Is Raw Essentials Lamb Mix a good dog food?
We score it 61/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
The score came in at 61 out of 100. Ingredients without printed percentages dragged the score down by -10.6, while the overall quality of the ingredient list lifted it by +5.3. Being labelled nutritionally complete added +2.3 points, though the processing format took off -0.1.
100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe61
- NutritionalNot recorded
- Transparency40
- 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.
Why you might choose it
- Doesn't list grain ingredients.
- Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.
Why you might not
- No analytical breakdown is published.
- 100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.
- Needs freezer space and defrosting before serving.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
No analysis recorded yet.
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Storage
Keep frozen. Defrost in a sealed container in the fridge overnight or in warm water; once defrosted, store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Discard uneaten raw food after meal.
Feeding guide
Feed your dog 2-3% of their body weight (or ideal body weight). Feed at least 3 different prey species over a week to ensure a good variety of nutrients in your dog's diet. Feed alongside raw meaty bones and raw green tripe. Defrost in a sealed container in the fridge overnight or in a bag submerged in warm water (not in the microwave). Once defrosted, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, but fresh is best! Feed all juices - they contain great nutrients! Discard any uneaten raw food once your pet has finished their meal.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list turkey, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: it is listed as an ingredient
- Your dog avoids beef: it is listed as an ingredient
- Your dog avoids lamb: 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. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (4)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minced chicken (bone-in) | Bone | mineral | medium | - | 30.8 |
| 2 | Lamb hearts | Heart | meat | good | - | 26.9 |
| 3 | Green tripe (beef or lamb) | Leaf tripe | meat | medium | - | 23.1 |
| 4 | Minced salmon (bone-in) | Bone | mineral | medium | - | 19.2 |
Brand
- [email protected]
- Contact page
- www.rawessentials.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
- www.rawessentials.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.
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 2026-09-26. 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 | 0.6 | 9.191 | +5.26 |
| 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 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.12 | 33.786 | +37.84 |
| Processing: Raw | yes | -0.054 | -0.05 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.6 | 9.191 | +5.26 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| 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 | 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 | 0.00 | 0.222 | +0.00 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.12 | 33.786 | +37.84 |
| Processing: Raw | yes | -0.054 | -0.05 |
| 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 | 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
- 60.8
- Final score
- 61/100
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
Analytical constituents not declared
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) | 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, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contains bone-in chicken mince for a natural calcium source, promoting strong bones and teeth (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Lamb heart is rich in iron, selenium, B12, and CoQ10 for overall health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Supports optimal digestion and nutrient absorption, mimicking the natural prey diet (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Balanced with green tripe and raw meaty bones for a complete and well-rounded diet (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| All meat is processed in MPI-approved plants (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| signature blend of bone-in chicken mince, lamb hearts, green tripe, and salmon, designed as an ideal starter raw food mix (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 100% New Zealand meat, sourced sustainably and traceably (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
Other products from Raw Essentials
See all products from Raw Essentials
Alternatives to Lamb Mix
Foods in our database that are similar on ingredients, protein, format or price. Scores and figures are from the same deterministic model used everywhere on the site.
Community
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share how this went down with your dog.