Our verdict
Is McAdams Free Range Chicken a good dog food?
We score it 65/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Complete baked dry food for puppies, with chicken, sweet potatoes and pea protein as the main ingredients.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
33% 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 puppies
- 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.
Nutrition and feedingProtein 27% · Fat 14.50%
Typical analysis (as fed)
| Nutrient | As fed |
|---|---|
| Protein | 27% |
| Fat | 14.50% |
| Fibre | 3% |
| Ash | 8.50% |
| Omega-3 fatty acids | 0.50% |
| Omega-6 fatty acids | 3.40% |
| Calcium | 1.10% |
| Phosphorus | 0.90% |
Additives & feeding info
Feeding and storage
Storage
no refrigeration needed before opening
Feeding guide
to be split between two meals. Estimated Adult Weight Puppy Age / Daily Feed (g) 2-6 months 6-9 months 9-12 months 1-5kg 70-100g 100-70g 70g - Adult 5-10kg 160-200g 200-180g 180g - Adult 10-25kg 250-290g 290-300g 300-260g 25-45kg 440-480g 480-500g 500g-470g Cost per day* £1.36 to £1.81 £1.81 to £1.63 £1.63 to £1.30 Estimated Adult Weight Puppy Age (months) / Daily Feed (g/24h) 2-6 6-9 9-12 1-5 kg 70-100 100-70 70 - Adult 5-10 kg 160-200 200-180 180 - Adult 10-25 kg 250-290 290-300 300-260 25-45 kg 440-480 48
Additives declared on the label
Nutritional additives
Vitamin A 14500 IU; Vitamin D3 2000 IU; Vitamin E 100 IU; Zinc 83 mg; Iron 50 mg; Manganese 35 mg; Copper 15 mg; Iodine 1.7 mg; Selenium 0.29 mg
Technological additives
mixed tocopherols
Ingredients (27)33% of the recipe is estimated
Estimated composition
- meat 52.0%
- carb 21.4%
- veg 11.5%
- supplement 7.6%
- oil 3.9%
- fibre 3.6%
| # | As declared | Matched | Label reading | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whole British Free Range Chicken (50%) | Chicken | meat · medium | 50 | 50.0 |
| 2 | Sweet Potato (17%) | Sweet Potatoes | carb · good | 17 | 17.0 |
| 3 | Pea Protein | Pea protein | carb · medium | - | 2.3 |
| 4 | Tapioca | Tapioca | carb · medium | - | 2.2 |
| 5 | Chicken Fat | Chicken Oil and Fat | oil · good | - | 2.1 |
| 6 | Yeast | Yeast | supplement · good | - | 2.1 |
| 7 | Vitamins and Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement · medium | - | 2.0 |
| 8 | Chicken Stock | Chicken Broth | meat · medium | - | 2.0 |
| 9 | Vegetable Fibre | Vegetable fibre | fibre · medium | - | 1.9 |
| 10 | Lentils | Lentils | veg · medium | - | 1.8 |
| 11 | Salmon Oil | Salmon Oil | oil · good | - | 1.8 |
| 12 | Cellulose | Cellulose | fibre · medium | - | 1.7 |
| 13 | Prebiotics | Prebiotics | supplement · good | - | 1.7 |
| 14 | FOS (0.15%) | Fructo-oligosaccharides | supplement · good | 0.15 | 0.1 |
| 15 | MOS (0.15%) | Mannanoligosaccharides | supplement · good | 0.15 | 0.1 |
| 16 | Marigold | Calendula | veg · good | - | 1.6 |
| 17 | Yucca Extract | Yucca Schidigera | supplement · good | - | 1.5 |
| 18 | Hand Cut Irish Seaweed (0.03%) | Seaweed | veg · good | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| 19 | Dried Orange | Orange | veg · medium | - | 1.5 |
| 20 | New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel (0.02%) | Green-Lipped Mussel | supplement · good | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| 21 | Camomile | Chamomile | veg · good | - | 1.4 |
| 22 | Carrot (0.01%) | Carrots | veg · good | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 23 | Cranberries (0.01%) | Cranberries | veg · good | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 24 | Rosemary | Rosemary | veg · good | - | 1.4 |
| 25 | Spinach | Spinach | veg · good | - | 1.3 |
| 26 | Tomatoes | Tomato | veg · good | - | 1.2 |
| 27 | Lavender | Lavender | veg · good | - | 1.2 |
- 1. Whole British Free Range Chicken (50%)50% declared50.0% estimated
- 2. Sweet Potato (17%)17% declared17.0% estimated
- 3. Pea Protein2.3% estimated
- 4. Tapioca2.2% estimated
- 5. Chicken Fat2.1% estimated
- 6. Yeast2.1% estimated
- 7. Vitamins and Minerals2.0% estimated
- 8. Chicken Stock2.0% estimated
- 9. Vegetable Fibre1.9% estimated
- 10. Lentils1.8% estimated
- 11. Salmon Oil1.8% estimated
- 12. Cellulose1.7% estimated
- 13. Prebiotics1.7% estimated
- 14. FOS (0.15%)0.15% declared0.1% estimated
- 15. MOS (0.15%)0.15% declared0.1% estimated
- 16. Marigold1.6% estimated
- 17. Yucca Extract1.5% estimated
- 18. Hand Cut Irish Seaweed (0.03%)0.03% declared0.03% estimated
- 19. Dried Orange1.5% estimated
- 20. New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel (0.02%)0.02% declared0.02% estimated
- 21. Camomile1.4% estimated
- 22. Carrot (0.01%)0.01% declared0.01% estimated
- 23. Cranberries (0.01%)0.01% declared0.01% estimated
- 24. Rosemary1.4% estimated
- 25. Spinach1.3% estimated
- 26. Tomatoes1.2% estimated
- 27. Lavender1.2% estimated
Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-15
Brand and contact: McAdams
- [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
- 2026-09-15
- Scored with
- Model v3 (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.
