4.0 |
| 12 | fish oil (3%) | Fish Oil | oil | good | 3 | 3.0 |
| 13 | whole green lentils | Lentils | veg | good | - | 1.3 |
| 14 | whole chickpeas | Chickpeas | veg | good | - | 1.3 |
| 15 | whole yellow peas | Peas | veg | good | - | 1.3 |
| 16 | lentil fibre | Lentil Fiber | fibre | good | - | 1.2 |
| 17 | pea starch | Pea Starch | carb | poor | - | 1.2 |
| 18 | raw turkey livers (1%) | Turkey liver | meat | good | 1 | 1.0 |
| 19 | salt | Salt | additive | poor | - | 1.2 |
| 20 | dried kelp | Kelp | veg | good | - | 1.2 |
| 21 | fresh whole pumpkin | Pumpkin | veg | good | - | 1.2 |
| 22 | fresh whole butternut squash | Butternut Squash | veg | good | - | 1.1 |
| 23 | fresh whole carrots | Carrots | veg | good | - | 1.1 |
| 24 | fresh whole apples | Apples | veg | good | - | 1.1 |
| 25 | fresh whole pears | Pears | veg | good | - | 1.1 |
| 26 | fresh whole zucchini | Courgette | veg | good | - | 1.0 |
| 27 | dried chicory root | Chicory root | veg | good | - | 1.0 |
| 28 | fresh kale | Kale | veg | good | - | 1.0 |
| 29 | fresh spinach | Spinach | veg | good | - | 1.0 |
| 30 | fresh turnip greens | Turnip | veg | good | - | 0.9 |
| 31 | fresh beet greens | Fresh Beet Greens | veg | good | - | 0.9 |
| 32 | whole cranberries | Cranberries | veg | good | - | 0.9 |
| 33 | whole blueberries | Blueberries | veg | good | - | 0.9 |
| 34 | whole saskatoon berries | Whole Saskatoon Berries | veg | good | - | 0.8 |
| 35 | turmeric | Turmeric | veg | good | - | 0.8 |
| 36 | milk thistle | Milk Thistle | veg | good | - | 0.8 |
| 37 | burdock root | Burdock Root | veg | good | - | 0.8 |
| 38 | lavender | Lavender | veg | good | - | 0.8 |
| 39 | marshmallow root | Marshmallow Root | veg | good | - | 0.7 |
| 40 | rosehips | Rose Hip | veg | good | - | 0.7 |
Brand
- Phone
- 01737 767679
- Address
- Bern Pet Foods Ltd. Bancroft Place 10 Bancroft Road Reigate, Surrey RH2 7RP UK
- Contact page
- www.acanapetfoods.co.uk
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-13
- Scored with
- Model v2 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.acanapetfoods.co.uk
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 v2 on 2026-09-22. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.7 | 9.915 | +7.08 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 63.3% | 0.116 | +7.35 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 2.0% | -0.113 | -0.23 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 18.7% | -0.088 | -1.65 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 11.7% | -0.002 | -0.02 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 2.0% | 0.177 | +0.36 |
| Recipe graded poor | 2.4% | -0.045 | -0.11 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.868 | -1.74 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 1.2% | 0.056 | +0.07 |
| Undeclared quantities | 30.0% | -0.131 | -3.93 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | -0.506 | -0.51 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 63.3 | -0.073 | -4.64 |
| Additive penalty | -1.46 | 0.236 | -0.34 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.996 | -7.00 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.7 | 9.915 | +7.08 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 63.3% | 0.116 | +7.35 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 2.0% | -0.113 | -0.23 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 18.7% | -0.088 | -1.65 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 11.7% | -0.002 | -0.02 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 2.0% | 0.177 | +0.36 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.009 | +0.00 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.371 | +0.00 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.022 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 2.4% | -0.045 | -0.11 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.182 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.868 | -1.74 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 1.2% | 0.056 | +0.07 |
| Undeclared quantities | 30.0% | -0.131 | -3.93 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 11.440 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | -0.506 | -0.51 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | no | -1.988 | +0.00 |
| High carb and low meat | no | -1.250 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 63.3 | -0.073 | -4.64 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | -0.339 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 16.475 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | -1.46 | 0.236 | -0.34 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Processing: Raw | no | 13.322 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Chilled | no | 7.712 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Frozen | no | 6.583 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Refrigerated | no | 4.857 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Shelf | no | 0.072 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Freeze Dried | no | 11.127 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | no | 9.320 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Cold Pressed | no | 4.569 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Baked | no | -2.321 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.996 | -7.00 |
| Processing: Dry Semi Moist | no | -6.833 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Muesli | no | -10.711 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | no | 2.935 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | 2.292 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.01
- Additives declared on label
- +2 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 66.2
- Final score
- 66/100
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.
Score history across model versions
The score shown above is always computed with the latest published model. Earlier scores are kept for the record and are never edited or deleted; a scoring change ships as a new model version with a public write-up on the methodology page.
| Model | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| v2 | 66/100 | current |
| v1 | 65/100 | |
| v1.9 | 66/100 |
Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges
How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for puppies and growth. 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.
Scored against FEDIAF growth minima; puppy scoring is under review.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 33 | 37.5 | 100 |
| Fat | 20 | 22.7 | 100 |
| Calcium | 1.5 | 1.7 | 93.5 |
| Phosphorus | 1.1 | 1.3 | 100 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.4 | 1.4 | 100 |
| Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) | - | - | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 366 | 415.9 | 100 |
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3): scored as the mean of its declared components (omega-6 100, omega-3 100). The FEDIAF minimum for omega-6 is linoleic acid specifically.
Scored over 7 declared nutrients (combined weight 90); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.
High confidence: full analysis plus minerals or omegas and declared energy.
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 (70% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 14/20 |
| 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) | 10/10 |
| Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Country of manufacture stated (voluntary) | 10/10 |
| Batch and date labelling (mandatory) | 5/5 |
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.
See all current recalls we track.
Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it
The marketing claims made on the pack and product page, and how much evidence sits behind them. We record the claims as stated; we do not assess whether they are true.
| Claim | Type | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|
| No artificial flavours, colours or preservatives added in our kitchen. (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| 1st ingredient is fresh chicken in this protein-rich recipe. (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| No added grain ingredients, soy, corn, wheat or tapioca. (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made with 70% quality animal ingredients like fresh chicken and raw hake balanced with 30% fruit and vegetables (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
Limited: at least one claim rests on manufacturer assertion alone.
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
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