Skinner's Flying Start
Dry Extruded complete High meat Clear label
Is Skinner's Flying Start a good dog food?
We score it 63/100 (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 total score of 63 out of 100 based on several key factors. The meat content contributed +5 points, while the overall quality of the ingredient list added +6.4 points. Conversely, the processing format subtracted -7 points, and ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -6.5 points.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
49% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe63
- Nutritionallow100
- Transparency60
- 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 extruded dry food for puppies, with meat meal, chicken and sweet potatoes as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- Meat makes up an estimated 43% of the dry matter (32% as fed).
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
- Doesn't list grain ingredients.
Why you might not
We found no significant drawbacks in the data we hold for this product.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 30%
- Fat
- 18%
- Fibre
- 3.50%
- Ash
- 8.50%
Energy: 378 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin A 15000iu/kg; Vitamin D3 2000iu/kg; Vitamin E (all rac-alpha-tocopherol acetate) 400mg/kg; Iron (iron (II) sulphate monohydrate) 26.7mg/kg; Iron (iron (II) chelate of protein hydrolysates) 13.3mg/kg; Iodine (calcium iodate anhydrous) 1.5mg/kg; Copper (copper (II) sulphate pentahydrate) 3.3mg/kg; Copper (copper (II) chelate of protein hydrolysates) 1.7mg/kg; Manganese (manganese (II) oxide) 16.7mg/kg; Manganese (manganese chelate of protein hydrolysates) 8.3mg/kg; Zinc (zinc oxide) 100mg/kg; Zinc (zinc chelate of protein hydrolysates) 30mg/kg; Selenium (organic selenium) 0.1mg/kg
Technological additives
Clinoptilolite clay 4000mg/kg; Tocopherol extracts of vegetable oils 45mg/kg
Feeding guide
Feed dry or add a little water, and always be sure your dog has plenty of fresh water to drink. Suitable for puppies from weaning onwards, pregnant and lactating bitches, and young dogs until ready to move onto an adult diet (usually 12-18 months).
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for puppies
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list beef, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
- Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists poultry fat
- You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein
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 (21)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poultry meat meal | Meat Meal | meat | medium | - | 5.3 |
| 2 | 28.5% chicken 28.5% | Chicken | meat | medium | 28.5 | 28.5 |
| 3 | Sweet potato chips 17% | Sweet Potatoes | carb | good | 17 | 17.0 |
| 4 | Poultry fat | Poultry Fat | oil | medium | - | 5.1 |
| 5 | Potato flake | Potatoes | carb | medium | - | 4.9 |
| 6 | Pea protein | Pea protein | carb | medium | - | 4.7 |
| 7 | Brewer's yeast | Brewer's Yeast | supplement | good | - | 4.4 |
| 8 | Whole linseed | Linseed | veg | good | - | 4.2 |
| 9 | Beet pulp | Beet Pulp | fibre | medium | - | 4.0 |
| 10 | Peas | Peas | veg | good | - | 3.8 |
| 11 | Dried egg | Dried Egg | meat | medium | - | 3.6 |
| 12 | Vitamins & minerals | Vitamin | supplement | good | - | 3.3 |
| 13 | Carrots 1.2% | Carrots | veg | good | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| 14 | Apple 1.2% | Apples | veg | good | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| 15 | Parsnips 1.2% | Parsnips | veg | good | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| 16 | Marine algae meal | Seaweed | veg | good | - | 3.1 |
| 17 | Cellulose | Cellulose | fibre | medium | - | 2.9 |
| 18 | Kale 0.5% | Kale | veg | good | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 19 | Broccoli 0.5% | Broccoli | veg | good | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 20 | Spinach 0.5% | Spinach | veg | good | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 21 | Yeast (source of beta-glucan) 0.1% | Yeast | supplement | good | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Brand
- Website
- https://www.skinners.co.uk/
- Contact page
- www.skinners.co.uk
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-08-30
- Scored with
- Model v2 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.skinners.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.
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 | 0.6 | 9.915 | +6.36 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 42.9% | 0.116 | +4.98 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 14.8% | -0.113 | -1.66 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 8.2% | -0.088 | -0.73 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 12.6% | -0.002 | -0.02 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 11.6% | -0.009 | -0.10 |
| Undeclared quantities | 49.3% | -0.131 | -6.45 |
| 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 | 42.9 | -0.073 | -3.15 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.996 | -7.00 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.6 | 9.915 | +6.36 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 42.9% | 0.116 | +4.98 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 14.8% | -0.113 | -1.66 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 8.2% | -0.088 | -0.73 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 12.6% | -0.002 | -0.02 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.177 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 11.6% | -0.009 | -0.10 |
| 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 | 49.3% | -0.131 | -6.45 |
| 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 | 42.9 | -0.073 | -3.15 |
| 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 | no | 13.322 | +0.00 |
| 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 | yes | -6.996 | -7.00 |
| 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
- -0.01
- Additives declared on label
- +2 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 63.3
- Final score
- 63/100
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.
| Model | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| v2 | 63/100 | current |
| v1 | 63/100 | |
| v1.9 | 63/100 |
Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges
How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for puppies and growth. 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.
Scored against FEDIAF growth minima; puppy scoring is under review.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30 | 32.6 | 100 |
| Fat | 18 | 19.6 | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 378 | 410.9 | 100 |
Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 8% from the food type.
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 (50.7% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 10.1/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| 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) - not on file | 0/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents 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 |
|---|---|---|
| SUPPORTS JOINTS & MUSCLES (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| BOOSTS IMMUNITY (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Complete and balanced, to support growing bodies and brains, with vitamins and minerals to maintain healthy hearts. (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Protein-packed chicken is tasty, easy to digest and a natural source of omega-6 to promote healthy skin and coats. (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Contains yeast as a source of both beta-glucans and nucleotides. (on page) | Nutrient | Manufacturer assertion |
| PACKED WITH SUPERFOODS (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| COMPLETE NUTRITION (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| With no grains or gluten, it’s perfectly balanced for puppies with sensitivities. (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| Antioxidant-rich fruit and veg, including sweet potato and blueberries, add fibre, vitamins and heaps of nutrients. (on page) | Nutrient | Manufacturer assertion |
| NUTRIENT-RICH (on page) | Nutrient | Manufacturer assertion |
| GRAIN-FREE RECIPE (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| made with British chicken & sweet potato plus a superfood boost of broccoli, kale, spinach, cranberries and fennel (on page) | Content | 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.
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