Score details and methodologyCalculations, history and evidence
Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated
Why this score?
The overall score came in at 65 out of 100. The processing format had a negative effect of -6.7 points, while the overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +6.2 points. The meat content added a further +3.5 points. Finally, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -3.4.
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 | 0.7 | 9.191 | +6.22 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 36.9% | 0.096 | +3.55 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 17.9% | -0.115 | -2.06 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 10.2% | -0.092 | -0.94 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 7.5% | -0.005 | -0.04 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 18.5% | -0.012 | -0.23 |
| Undeclared quantities | 32.6% | -0.106 | -3.45 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Processing multiplier | 0.98 | 33.786 | +33.11 |
| Processing: Dry Baked | yes | -6.713 | -6.71 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.7 | 9.191 | +6.22 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 36.9% | 0.096 | +3.55 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 17.9% | -0.115 | -2.06 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 10.2% | -0.092 | -0.94 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 7.5% | -0.005 | -0.04 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 18.5% | -0.012 | -0.23 |
| 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 | 32.6% | -0.106 | -3.45 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | no | -3.158 | +0.00 |
| 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 | 0.98 | 33.786 | +33.11 |
| 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 | yes | -6.713 | -6.71 |
| 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 | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- +0.02
- Additives declared on label
- +2 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 65.4
- Final score
- 65/100
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 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 | 27 | 30.7 | 100 |
| Fat | 14.5 | 16.5 | 100 |
| Calcium | 1.1 | 1.3 | 100 |
| Phosphorus | 0.9 | 1 | 100 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.2 | 1.2 | 100 |
| 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, omega-3 100). The FEDIAF minimum for omega-6 is linoleic acid specifically.
Scored over 6 declared nutrients (combined weight 80); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 12% from the food type.
Declared fortification: 9 nutritional additives on the label
- Vitamin A 14500 IU
- Vitamin D3 2000 IU
- Vitamin E 100 IU
- Zinc 83 mg
- Iron 50 mg
- Manganese 35 mg
- Copper 15 mg
- Iodine 1.7 mg
- Selenium 0.29 mg
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 (67.4% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 13.5/20 |
| 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 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.
67/100 · limited — 3 checkable claims: 2 consistent, 1 contradicted.
Contradicted by the label
- "packed with extra protein" — the declared label says otherwise on high protein.
Consistent with the label
- "A grain-free and meat meal free complete diet" — supported by the declared grain-free data.
- "A complete diet for puppies from weaning up to 12 months" — supported by the declared complete and balanced data.
12 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.
Limited: at least one claim contradicts the declared label, or a recent upheld ASA ruling applies.
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made with meat sourced exclusively from RSPCA Assured Farms (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made using whole British Free Range Chicken (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| made with fresh sustainably sourced ingredients (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| highly digestible (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| prebiotics to help sensitive tummies (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| DHA for brain development (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| With natural probiotics to soothe small tummies (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| joint care for growing bones (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Full of natural fibre, vitamins and minerals to ensure your pets immune system is thriving (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| All McAdams foods are 100% fresh meat, we never use any powdered meat meals (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| A grain-free and meat meal free complete diet (on page) | Free-from | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| Free from grain and meat meals (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| A complete diet for puppies from weaning up to 12 months (on page) | Content | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| packed with extra protein (on page) | High/low level | contradicted | Manufacturer assertion |
| high levels of DHA to support brain development and retinal function (on page) | High/low level | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
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