Instinct Pet Food Freshly Crafted Meals Pork & Wild-Caught Salmon
Fresh Shelf complete
Is Instinct Pet Food Freshly Crafted Meals Pork & Wild-Caught Salmon 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 rating of 55 out of 100 overall. The inclusion of ingredients without printed percentages contributed -10.6 points, while the overall quality of the ingredient list added +7.9 points. Additionally, the carbohydrate content contributed -3.2 points, and being labelled nutritionally complete added +2.3 points.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe55
- Nutritionallow94
- Transparency35
- Safety100
- Evidencelimited0
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
- 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
- 9%
- Fat
- 2%
- Fibre
- 2%
- Moisture
- 78%
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin A Supplement; Vitamin E Supplement; Niacin; d-Calcium Pantothenate; Riboflavin Supplement; Thiamine Mononitrate; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride; Folic Acid; Vitamin B12 Supplement; Choline Chloride; Zinc Sulfate; Ferrous Sulfate; Copper Sulfate; Manganese Sulfate; Calcium Iodate; Sodium Selenite
Storage
Refrigerate unused portion in a sealed container up to 4 days.
Reviews
Trustpilot: 0.0/5 · 0 reviews
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
- Doesn't list chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, venison, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists salmon
- Your dog avoids pork: the label lists pork
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists millet
- 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 (10)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pork | Pork | meat | medium | - | 12.9 |
| 2 | Fish Broth | Cooking broth | other | medium | - | 12.3 |
| 3 | Salmon | Salmon | meat | good | - | 11.6 |
| 4 | Carrots | Carrots | veg | good | - | 11.0 |
| 5 | Kale | Kale | veg | good | - | 10.3 |
| 6 | Blueberries | Blueberries | veg | good | - | 9.7 |
| 7 | Millet | Millet | carb | good | - | 9.0 |
| 8 | Tapioca | Tapioca | carb | medium | - | 8.4 |
| 9 | Sunflower Oil | Sunflower oil | oil | good | - | 7.7 |
| 10 | Tricalcium Phosphate | Tricalcium phosphate | supplement | good | - | 7.1 |
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-13
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.instinctpetfood.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 | 0.9 | 9.191 | +7.88 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 27.6% | -0.115 | -3.18 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 21.1% | -0.092 | -1.94 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 12.8% | -0.005 | -0.07 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 18.0% | -0.012 | -0.22 |
| Other share of dry matter | 1.7% | -0.375 | -0.63 |
| 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 | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Fresh Shelf | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.9 | 9.191 | +7.88 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 27.6% | -0.115 | -3.18 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 21.1% | -0.092 | -1.94 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 12.8% | -0.005 | -0.07 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 18.0% | -0.012 | -0.22 |
| Other share of dry matter | 1.7% | -0.375 | -0.63 |
| 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 | 1.00 | 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 | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
| 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
- -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
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 | 9 | 36 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 2 | 8 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 80.3 |
| Fibre | 2 | 8 (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 75% from the food type.
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) | 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.
0/100 · limited — 1 checkable claim: 0 consistent, 1 contradicted.
Contradicted by the label
- "Grain-Free Recipes" — the declared label says otherwise on grain-free.
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picky Eater Approved (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Healthy Muscles (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Vet-Formulated Recipes (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Adds Hydration (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 100% Human Grade Meal (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Rich, satisfying flavor dogs crave (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Ready to serve - no fridge or freezer required (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made with responsibly sourced protein and nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables like sweet potato, kale, and brown rice (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made with fresh, real ingredients you can see (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Grain-Free Recipes (on page) | Free-from | contradicted | 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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