McAdams Air Dried
Dry Air Dried complete High meat Clear label
Is McAdams Air Dried a good dog food?
We score it 85/100 (Good). 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 score of 85 out of 100 based on several key factors. The processing format contributed +9.3 points, and the meat content added +8.3 points. Furthermore, the overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +5.8 points, while printing percentages on the label added +3.2 points.
- Recipe85
- Nutritionalmedium99
- Transparency60
- 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 air-dried food for adult dogs, with chicken, chicken liver and sweet potatoes as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- Scores 85, in the top quarter of dry foods we track.
- Meat makes up an estimated 71% of the dry matter (81% as fed).
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
Why you might not
- High in fat: 29% fat on a dry-matter basis.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 24.80%
- Fat
- 21.50%
- Fibre
- 1.80%
- Ash
- 5.70%
- Moisture
- 24.90%
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- 0.90%
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- 4.21%
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Storage
Once opened, store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Single named protein: chicken
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- You are limiting fat: 28.6% 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 (15)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free Range Chicken (74.7%) | Chicken | meat | medium | 74.7 | 74.7 |
| 2 | Free Range Chicken Liver (6%) | Chicken Liver | meat | good | 6 | 6.0 |
| 3 | Sweet Potato (6%) | Sweet Potatoes | carb | good | 6 | 6.0 |
| 4 | 0.13% Vegetable Oil Glycerine | Vegetable oil | oil | medium | 0.13 | 0.1 |
| 5 | 0.13% Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | 0.13 | 0.1 |
| 6 | 0.13% Fermented Whey | Sweet whey powder | other | medium | 0.13 | 0.1 |
| 7 | 0.13% Blueberries | Blueberries | veg | good | 0.13 | 0.1 |
| 8 | Chia Seeds (0.5%) | Chia Seeds | veg | good | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 9 | Flaxseed (0.5%) | Linseed | veg | good | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 10 | Dental Seaweed Ascophyllum Nodosum (0.5%) | Ascophyllum Nodosum | supplement | good | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 11 | Chicory Root | Chicory root | veg | good | - | 3.4 |
| 12 | Beet Pulp | Beet Pulp | fibre | medium | - | 3.0 |
| 13 | Spinach (0.25%) | Spinach | veg | good | 0.25 | 0.3 |
| 14 | Calcium Carbonate | Calcium Carbonate | supplement | medium | - | 2.5 |
| 15 | Carrots | Carrots | veg | good | - | 2.1 |
Brand
- [email protected]
- Phone
- +44(0) 1494 932 150
- Address
- McAdams Pet Foods Symply Pet Foods Ltd Thomas Road Wooburn Green Buckinghamshire HP10 0PE
- Contact page
- mcadamspetfoods.com
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-08-22
- Scored with
- Model v2 (methodology)
- Product page
- mcadamspetfoods.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 | 0.6 | 9.915 | +5.76 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 71.4% | 0.116 | +8.28 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 4.7% | -0.113 | -0.53 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.4% | -0.088 | -0.04 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 5.6% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 9.2% | -0.009 | -0.08 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.2% | -0.371 | -0.08 |
| Undeclared quantities | 11.0% | -0.131 | -1.44 |
| 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 | 71.4 | -0.073 | -5.23 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | yes | 9.320 | +9.32 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.6 | 9.915 | +5.76 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 71.4% | 0.116 | +8.28 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 4.7% | -0.113 | -0.53 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.4% | -0.088 | -0.04 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 5.6% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.177 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 9.2% | -0.009 | -0.08 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.2% | -0.371 | -0.08 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.022 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 0.0% | -0.045 | +0.00 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.182 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 0 | -0.868 | +0.00 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 0.0% | 0.056 | +0.00 |
| Undeclared quantities | 11.0% | -0.131 | -1.44 |
| 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 | 71.4 | -0.073 | -5.23 |
| 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 | yes | 9.320 | +9.32 |
| Processing: Dry Cold Pressed | no | 4.569 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Baked | no | -2.321 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | no | -6.996 | +0.00 |
| 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
- +0.10
- Subtotal
- 85.1
- Final score
- 85/100
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 | 85/100 | current |
| v1 | 83/100 | |
| v1.9 | 87/100 |
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 | 24.8 | 33 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 21.5 | 28.6 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 1.8 | 2.4 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 95.3 |
| Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) | - | - | 100 |
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3): scored as the mean of its declared components (omega-6 100). The FEDIAF minimum for omega-6 is linoleic acid specifically.
Scored over 4 declared nutrients (combined weight 60); 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 (89% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 17.8/20 |
| 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) - 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 (Additives declared, 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| joint and dental support (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| supports glossy coats and healthy skin (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| support joints and oral health (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| over 80% free range chicken (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Grain-free (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| without grains or fillers (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| protein-rich (on page) | High/low level | 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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