ASA ruling upheldSainsbury's: ASA ruling, October 2024
Our verdict
Is Sainsbury's Adult Chicken Dog Food a good dog food?
We score it 74/100 (Good). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Complete wet paté food for adult dogs, with chicken, carrots and potatoes as the main ingredients.
35% 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 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: 27.5% 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.
Nutrition and feedingProtein 10% · Fat 5.50%
Typical analysis (as fed)
| Nutrient | As fed |
|---|---|
| Protein | 10% |
| Fat | 5.50% |
| Fibre | 0.50% |
| Ash | 2.50% |
| Moisture | 80% |
| Omega-3 fatty acids | 0.15% |
Energy: 92 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
Feeding and storage
Storage
For best before date and batch number: see side of tray. Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, transfer contents to a lidded container, store in refrigerator and use within 2 days.
Feeding guide
Daily feeding guide for adult dogs: up to 5kg, 2–3 trays/day; 5–10kg, 3–5 trays/day; 10–30kg, 5–13 trays/day. Allow a transition period when switching to a new diet. Adjust amount as necessary to keep your dog in lean, active condition. Fresh drinking water should always be available.
Additives declared on the label
Nutritional additives
Vitamin D3 140 IU/kg; Vitamin E 30mg/kg; Zinc (Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate) 12 mg/kg; Manganese (Manganese (II) Oxide) 1 mg/kg; Copper (Copper (II) Sulphate Pentahydrate) 0.5 mg/kg; Iodine (Calcium Iodate Anhydrous) 0.3 mg/kg
Ingredients (10)35% of the recipe is estimated
Estimated composition
- meat 60.0%
- veg 27.3%
- supplement 10.7%
- carb 2.0%
| # | As declared | Matched | Label reading | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicken (60%) | Chicken | meat · medium | 60 | 60.0 |
| 2 | Carrot (3%) | Carrots | veg · good | 3 | 3.0 |
| 3 | Potato (2%) | Potatoes | carb · medium | 2 | 2.0 |
| 4 | Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement · medium | - | 7.4 |
| 5 | Chicory Root (0.08%) | Chicory root | veg · good | 0.08 | 0.08 |
| 6 | Cranberry Powder | Cranberries | veg · good | - | 6.7 |
| 7 | Rosemary Powder | Rosemary | veg · good | - | 6.1 |
| 8 | Spinach Powder | Spinach | veg · good | - | 5.5 |
| 9 | Dried Parsley | Parsley Leaf (Dried) | veg · good | - | 4.9 |
| 10 | Blueberry Powder | Blueberries | veg · good | - | 4.3 |
- 1. Chicken (60%)60% declared60.0% estimated
- 2. Carrot (3%)3% declared3.0% estimated
- 3. Potato (2%)2% declared2.0% estimated
- 4. Minerals7.4% estimated
- 5. Chicory Root (0.08%)0.08% declared0.08% estimated
- 6. Cranberry Powder6.7% estimated
- 7. Rosemary Powder6.1% estimated
- 8. Spinach Powder5.5% estimated
- 9. Dried Parsley4.9% estimated
- 10. Blueberry Powder4.3% estimated
Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-12
Brand and contact: Sainsbury's
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-12
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.sainsburys.co.uk
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.
Brand and retailer reviews
External platform ratings are not scores for this individual recipe.
4 reviews on this product · 4.5/5
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?
We scored this food 74 out of 100. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +6.7 points. Ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -3.7, the meat content contributed +3.3, and being labelled nutritionally complete contributed +2.3.
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 | +6.66 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 34.0% | 0.096 | +3.26 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 1.0% | -0.115 | -0.12 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 45.0% | -0.005 | -0.23 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 20.0% | -0.012 | -0.24 |
| Undeclared quantities | 34.9% | -0.106 | -3.69 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.7 | 9.191 | +6.66 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 34.0% | 0.096 | +3.26 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 1.0% | -0.115 | -0.12 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.092 | +0.00 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 45.0% | -0.005 | -0.23 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 20.0% | -0.012 | -0.24 |
| 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 | 34.9% | -0.106 | -3.69 |
| 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 | 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 | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.08
- Additives declared on label
- +1 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 73.6
- Final score
- 74/100
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 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 | 10 | 50 (band 20.7 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 5.5 | 27.5 (band 6.324999999999999 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 0.5 | 2.5 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 96.7 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 92 | 460 | 100 |
Scored over 4 declared nutrients (combined weight 60); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.
Declared fortification: 6 nutritional additives on the label
- Vitamin D3 140 IU/kg
- Vitamin E 30mg/kg
- Zinc (Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate) 12 mg/kg
- Manganese (Manganese (II) Oxide) 1 mg/kg
- Copper (Copper (II) Sulphate Pentahydrate) 0.5 mg/kg
- Iodine (Calcium Iodate Anhydrous) 0.3 mg/kg
High confidence: full analysis plus minerals or omegas and declared energy.
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 (65.1% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 13/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) | 15/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 5/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) | 5/5 |
| 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) | 5/5 |
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
No on-pack claims on file: nothing to verify.
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
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