FirstMate & Kasiks Pet Food New Zealand Beef Meal Formula Small Bites
Dry Extruded complete
Is FirstMate & Kasiks Pet Food New Zealand Beef Meal Formula Small Bites a good dog food?
We score it 52/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
This recipe achieves an overall rating of 52 out of 100. The inclusion of ingredients without printed percentages contributed -10.6 points, and the processing format adjusted the score by -6.7. Conversely, the overall quality of the ingredient list added +6.2 points, while being labelled nutritionally complete contributed +2.3 points to the final evaluation.
100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe52
- Nutritionalmedium99
- Transparency60
- Safety100
- Evidencelimited50
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.
- Declares energy content, which most labels omit.
- Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.
Why you might not
- 100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 25%
- Fat
- 13%
- Fibre
- 4%
- Ash
- 10%
- Moisture
- 10%
- Calcium
- 1.80%
- Phosphorus
- 1%
Energy: 331 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Threonine; DL–Methionine; Choline Chloride; Taurine; Zinc Proteinate; Iron Proteinate; Calcium Carbonate; Manganese Proteinate; Copper Proteinate; Selenium Yeast; Calcium Iodate; Vitamin E Supplement; Niacin; Thiamine Mononitrate; Vitamin A Supplement; D-pantothenic Acid; Riboflavin; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride; Biotin; Vitamin B12 Supplement; Vitamin D3 Supplement; Folic Acid
Technological additives
Chicken Fat preserved with mixed tocopherols; Calcium Propionate (preservative); Rosemary extract
Feeding guide
Feeding amounts by weight provided in cups/grams for Senior/Less Active, Adult, and Puppy life stages, ranging from 1/8 cup (19 g) for 2-5 lb dogs up to 4 1/4-5 cups (659-775 g) for 110-140 lb dogs.
Reviews
2 reviews on this product · 5.0/5
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken oil and fat
- Your dog avoids beef: the label lists beef
- 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 (17)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beef Meal | Beef | meat | medium | - | 7.7 |
| 2 | Burbank Potato | Potatoes | carb | medium | - | 7.5 |
| 3 | Norkotah Potato | Potatoes | carb | medium | - | 7.2 |
| 4 | Dried Yeast | Yeast | supplement | good | - | 7.0 |
| 5 | Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols) | Chicken Oil and Fat | oil | medium | - | 6.8 |
| 6 | Tomato Pomace | Tomato Pomace | fibre | medium | - | 6.6 |
| 7 | Pumpkin | Pumpkin | veg | good | - | 6.3 |
| 8 | Potassium Chloride | Potassium Chloride | supplement | medium | - | 6.1 |
| 9 | Salt | Salt | additive | medium | - | 5.9 |
| 10 | Threonine | Threonine | supplement | medium | - | 5.7 |
| 11 | DL–Methionine | Methionine | supplement | good | - | 5.4 |
| 12 | Choline Chloride | Choline | supplement | good | - | 5.2 |
| 13 | Blueberries | Blueberries | veg | good | - | 5.0 |
| 14 | Cranberries | Cranberries | veg | good | - | 4.8 |
| 15 | Raspberries | Raspberries | veg | good | - | 4.5 |
| 16 | Calcium Propionate (a preservative) | Calcium Carbonate | supplement | medium | - | 4.3 |
| 17 | Taurine | Taurine | supplement | good | - | 4.1 |
Brand
- Website
- https://www.firstmate.com/
- Contact page
- www.firstmate.com
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-18
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- firstmate.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 | 0.7 | 9.191 | +6.19 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 5.5% | -0.115 | -0.64 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 10.1% | -0.092 | -0.93 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 4.6% | -0.005 | -0.02 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 8.0% | 0.163 | +1.30 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 52.3% | -0.012 | -0.64 |
| 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 | -7.18 | 0.222 | -1.59 |
| Processing multiplier | 0.98 | 33.786 | +33.11 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.713 | -6.71 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.7 | 9.191 | +6.19 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 5.5% | -0.115 | -0.64 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 10.1% | -0.092 | -0.93 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 4.6% | -0.005 | -0.02 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 8.0% | 0.163 | +1.30 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 52.3% | -0.012 | -0.64 |
| 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 | -7.18 | 0.222 | -1.59 |
| Processing multiplier | 0.98 | 33.786 | +33.11 |
| 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 | yes | -6.713 | -6.71 |
| 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
- +0.02
- Additives declared on label
- +2 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 51.6
- Final score
- 52/100
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 | 25 | 27.6 (band 18 to 40%) | 96.2 |
| Fat | 13 | 14.4 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 4 | 4.4 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
| Calcium | 1.8 | 2 (band 0.5 to 2.5%) | 100 |
| Phosphorus | 1 | 1.1 (band 0.4 to 1.6%) | 100 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.8 | 1.8 (band 1 to 2%) | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 331 | 365.7 | 100 |
Scored over 7 declared nutrients (combined weight 90); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 9.5% from the food type.
Medium confidence: the full five-part analysis is on file; where moisture was not declared it was 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) | 15/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) | 5/5 |
| 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 (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.
50/100 · limited — 2 checkable claims: 1 consistent, 1 contradicted.
Contradicted by the label
- "Single Meat Protein" — the declared label says otherwise on single protein.
Consistent with the label
- "Grain & Pea Free" — supported by the declared grain-free data.
10 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.
Limited: at least one claim contradicts the declared label, or a recent upheld ASA ruling applies.
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasture-Raised New Zealand Beef (on pack) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Fewer ingredients makes this formula easy on digestion (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Veterinarian Formulated (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Complete production control (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Without added hormones or antibiotics (on pack) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 80% Protein From New Zealand Beef Meal and Cultured Protein, 20% Protein From Vegetables (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Family Owned & Operated Since 1989 (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for Maintenance (on pack) | Nutrient | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Pea Sized Bites (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Single Meat Protein (on pack) | Content | contradicted | Manufacturer assertion |
| Limited Ingredient Formula (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Grain & Pea Free (on pack) | Free-from | consistent | 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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