Merrick Pet Care Chunky Carver's Delight Dinner in Gravy

Wet Chunks · complete

Chunky Carver's Delight Dinner in Gravy
Average
our rating

Our verdict

Is Merrick Pet Care Chunky Carver's Delight Dinner in Gravy a good dog food?

We score it 51/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

How we score

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.

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.
  • Its additive load costs about 5 points in the rating.

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
  • Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
  • Doesn't list beef, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists deboned chicken
  • Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists turkey
  • Your dog avoids fish: the label lists fish 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. Find foods that fit your dog.

Ingredients (23)100% of the recipe is estimated

Estimated composition

  • supplement 22.0%
  • meat 21.6%
  • additive 18.3%
  • veg 15.2%
  • carb 9.9%
  • oil 7.6%
  • other 5.5%
#As declaredMatchedLabel readingDeclared %Est. %
1Deboned ChickenDeboned Chickenmeat · good-5.7
2Chicken BrothChicken Brothmeat · medium-5.6
3Turkey BrothCooking brothother · medium-5.5
4TurkeyTurkeymeat · medium-5.3
5PotatoesPotatoescarb · medium-5.2
6CarrotsCarrotsveg · good-5.1
7Dried Egg ProductDried Eggmeat · medium-5.0
8Natural FlavourSmoked Flavouradditive · poor-4.8
9Potato StarchPotato starchcarb · poor-4.7
10Guar GumGuar gumadditive · medium-4.6
11SaltSaltadditive · poor-4.5
12Sodium PhosphateSodium phosphateadditive · poor-4.3
13Calcium CarbonateCalcium Carbonatesupplement · medium-4.2
14Potassium ChloridePotassium Chloridesupplement · medium-4.1
15Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide]Manganese proteinatesupplement · good-4.0
16Flaxseed OilLinseed oiloil · good-3.9
17Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)Fish Oiloil · good-3.7
18Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid]Pyridoxine hydrochloridesupplement · good-3.6
19RosemaryRosemaryveg · good-3.5
20SageSageveg · good-3.4
21ThymeThymeveg · good-3.2
22Choline ChlorideCholinesupplement · good-3.1
23Magnesium Sulfate.Magnesium sulfatesupplement · good-3.0
  1. 1. Deboned Chicken5.7% estimated
    Deboned Chicken · meat · good
  2. 2. Chicken Broth5.6% estimated
    Chicken Broth · meat · medium
  3. 3. Turkey Broth5.5% estimated
    Cooking broth · other · medium
  4. 4. Turkey5.3% estimated
    Turkey · meat · medium
  5. 5. Potatoes5.2% estimated
    Potatoes · carb · medium
  6. 6. Carrots5.1% estimated
    Carrots · veg · good
  7. 7. Dried Egg Product5.0% estimated
    Dried Egg · meat · medium
  8. 8. Natural Flavour4.8% estimated
    Smoked Flavour · additive · poor
  9. 9. Potato Starch4.7% estimated
    Potato starch · carb · poor
  10. 10. Guar Gum4.6% estimated
    Guar gum · additive · medium
  11. 11. Salt4.5% estimated
    Salt · additive · poor
  12. 12. Sodium Phosphate4.3% estimated
    Sodium phosphate · additive · poor
  13. 13. Calcium Carbonate4.2% estimated
    Calcium Carbonate · supplement · medium
  14. 14. Potassium Chloride4.1% estimated
    Potassium Chloride · supplement · medium
  15. 15. Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide]4.0% estimated
    Manganese proteinate · supplement · good
  16. 16. Flaxseed Oil3.9% estimated
    Linseed oil · oil · good
  17. 17. Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)3.7% estimated
    Fish Oil · oil · good
  18. 18. Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid]3.6% estimated
    Pyridoxine hydrochloride · supplement · good
  19. 19. Rosemary3.5% estimated
    Rosemary · veg · good
  20. 20. Sage3.4% estimated
    Sage · veg · good
  21. 21. Thyme3.2% estimated
    Thyme · veg · good
  22. 22. Choline Chloride3.1% estimated
    Choline · supplement · good
  23. 23. Magnesium Sulfate.3.0% estimated
    Magnesium sulfate · supplement · good

Nutrition and feedingProtein 8% · Fat 3%

Declared analysis (as fed)

NutrientAs fed
Protein8%
Fat3%
Fibre1.50%
Moisture82%

Energy: 97 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

Feeding and storage

Storage

Cover and refrigerate unused portions. Shake well before opening.

Feeding guide

For dogs over 100 lbs, add 1/3 can for each additional 10 lbs. Adjust feeding level to your dog's individual needs. Keep fresh water available at all times. If feeding with dry food, reduce wet amount by 6 oz for every 1/2 cup of dry food.

