Alpha Working Maintenance (Chicken)
Dry Extruded complete Clear label
Is Alpha Working Maintenance (Chicken) a good dog food?
We score it 56/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
This recipe achieves an overall rating of 56 out of 100. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +8.6 points, and printing percentages on the label added +3.2. However, ingredients without printed percentages adjusted the score by -11, and the processing format resulted in a deduction of -7.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
84% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe56
- Nutritionallow87
- Transparency58
- 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 adult dogs, with wheat, barley and wheatfeed pellets as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
- Low in fat for its format: 8% fat on a dry-matter basis.
Why you might not
- Meat makes up an estimated 4% of the dry matter; carbohydrates dominate.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 21%
- Fat
- 8%
- Fibre
- 4%
- Ash
- 5%
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin A 20,000 iu/kg; Vitamin D3 2,000 iu/kg; Vitamin E 110 mg/kg (as alpha tocopherol); Zinc (Zinc Oxide) 100 mg/kg; Iron (Iron (II) Sulphate Monohydrate) 60 mg/kg; Manganese (Manganese (II) Oxide) 25 mg/kg; Copper (Copper (II) Sulphate Pentahydrate) 5.00 mg/kg; Iodine (Calcium Iodate, Anhydrous) 1.00 mg/kg; Selenium (Sodium Selenite) 0.15 mg/kg
Technological additives
Antioxidants
Feeding guide
Up to 15kg: 30–240g; 15–25kg: 240–355g; 25–35kg: 355–460g; 35–45kg: 460–555g; 45kg plus: 555g plus. Exact feeding amounts should be varied according to dog's age, sex, breed, condition and activity levels.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Doesn't list beef, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists dehydrated poultry proteins
- Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists dehydrated poultry proteins
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists wheat
- 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 (8)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4% Whole Wheat | Wheat | carb | poor | 4 | 4.0 |
| 2 | 4% Whole Barley | Barley | carb | medium | 4 | 4.0 |
| 3 | 4% Wheatfeed Pellets | Wheatfeed pellets | carb | poor | 4 | 4.0 |
| 4 | 4% Poultry Meal | Dehydrated Poultry Proteins | meat | good | 4 | 4.0 |
| 5 | 0.1% Poultry Oil | Poultry Fat | oil | medium | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 6 | 0.1% Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 7 | 0.1% Chicory Root Extract | Chicory Root Extract | fibre | good | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 8 | Yucca Extract | Yucca Schidigera | supplement | good | - | 83.7 |
Brand
- Website
- https://www.alphafeeds.com/
- [email protected]
- Phone
- +44 (0)1522 778000
- Address
- Cranswick Pet Products Ltd, Lodge Farm, Wigsley Road, North Scarle, Lincoln, LN6 9HD
- Contact page
- www.alphafeeds.com
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-15
- Scored with
- Model v2 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.alphafeeds.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 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 | 0.9 | 9.915 | +8.61 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 4.0% | 0.116 | +0.47 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 11.5% | -0.113 | -1.30 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.1% | -0.088 | -0.01 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 84.2% | -0.009 | -0.75 |
| Recipe graded poor | 8.0% | -0.045 | -0.36 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.868 | -1.74 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 4.0% | 0.056 | +0.23 |
| Undeclared quantities | 83.7% | -0.131 | -10.96 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -1.988 | -1.99 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 4.0 | -0.073 | -0.29 |
| 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 | 0.9 | 9.915 | +8.61 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 4.0% | 0.116 | +0.47 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 11.5% | -0.113 | -1.30 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.1% | -0.088 | -0.01 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.002 | +0.00 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.177 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 84.2% | -0.009 | -0.75 |
| 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 | 8.0% | -0.045 | -0.36 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.182 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.868 | -1.74 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 4.0% | 0.056 | +0.23 |
| Undeclared quantities | 83.7% | -0.131 | -10.96 |
| 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) | no | -0.506 | +0.00 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -1.988 | -1.99 |
| High carb and low meat | no | -1.250 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 4.0 | -0.073 | -0.29 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | -0.339 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 16.475 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | 0.00 | 0.236 | +0.00 |
| 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
- 56.5
- Final score
- 56/100
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 | 56/100 | current |
| v1 | 44/100 | |
| v1.9 | 45/100 |
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.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21 | 22.8 (band 18 to 40%) | 83.2 |
| Fat | 8 | 8.7 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 83.2 |
| Fibre | 4 | 4.3 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 8% 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 (16.3% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 3.3/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file | 0/5 |
| 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 (Analytical constituents 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nutritionally formulated as an energy controlled, complete diet (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Suitable for dogs with lower energy requirements and helps to maintain a healthy weight (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Complete and balanced diet with a range of vitamins and minerals (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Ideal for Over-Weight Dogs or Those with a Tendency to Weight Gain (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| 21% Protein (on page) | Nutrient | Manufacturer assertion |
| VAT FREE in the UK (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| No Added Artificial Colours or Flavours (on page) | Free-from | 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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