Fresh Meat
meat · base score 0.5 · also listed as meat, fresh meat, freshly prepared meat, minced meat, mince
What is it?
Fresh Meat is a meat ingredient. Graded medium: nutritionally adequate and nothing to worry about, but not a standout ingredient either way.
At a glance
- Category
- meat
- Grade
- medium
- Base score
- 0.5 (from −1 to 1; higher is better)
- Found in
- 126 products
- Also listed as
- meat, fresh meat, freshly prepared meat, minced meat, mince
Common questions about fresh meat
Is Fresh Meat good for dogs?
It is nutritionally fine: we grade it medium, meaning adequate and nothing to worry about, but not a standout either way. The overall recipe matters more than any single ingredient.
How many UK dog foods contain fresh meat?
126 UK products list fresh meat as an ingredient in our database. The full list is shown below, sorted by rating.
What else is fresh meat called on labels?
Manufacturers list it under several names: meat, fresh meat, freshly prepared meat, minced meat, mince. We match all of these to the same glossary entry when we read a label.
How does Open Dog Food grade fresh meat?
We grade it medium: nutritionally adequate, but nothing special either way. Every ingredient is converted to its dry-matter share and scored from our glossary before a recipe gets its 1-100 rating; the full method is on our methodology page.
What does fresh meat mean on a dog food label?
Fresh meat refers to meat that has not been dried or rendered before being added to the recipe. It contains a high proportion of water, so its contribution to the final dry product is lower than it first appears.
Is fresh meat better than meat meal in dog food?
Both can be quality protein sources. Fresh meat is less concentrated because of its moisture content, while meat meal has already been dehydrated and is therefore more protein dense per gram.











