Is Salters Maintenance a good dog food?
We score it 45/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
This recipe achieves a final score of 45 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list added +4.1 points. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -10.6. Additionally, the processing format deducted -6.7 and the carbohydrate content contributed -3.5.
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.
- Recipe45
- Nutritionallow95
- Transparency55
- Safety100
- EvidenceNot recorded
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 extruded dry food for adult dogs, with maize, meat meal and rice as the main ingredients.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 23%
- Fat
- 14%
- Fibre
- 2.90%
- Ash
- 4.50%
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
vitamin A 24750 iu per kg; vitamin D3 2000 iu per kg; vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol acetate) 347 iu per kg; iron (ferrous sulphate monohydrate) 33.0 mg per kg; iodine (calcium iodate anhydrous) 1.8 mg per kg; copper (cupric sulphate pentahydrate) 19.8 mg per kg; manganese (manganous oxide) 80.0 mg per kg; zinc (zinc oxide) 137.7 mg per kg; selenium (sodium selenite) 0.1 mg per kg
Technological additives
Tocopherol rich extracts of natural origin (vitamin E) as EC permitted antioxidant
Storage
Stored under cool, dry conditions away from animal contact.
Feeding guide
Large breeds change from Puppy food to adult Maintenance food from 6 to 8 months; small breeds 10 to 12 months. Suitable for later stages of junior growth and adulthood.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists maize / corn
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 (15)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ground Maize | Maize / Corn | carb | medium | - | 8.7 |
| 2 | Chicken Meat Meal | Meat Meal | meat | medium | - | 8.4 |
| 3 | Round Grain Rice | Rice - white | carb | medium | - | 8.1 |
| 4 | Spray Dried Chicken Meal | Chicken | meat | medium | - | 7.8 |
| 5 | Chicken Fat | Chicken Oil and Fat | oil | good | - | 7.5 |
| 6 | Maize Gluten Meal | Maize gluten | carb | poor | - | 7.2 |
| 7 | Sunflower Meal | Sunflower Meal | carb | poor | - | 7.0 |
| 8 | Dried Sugar Beet Pulp | Beet Pulp | fibre | medium | - | 6.7 |
| 9 | Full Fat Linseed | Linseed | veg | good | - | 6.4 |
| 10 | Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Olive oil | oil | good | - | 6.1 |
| 11 | Yeast | Yeast | supplement | good | - | 5.8 |
| 12 | Natural Seaweed | Seaweed | veg | good | - | 5.5 |
| 13 | Dried Whole Egg | Dried Whole Egg | meat | good | - | 5.2 |
| 14 | Cellulose Fibre | Cellulose Fibre | fibre | medium | - | 4.9 |
| 15 | Vitamins and Minerals. | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | - | 4.6 |
Brand
- Website
- https://salterspetfood.com/
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-10-07
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- salterspetfood.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 v3 on 2026-10-07. 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 | 0.4 | 9.191 | +4.07 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 30.1% | -0.115 | -3.47 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 14.7% | -0.092 | -1.36 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 11.7% | -0.005 | -0.06 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 10.5% | -0.012 | -0.13 |
| Recipe graded poor | 14.2% | -0.065 | -0.92 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.876 | -1.75 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 7.2% | 0.060 | +0.43 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| Additive penalty | -0.22 | 0.222 | -0.05 |
| Processing multiplier | 0.98 | 33.786 | +33.11 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.713 | -6.71 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.4 | 9.191 | +4.07 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 30.1% | -0.115 | -3.47 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 14.7% | -0.092 | -1.36 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 11.7% | -0.005 | -0.06 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 10.5% | -0.012 | -0.13 |
| 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 | 14.2% | -0.065 | -0.92 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.876 | -1.75 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 7.2% | 0.060 | +0.43 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| 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) | 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 | -0.22 | 0.222 | -0.05 |
| 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 | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.713 | -6.71 |
| 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
- 44.7
- Final score
- 45/100
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 | 23 | 25.4 (band 18 to 40%) | 90.2 |
| Fat | 14 | 15.5 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 2.9 | 3.2 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 9.5% from the food type.
Declared fortification: 9 nutritional additives on the label
- vitamin A 24750 iu per kg
- vitamin D3 2000 iu per kg
- vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol acetate) 347 iu per kg
- iron (ferrous sulphate monohydrate) 33.0 mg per kg
- iodine (calcium iodate anhydrous) 1.8 mg per kg
- copper (cupric sulphate pentahydrate) 19.8 mg per kg
- manganese (manganous oxide) 80.0 mg per kg
- zinc (zinc oxide) 137.7 mg per kg
- selenium (sodium selenite) 0.1 mg per kg
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 (voluntary) - not on file | 0/20 |
| 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) | 5/10 |
| Country of manufacture stated (voluntary) | 10/10 |
| Batch and date labelling (mandatory) | 5/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared).
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
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| low sodium, low fat adult diet (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| We don't use any artificial colours, antioxidants or preservatives. (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| made from natural ingredients (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Chicken is collectively our number one ingredient in our food (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| preserved naturally, as a result of suitable drying of the cooked kibbles (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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