Our verdict
Is Gain Original Loaf a good dog food?
We score it 25/100 (Poor). The main reasons are set out in "Why you might not" below, and every step of the calculation is shown under "How we calculated this score".
Complete wet paté food for dogs of all life stages, with meat and animal derivatives, cereals and vegetable by as the main ingredients.
96% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
- Doesn't list chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists cereals
- You are limiting fat: 36.8% 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. Find foods that fit your dog.
Nutrition and feedingProtein 8% · Fat 7%
Typical analysis (as fed)
| Nutrient | As fed |
|---|---|
| Protein | 8% |
| Fat | 7% |
| Fibre | 0.40% |
| Ash | 2.50% |
| Moisture | 81% |
Additives & feeding info
Feeding and storage
Storage
Please store cans unopened in a cool dry place.
Feeding guide
Guide Size Weight Cans per Day Toy 1 - 5kg ½ - 1 Can Small 5 - 12kg 1 - 2 Cans Medium 12 - 25kg 2 - 3 Cans Large 25 - 45kg 3 - 4 ½ Cans Get In Touch We’re here to answer your product and nutrition queries, to take your order and help in any way we can. Please call, email or ‘Request a Callback’ Contact us GAIN Elite Big Dogs – Puppy GAIN Elite Big Dogs - Puppy complete pet food for puppies with a mature weight over 20kg. GAIN Elite Big Dogs – Adult GAIN Elite Big Dogs - Adult complete pet food for dogs over 20kg. GAIN Elite Small Dogs – Puppy GAIN Elite Small Dogs - Puppy complete pet food for pu
No additives recorded yet.
Ingredients (4)96% of the recipe is estimated
Estimated composition
- carb 38.4%
- other 32.0%
- supplement 25.6%
- meat 4.0%
| # | As declared | Matched | Label reading | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meat and Animal Derivatives (4%) | Meat and Animal Derivatives | meat · poor | 4 | 4.0 |
| 2 | Cereals | Cereals | carb · poor | - | 38.4 |
| 3 | Derivatives of Vegetable Origin | Vegetable By-Products | other · poor | - | 32.0 |
| 4 | Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement · medium | - | 25.6 |
- 1. Meat and Animal Derivatives (4%)4% declared4.0% estimated
- 2. Cereals38.4% estimated
- 3. Derivatives of Vegetable Origin32.0% estimated
- 4. Minerals25.6% estimated
Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-08-22
Brand and contact: Gain
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-08-22
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.gainanimalnutrition.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.
Score details and methodologyCalculations, history and evidence
Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated
Why this score?
The overall score is 25 out of 100. Ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -10.1, as did the remaining ingredients, which contributed -8.1. The carbohydrate content took away a further -5.2 points, while the overall quality of the ingredient list accounted for the remaining -4.8 point reduction.
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 | -0.5 | 9.191 | -4.83 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 1.5% | 0.096 | +0.14 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 45.4% | -0.115 | -5.22 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 31.6% | -0.012 | -0.39 |
| Other share of dry matter | 21.5% | -0.375 | -8.05 |
| Recipe graded poor | 74.4% | -0.065 | -4.83 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 4.0% | -0.179 | -0.71 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 3 | -0.876 | -2.63 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 38.4% | 0.060 | +2.30 |
| Undeclared quantities | 96.0% | -0.106 | -10.14 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| High carb and low meat | yes | -1.180 | -1.18 |
| Additive penalty | -0.32 | 0.222 | -0.07 |
| 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 | -0.5 | 9.191 | -4.83 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 1.5% | 0.096 | +0.14 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 45.4% | -0.115 | -5.22 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.092 | +0.00 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.005 | +0.00 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 31.6% | -0.012 | -0.39 |
| Other share of dry matter | 21.5% | -0.375 | -8.05 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.027 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 74.4% | -0.065 | -4.83 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 4.0% | -0.179 | -0.71 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 3 | -0.876 | -2.63 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 38.4% | 0.060 | +2.30 |
| Undeclared quantities | 96.0% | -0.106 | -10.14 |
| 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 | yes | -1.180 | -1.18 |
| 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 | -0.32 | 0.222 | -0.07 |
| 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
- 25.2
- Final score
- 25/100
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.
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 | 8 | 42.1 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 7 | 36.8 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 0.4 | 2.1 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 91.4 |
Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); 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 (4% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 0.8/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) | 15/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| 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) | 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 (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.
See all current recalls we track.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| It contains iron and protein which every dog needs to have a healthy and happy life. (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| No artificial colours or flavourings (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made with Fresh Meat (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.
Alternatives to Original Loaf
Similar on ingredients, protein, format or nutrition, using the same stored data.
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