Is Dave's Pet Food Carbolight Chicken Dinner a good dog food?
We score it 55/100 (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 55 out of 100 based on several key factors. The presence of ingredients without printed percentages contributed -10.6 to the overall rating, while the overall quality of the ingredient list added +4.8. Furthermore, the additive load contributed -4, and the additives in the recipe adjusted the score by +3.9.
100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe55
- NutritionalNot recorded
- Transparency35
- 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.
- Its additive load costs about 4 points in the rating.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
No analysis recorded yet.
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin E Supplement; Niacin Supplement; Thiamine Mononitrate; D-Calcium Pantothenate; Vitamin A Supplement; Riboflavin Supplement; Vitamin B12 Supplement; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride; Biotin; Folic Acid; Vitamin D3 Supplement; Zinc Proteinate; Iron Proteinate; Copper Proteinate; Manganese Proteinate; Sodium Selenite; Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide; Choline Chloride; L-Carnitine
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists salmon oil
- 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 (11)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicken Broth | Cooking broth | other | medium | - | 11.8 |
| 2 | Chicken | Chicken | meat | medium | - | 11.2 |
| 3 | Chicken Liver | Chicken Liver | meat | good | - | 10.7 |
| 4 | Dried Yeast | Yeast | supplement | good | - | 10.2 |
| 5 | Miscanthus Grass | Miscanthus Grass | fibre | medium | - | 9.6 |
| 6 | Egg | Egg | meat | good | - | 9.1 |
| 7 | Natural Flavor | Flavor | additive | poor | - | 8.6 |
| 8 | Tricalcium Phosphate | Tricalcium phosphate | supplement | good | - | 8.0 |
| 9 | Salmon Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols) | Salmon Oil | oil | good | - | 7.5 |
| 10 | Carrots | Carrots | veg | good | - | 7.0 |
| 11 | Agar Agar | Agar-agar | additive | medium | - | 6.4 |
Brand
- Website
- https://davespetfood.com/
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-12
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- davespetfood.com
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 | 0.5 | 9.191 | +4.85 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 13.1% | -0.092 | -1.21 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 1.8% | -0.005 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 23.8% | 0.163 | +3.88 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 29.6% | -0.012 | -0.36 |
| Other share of dry matter | 1.0% | -0.375 | -0.39 |
| Recipe graded poor | 8.6% | -0.065 | -0.56 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 8.6% | 0.060 | +0.51 |
| 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 |
| Additive penalty | -17.97 | 0.222 | -3.99 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.5 | 9.191 | +4.85 |
| 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 | 13.1% | -0.092 | -1.21 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 1.8% | -0.005 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 23.8% | 0.163 | +3.88 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 29.6% | -0.012 | -0.36 |
| Other share of dry matter | 1.0% | -0.375 | -0.39 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.027 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 8.6% | -0.065 | -0.56 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 8.6% | 0.060 | +0.51 |
| 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 | -17.97 | 0.222 | -3.99 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Raw | no | -0.054 | +0.00 |
| 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 | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.08
- Additives declared on label
- +1 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 55.4
- Final score
- 55/100
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) | 5/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file | 0/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| 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, Feeding guidance given, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs (on page) | Nutrient | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| No artificial colors or flavors (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Reduced carbohydrate recipe supports glucose and weight management (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Balanced fat content helps maintain a healthy body weight (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| L-Carnitine to help support fat metabolism and energy efficiency (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made in the USA, reviewed by Board Certified Veterinarian Nutritionists (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made with real chicken and chicken liver in a delicious loaf texture (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| No prescription needed (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| High protein content helps to maintain lean muscle mass (on page) | High/low level | 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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