Nature's Variety Bites in Gravy with Chicken & Vegetables

Wet Chunks · completeClear label

Bites in Gravy with Chicken & Vegetables
Poor
our rating

Our verdict

Is Nature's Variety Bites in Gravy with Chicken & Vegetables a good dog food?

We score it 40/100 (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 food in chunks for adult dogs, with meat and animal derivatives, chicken and vegetables as the main ingredients.

How we score

95% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

Why you might choose it

  • Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
  • Doesn't list grain ingredients.
  • High in protein: 44% protein on a dry-matter basis.

Why you might not

  • 3 poor-graded ingredients make up about 39% of the recipe.
  • Its additive load costs about 3 points in the rating.

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
  • Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
  • Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken

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 3.50%

Typical analysis (as fed)

NutrientAs fed
Protein8%
Fat3.50%
Fibre0.40%
Ash1.80%
Moisture82%

Additives & feeding info

Additives declared on the label

Nutritional additives

vitamin D3 200 IU; vitamin E 100 IU; manganous sulphate monohydrate 9.2 mg; zinc sulphate monohydrate 55 mg

Ingredients (11)95% of the recipe is estimated

Estimated composition

  • veg 45.4%
  • meat 21.2%
  • other 12.3%
  • supplement 11.1%
  • additive 9.8%
  • fibre 0.1%
#As declaredMatchedLabel readingDeclared %Est. %
1Meat and animal derivativesMeat and Animal Derivativesmeat · poor-22.7
2chicken 4%Chickenmeat · medium44.0
3vegetablesVegetablesveg · medium-20.4
4dehydrated carrots 0.6%Dehydrated Carrotsveg · good0.60.6
53% fresh carrotsCarrotsveg · good33.0
6dehydrated peas 0.5%Peasveg · good0.50.5
71% fresh peasPeasveg · good11.0
8derivatives of vegetable originVegetable By-Productsother · poor-18.2
9chicory inulin 0.1%Inulinfibre · good0.10.1
10mineralsVitamins and mineralssupplement · medium-15.9
11various sugarsSugarsadditive · poor-13.6
  1. 1. Meat and animal derivatives22.7% estimated
  2. 2. chicken 4%4% declared4.0% estimated
    Chicken · meat · medium
  3. 3. vegetables20.4% estimated
    Vegetables · veg · medium
  4. 4. dehydrated carrots 0.6%0.6% declared0.6% estimated
    Dehydrated Carrots · veg · good
  5. 5. 3% fresh carrots3% declared3.0% estimated
    Carrots · veg · good
  6. 6. dehydrated peas 0.5%0.5% declared0.5% estimated
    Peas · veg · good
  7. 7. 1% fresh peas1% declared1.0% estimated
    Peas · veg · good
  8. 8. derivatives of vegetable origin18.2% estimated
    Vegetable By-Products · other · poor
  9. 9. chicory inulin 0.1%0.1% declared0.1% estimated
    Inulin · fibre · good
  10. 10. minerals15.9% estimated
    Vitamins and minerals · supplement · medium
  11. 11. various sugars13.6% estimated
    Sugars · additive · poor

Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-28

Brand and contact: Nature's Variety

Trust and provenance

Recall history
No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked
2026-09-28
Scored with
Model v3 (methodology)

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 40 out of 100. Undeclared ingredient shares (ingredients without printed percentages) pulled the score down by -10, and the remaining ingredients took off another -5.9. On the positive side, the additives in the recipe added +3.7. Lower-quality meat ingredients reduced the total by -3.1.

Scored with model v3 on 2026-10-25. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality-0.29.191-1.83
Meat share of dry matter2.9%0.096+0.28
Vegetable share of dry matter19.6%-0.005-0.10
Additive share of dry matter22.8%0.163+3.71
Supplement share of dry matter26.2%-0.012-0.32
Other share of dry matter15.8%-0.375-5.93
Recipe graded poor39.4%-0.065-2.56
Poor-quality meat in recipe17.2%-0.179-3.08
Number of poor ingredients3-0.876-2.63
Largest single poor ingredient17.2%0.060+1.03
Undeclared quantities94.8%-0.106-10.01
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
Additive penalty-13.590.222-3.02
Processing multiplier1.0033.786+33.79
Processing: Wet Chunksyes-0.672-0.67
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality-0.29.191-1.83
Meat share of dry matter2.9%0.096+0.28
Carb share of dry matter0.0%-0.115+0.00
Oil share of dry matter0.0%-0.092+0.00
Vegetable share of dry matter19.6%-0.005-0.10
Additive share of dry matter22.8%0.163+3.71
Supplement share of dry matter26.2%-0.012-0.32
Other share of dry matter15.8%-0.375-5.93
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.027+0.00
Recipe graded poor39.4%-0.065-2.56
Poor-quality meat in recipe17.2%-0.179-3.08
Number of poor ingredients3-0.876-2.63
Largest single poor ingredient17.2%0.060+1.03
Undeclared quantities94.8%-0.106-10.01
Prints ingredient percentagesno0.000+0.00
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Frozen or chilled freshno0.000+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)no0.707+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
High carb and low meatno-1.180+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages0.00.000+0.00
Meat share × fresh0.00.000+0.00
Fresh × high meat0.011.084+0.00
Additive penalty-13.590.222-3.02
Processing multiplier1.0033.786+33.79
Processing: Rawno-0.054+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno0.000+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno6.629+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno6.331+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.174+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.146+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksyes-0.672-0.67
Processing-type offset
-0.08
Additives declared on label
+1 transparency bonus
Subtotal
39.6
Final score
40/100

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.

ModelScore
v340/100current
v247/100
v147/100
v1.948/100
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.

NutrientAs fed (label)Dry matter (scored)Score
Protein844.4 (band 18 to 40%)100
Fat3.519.4 (band 5.5 to 20%)100
Fibre0.42.2 (band 0.5 to 5%)93

Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.

Declared fortification: 4 nutritional additives on the label
  • vitamin D3 200 IU
  • vitamin E 100 IU
  • manganous sulphate monohydrate 9.2 mg
  • zinc sulphate monohydrate 55 mg

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.

ItemPoints
✓ Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
✓ Printed percentages on the label (5.2% of the recipe mass) (voluntary)1/20
✓ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory)15/15
✓ Additives declared (mandatory)5/10
✗ Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file0/5
✓ Complete/complementary designation (mandatory)5/5
✗ Feeding guidance given (mandatory) - not on file0/10
✓ Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory)5/10
✓ Country of manufacture stated (voluntary)10/10
✗ Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file0/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (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 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

ClaimTypeCheckSubstantiation
Complete and balanced pet food for mini adult dogs (1-10kg). (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
EASY TO DIGEST (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
COMPLETE & BALANCED (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
STEAM COOKED (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
WITH CHICKEN & VEGETABLES (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
WITH HIGH QUALITY INGREDIENTS (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer 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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