Salt
additive · base score -1 · also listed as salt, sodium chloride, table salt
What is it?
Salt is an additive, such as a preservative, flavouring or colouring. Graded poor: cheap, vague or of questionable value, so it drags a product’s score down.
At a glance
- Category
- additive
- Grade
- poor
- Base score
- -1 (from −1 to 1; higher is better)
- Found in
- 547 products
- Also listed as
- salt, sodium chloride, table salt
Common questions about salt
Is Salt good for dogs?
We grade it as a poor ingredient: typically cheap, vague or of questionable nutritional value, so it drags a product’s score down. One poor ingredient does not make a food bad on its own, but a recipe built from several usually scores low.
How many UK dog foods contain salt?
547 UK products list salt as an ingredient in our database. The full list is shown below, sorted by rating.
What else is salt called on labels?
Manufacturers list it under several names: salt, sodium chloride, table salt. We match all of these to the same glossary entry when we read a label.
How does Open Dog Food grade salt?
We grade it poor, our lowest grade, used for cheap, vague or low-value ingredients. 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.
Why is salt added to dog food?
Salt, listed as sodium chloride, provides essential sodium and chloride in small amounts and also improves palatability. It can also play a role in preservation and texture in some recipes.