Additives declared on the label

Nutritional additives

Zinc Proteinate; Iron Proteinate; Copper Proteinate; Cobalt Proteinate; Manganese Proteinate; Sodium Selenite; Potassium Iodide; Vitamin E Supplement; Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1); Niacin Supplement (Vitamin B-3); Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5); Vitamin A Supplement; Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2); Biotin (Vitamin B-7); Vitamin B-12 Supplement; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6); Vitamin D-3 Supplement; Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9)

Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-12

Brand and contact: Merrick Pet Care
Merrick Pet Care logo
Phone
1-800-664-7387
Address
Office of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 340, Neenah, WI 54957

Trust and provenance

Recall history
No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked
2026-09-12
Scored with
Model v3 (methodology)

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.

External platform ratings are not scores for this individual recipe.

Trustpilot: 0.0/5 · 0 reviews

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?

This recipe achieves an overall score of 51 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +4 points, while the additives in the recipe added +4.7 points. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -10.6 points, and the additive load further adjusted the total by -4.9 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.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.49.191+3.96
Carb share of dry matter4.3%-0.115-0.50
Oil share of dry matter13.1%-0.092-1.20
Vegetable share of dry matter4.0%-0.005-0.02
Additive share of dry matter28.7%0.163+4.67
Supplement share of dry matter35.3%-0.012-0.43
Other share of dry matter0.5%-0.375-0.18
Recipe graded poor18.4%-0.065-1.19
Number of poor ingredients4-0.876-3.50
Largest single poor ingredient4.8%0.060+0.29
Undeclared quantities100.0%-0.106-10.56
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
Additive penalty-22.000.222-4.88
Processing multiplier1.0033.786+33.79
Processing: Wet Chunksyes-0.672-0.67
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.49.191+3.96
Meat share of dry matter0.0%0.096+0.00
Carb share of dry matter4.3%-0.115-0.50
Oil share of dry matter13.1%-0.092-1.20
Vegetable share of dry matter4.0%-0.005-0.02
Additive share of dry matter28.7%0.163+4.67
Supplement share of dry matter35.3%-0.012-0.43
Other share of dry matter0.5%-0.375-0.18
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.027+0.00
Recipe graded poor18.4%-0.065-1.19
Poor-quality meat in recipe0.0%-0.179+0.00
Number of poor ingredients4-0.876-3.50
Largest single poor ingredient4.8%0.060+0.29
Undeclared quantities100.0%-0.106-10.56
Prints ingredient percentagesno0.000+0.00
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Frozen or chilled freshno0.000+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)no0.707+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
High carb and low meatno-1.180+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages0.00.000+0.00
Meat share × fresh0.00.000+0.00
Fresh × high meat0.011.084+0.00
Additive penalty-22.000.222-4.88
Processing multiplier1.0033.786+33.79
Processing: Rawno-0.054+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno0.000+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno6.629+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno6.331+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.174+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.146+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksyes-0.672-0.67
Processing-type offset
-0.08
Additives declared on label
+1 transparency bonus
Subtotal
50.5
Final score
51/100

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.

NutrientAs fed (label)Dry matter (scored)Score
Protein838.1 (band 20.78571428571429 to 40%)100
Fat314.3 (band 6.351190476190477 to 20%)100
Fibre1.57.1 (band 0.5 to 5%)100
Energy (kcal/100g)97461.9100

Scored over 4 declared nutrients (combined weight 60); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 79% from the food type.

Declared fortification: 18 nutritional additives on the label
  • Zinc Proteinate
  • Iron Proteinate
  • Copper Proteinate
  • Cobalt Proteinate
  • Manganese Proteinate
  • Sodium Selenite
  • Potassium Iodide
  • Vitamin E Supplement
  • Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1)
  • Niacin Supplement (Vitamin B-3)
  • Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5)
  • Vitamin A Supplement
  • Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2)
  • Biotin (Vitamin B-7)
  • Vitamin B-12 Supplement
  • Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6)
  • Vitamin D-3 Supplement
  • Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9)

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.

ItemPoints
✓ Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
✗ Printed percentages on the label (voluntary) - not on file0/20
✗ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file0/15
✓ Additives declared (mandatory)5/10
✓ Energy value declared (voluntary)5/5
✓ 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)5/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared).

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.

100/100 · moderate — 1 checkable claim: 1 consistent, 0 contradicted.

Consistent with the label

  • "Premium grain free dog food" — supported by the declared grain-free data.

5 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.

Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.

ClaimTypeCheckSubstantiation
high protein to support your dog's lean muscle mass and healthy energy levels (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Savory dog food gravy is added for moisture (on pack)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Premium grain free dog food (on pack)Free-fromconsistentManufacturer assertion
Real deboned chicken is the first ingredient (on pack)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Made without artificial flavors or preservatives (on pack)Free-fromnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Natural with added vitamins and minerals dog food with chicken, turkey, potatoes, and carrots (on pack)Contentnot checkableManufacturer 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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