Natural Instinct Natural Fish
Raw complete High meat Clear label
Is Natural Instinct Natural Fish a good dog food?
We score it 91/100 (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 91 out of 100 based on several key factors. The processing format contributed +13.3 points, and the overall quality of the ingredient list added +9.1 points. Furthermore, the meat content contributed +7.7 points, while printing percentages on the label added +3.2 points.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
- Recipe91
- Nutritionallow94
- Transparency56
- 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 raw food for adult dogs, with herring, salmon and white fish as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- Meat makes up an estimated 66% of the dry matter (80% as fed).
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
- Single named animal protein: fish.
Why you might not
- High in fat: 39% fat on a dry-matter basis.
- Needs freezer space and defrosting before serving.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 14.60%
- Fat
- 12.30%
- Fibre
- 0.60%
- Moisture
- 68.50%
- Calcium
- 0.30%
- Phosphorus
- 0.20%
- Sodium
- 0.10%
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Storage
Store in the freezer.
Feeding guide
Use the Food Calculator for feeding quantities. Guidelines are approximate and may vary according to lifestyle, appetite and temperament.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Single named protein: fish
- Doesn't list chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids grain: it is listed as an ingredient
- You are limiting fat: 39.0% 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 (16)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | herring 20% | Herring | meat | good | 20 | 20.0 |
| 2 | salmon 30% | Salmon | meat | good | 30 | 30.0 |
| 3 | white fish mix 30% | White Fish | meat | good | 30 | 30.0 |
| 4 | barley grass | Barley grass | carb | good | - | 2.0 |
| 5 | bilberry powder | Bilberry Powder | veg | good | - | 1.9 |
| 6 | brewers yeast | Brewer's Yeast | supplement | good | - | 1.8 |
| 7 | broccoli | Broccoli | veg | good | - | 1.8 |
| 8 | butternut squash | Butternut Squash | veg | good | - | 1.7 |
| 9 | calcium carbonate | Calcium Carbonate | supplement | medium | - | 1.6 |
| 10 | carrot | Carrots | veg | good | - | 1.5 |
| 11 | dicalcium phosphate | Dicalcium phosphate | supplement | medium | - | 1.5 |
| 12 | kale | Kale | veg | good | - | 1.4 |
| 13 | kelp | Kelp | veg | good | - | 1.3 |
| 14 | peas | Peas | veg | good | - | 1.2 |
| 15 | spirulina | Spirulina | veg | good | - | 1.2 |
| 16 | thyme | Thyme | veg | good | - | 1.1 |
Brand
- Website
- https://naturalinstinct.com/
- Contact page
- www.naturalinstinct.co.uk
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-14
- Scored with
- Model v2 (methodology)
- Product page
- naturalinstinct.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 | +9.13 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 66.0% | 0.116 | +7.66 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 5.2% | -0.113 | -0.58 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 15.5% | -0.002 | -0.03 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 13.3% | -0.009 | -0.12 |
| Undeclared quantities | 20.0% | -0.131 | -2.62 |
| 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 | 66.0 | -0.073 | -4.84 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Processing: Raw | yes | 13.322 | +13.32 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.9 | 9.915 | +9.13 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 66.0% | 0.116 | +7.66 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 5.2% | -0.113 | -0.58 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.088 | +0.00 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 15.5% | -0.002 | -0.03 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.177 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 13.3% | -0.009 | -0.12 |
| 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 | 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 | 20.0% | -0.131 | -2.62 |
| 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 | 66.0 | -0.073 | -4.84 |
| 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 | yes | 13.322 | +13.32 |
| 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 | 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
- 91.1
- Final score
- 91/100
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.
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 | 14.6 | 46.3 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 12.3 | 39 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 0.6 | 1.9 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 88.7 |
| Calcium | 0.3 | 1 (band 0.5 to 2.5%) | 83.6 |
| Phosphorus | 0.2 | 0.6 (band 0.4 to 1.6%) | 81.7 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.5 | 1.5 (band 1 to 2%) | 100 |
Scored over 6 declared nutrients (combined weight 80); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.
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 (80% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 16/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| 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 (Analytical constituents declared, 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 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 |
|---|---|---|
| complete and balanced raw dog food (on page) | Nutrient | Manufacturer assertion |
| Grain-free (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| 100% recyclable packaging (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Bursting with frozen fresh flavours (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| No artificial colours, additives or preservatives (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.
Other products from Natural Instinct
Alternatives to Natural Fish
Foods in our database that are similar on ingredients, protein, format or price. Scores and figures are from the same deterministic model used everywhere on the site.
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