Our verdict
Is Dakoda and Me Beef Wagu a good dog food?
We score it 84/100 (Good). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list chicken, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids beef: it is listed as an ingredient
- Your dog avoids fish: it is listed as an ingredient
- 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. Find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (1)Single-ingredient product
Estimated composition
- meat 100.0%
| # | As declared | Matched | Label reading | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NZ Beef | Beef Heart | Beef Liver | Carrot | Pumpkin | Broccoli | Spinach | Red Lentils | Flaxseed | Sunflower Oil | Green Lipped Mussel Powder | Vitamins & Minerals | Liver | meat · good | - | 100.0 |
- 1. NZ Beef | Beef Heart | Beef Liver | Carrot | Pumpkin | Broccoli | Spinach | Red Lentils | Flaxseed | Sunflower Oil | Green Lipped Mussel Powder | Vitamins & Minerals100.0% estimated
Nutrition and feedingProtein 15.20% · Fat 7.60%
Guaranteed analysis (as fed)
| Nutrient | As fed |
|---|---|
| Protein | 15.20% |
| Fat | 7.60% |
| Fibre | 0.80% |
| Ash | 1.80% |
Additives & feeding info
Feeding and storage
Storage
Delivered freshly frozen. Store in the fridge or freezer. Once defrosted use within 3 days. Food can be gently heated.
Feeding guide
5 kg dog: 160g daily / 1120g weekly (5 × 250g packs or 3 × 400g packs). Generic estimate based on weight; not breed/condition-specific.
No additives recorded yet.
Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-19
Brand and contact: Dakoda and Me
- Website
- https://dakodaandme.co.nz/
- [email protected]
- Address
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Contact page
- dakodaandme.co.nz
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-19
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- dakodaandme.co.nz
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 · 5.0/5
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?
The overall score is 84 out of 100. Ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -10.6, while the meat content contributed +9.6 points. The overall quality of the ingredient list added +9.2 points, and the processing format deducted -2.4 points.
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 | 1.0 | 9.191 | +9.19 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 100.0% | 0.096 | +9.60 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Fresh × high meat | 1.0 | 11.084 | +11.08 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.10 | 33.786 | +37.16 |
| Processing: Fresh Frozen | yes | -2.354 | -2.35 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 1.0 | 9.191 | +9.19 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 100.0% | 0.096 | +9.60 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.115 | +0.00 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.092 | +0.00 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.005 | +0.00 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.012 | +0.00 |
| 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 | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | no | 2.294 | +0.00 |
| 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 | 1.0 | 11.084 | +11.08 |
| Additive penalty | 0.00 | 0.222 | +0.00 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.10 | 33.786 | +37.16 |
| Processing: Raw | no | -0.054 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Chilled | no | -2.354 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Frozen | yes | -2.354 | -2.35 |
| 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 | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -1.74
- Subtotal
- 84.0
- Final score
- 84/100
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.
Guaranteed-analysis FEDIAF score: crude minimums and maximums are bounds, not typical values; moisture (a maximum) uses the processing median where available; experimental US score.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15.2 | 54.3 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 7.6 | 27.1 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 0.8 | 2.9 (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 72% from the food type.
No nutritional additives section declared on the label.
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) - not on file | 0/10 |
| 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) | 10/10 |
| 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, Additives 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| high-quality protein to support strong muscles, sustained energy and overall vitality (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Gently cooked to lock in nutrients and flavour (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Carrots – Supports eye health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Pumpkin – Aides digestion (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Broccoli – Helps strengthen muscles and bones (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Spinach – Boosts immune-system (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Sunflower Oil – Helps maintain healthy skin and coat (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Green lipped mussel powder – Anti-Inflammatory properties that Helps alleviate Joint discomfort (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| without fillers or unnecessary additives — just real food for real dogs (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Flaxseed – Rich source of Omega Fatty Acids (on page) | Nutrient | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made with 70% freshly prepared NZ grass-fed beef (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Beef and offal meat – Provides protein for main source of energy (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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