Nulo Meaty Pouches Lamb, Mackerel & Kelp Recipe
Topper · complementaryHigh meat
Our verdict
Is Nulo Meaty Pouches Lamb, Mackerel & Kelp Recipe a good dog food?
This is a topper, not a complete diet, so it is not scored on our 1-100 scale. The ingredient breakdown below shows what is in it; a topper should be fed alongside, not instead of, a complete diet.
Complementary food topper for dogs of all life stages, with lamb, cooking broth and mackerel as the main ingredients.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
100% 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
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list chicken, beef, turkey, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids lamb: the label lists lamb
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists mackerel
- You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein
- You are limiting fat: 25.6% 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. Find foods that fit your dog.
What the label tells us
- The label lists 5 ingredients.
- Names its animal sources (2 named ingredients).
- Uses generic terms (Lamb): the specific animal source is not stated.
- Lists no artificial colours or preservatives.
- Prints no ingredient quantities.
Why is this treat not scored?
Our 1 to 100 rating applies to complete diets, so treats and complementary foods are presented as what the label tells us rather than a number that would invite comparison with complete meals.
What should I look for on a treat label?
A short ingredient list, named animal sources instead of generic terms, and no artificial colours or preservatives. Printed quantities are a good transparency signal, though few treat labels provide them.
These points are derived from the published ingredient list, not a rating.
Nutrition and feedingProtein 12% · Fat 5%
Typical analysis (as fed)
| Nutrient | As fed |
|---|---|
| Protein | 12% |
| Fat | 5% |
| Fibre | 0.50% |
| Moisture | 80.50% |
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Ingredients (5)100% of the recipe is estimated
Estimated composition
- meat 67.5%
- other 17.5%
- veg 15.0%
| # | As declared | Matched | Label reading | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamb | Lamb | meat · medium | - | 25.0 |
| 2 | Lamb Broth | Lamb Broth | meat · good | - | 22.5 |
| 3 | Mackerel | Mackerel | meat · good | - | 20.0 |
| 4 | Mackerel Broth | Cooking broth | other · medium | - | 17.5 |
| 5 | Kelp | Kelp | veg · good | - | 15.0 |
- 1. Lamb25.0% estimated
- 2. Lamb Broth22.5% estimated
- 3. Mackerel20.0% estimated
- 4. Mackerel Broth17.5% estimated
- 5. Kelp15.0% estimated
Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-08-22
Brand and contact: Nulo
- Website
- https://nulo.com/
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-08-22
- Product page
- nulo.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
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 | 0.8 | 9.191 | +7.79 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 46.9% | -0.005 | -0.24 |
| Other share of dry matter | 3.0% | -0.375 | -1.14 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.8 | 9.191 | +7.79 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.115 | +0.00 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.092 | +0.00 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 46.9% | -0.005 | -0.24 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.012 | +0.00 |
| Other share of dry matter | 3.0% | -0.375 | -1.14 |
| 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 | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.08
- Subtotal
- 56.6
- Final score
- 57/100
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.
This is not a complete diet, so the 1-100 rating does not apply to it. Read the recipe breakdown above as ingredient-quality context only.
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
Not applicable to complementary food. FEDIAF reference ranges apply to complete diets.
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 (voluntary) - not on file | 0/20 |
| 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) - not on file | 0/10 |
| 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, 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.
100/100 · moderate — 2 checkable claims: 2 consistent, 0 contradicted.
Consistent with the label
- "Made without any grain, soy or corn" — supported by the declared grain-free data.
- "Freestyle's formulas are grain-free" — supported by the declared grain-free data.
11 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.
Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| loaded with lean protein to support healthy muscle (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Lean Muscles & Heart Health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| High-quality proteins provide amino acids that support lean muscle mass and a healthy heart. (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Unique Texture (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| High levels of moisture to help your pet stay hydrated. (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| High Moisture Content (on page) | High/low level | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made without any grain, soy or corn (on page) | Free-from | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| Hand-shredded meats provide a unique texture normally only seen in human foods. (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| zero artificial flavors or preservatives (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 80-87% of the protein in our Freestyle diets for dogs comes from animal sources (on page) | High/low level | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Freestyle's formulas are grain-free (on page) | Free-from | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| combines real lamb and mackerel along with nutritious kelp in a savory broth blend (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| using ingredients like sweet potatoes and chickpeas as low-glycemic, whole-food carbohydrate sources (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.
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