Merrick Pet Care Backcountry Grain Free Hero's Banquet Stew
Wet Chunks complete
Is Merrick Pet Care Backcountry Grain Free Hero's Banquet Stew a good dog food?
We score it 54/100 (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 54 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 +5.5. Furthermore, the additive load contributed -5.1, and the additives in the recipe adjusted the score by +4.5.
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.
- Recipe54
- Nutritionallow100
- Transparency60
- Safety100
- Evidencemoderate100
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.
- Its additive load costs about 5 points in the rating.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 9%
- Fat
- 4%
- Fibre
- 2.50%
- Moisture
- 82%
Energy: 92 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin E Supplement; Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1); Niacin (Vitamin B-3); Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5); Vitamin A Supplement; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6); Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2); Biotin (Vitamin B-7); Vitamin B-12 Supplement; Vitamin D-3 Supplement; Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9); Zinc Proteinate; Iron Proteinate; Cobalt Proteinate; Copper Proteinate; Manganese Proteinate; Sodium Selenite; Potassium Iodide
Technological additives
Fruit Juice Color; Fish Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)
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. If feeding with dry food, reduce wet amount by 6 oz for every 1/2 cup of dry food.
Reviews
Trustpilot: 0.0/5 · 0 reviews
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list chicken, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids beef: the label lists deboned beef
- Your dog avoids turkey: it is listed as an ingredient
- Your dog avoids lamb: the label lists lamb
- 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. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (42)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deboned Beef | Deboned Beef | meat | good | - | 3.1 |
| 2 | Beef Broth | Cooking broth | other | medium | - | 3.1 |
| 3 | Turkey Broth | Cooking broth | other | medium | - | 3.1 |
| 4 | Beef Liver | Beef Liver | meat | good | - | 3.0 |
| 5 | Lamb | Lamb | meat | medium | - | 3.0 |
| 6 | Green Beans | Green Beans | veg | good | - | 3.0 |
| 7 | Carrots | Carrots | veg | good | - | 2.9 |
| 8 | Natural Flavor | Flavor | additive | poor | - | 2.9 |
| 9 | Dried Egg Product | Dried Egg | meat | medium | - | 2.8 |
| 10 | Potato Starch | Potato starch | carb | poor | - | 2.8 |
| 11 | Salt | Salt | additive | medium | - | 2.8 |
| 12 | Guar Gum | Guar gum | additive | medium | - | 2.7 |
| 13 | Fruit Juice Color | Fruit | veg | medium | - | 2.7 |
| 14 | Calcium Carbonate | Calcium Carbonate | supplement | medium | - | 2.7 |
| 15 | Sodium Phosphate | Sodium phosphate | additive | poor | - | 2.6 |
| 16 | Fish Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols) | Fish Oil | oil | good | - | 2.6 |
| 17 | Potassium Chloride | Potassium Chloride | supplement | medium | - | 2.5 |
| 18 | Zinc Proteinate | Zinc Proteinate | supplement | good | - | 2.5 |
| 19 | Iron Proteinate | Iron Proteinate | mineral | good | - | 2.5 |
| 20 | Cobalt Proteinate | Cobalt proteinate | supplement | medium | - | 2.4 |
| 21 | Copper Proteinate | Copper proteinate | supplement | good | - | 2.4 |
| 22 | Manganese Proteinate | Manganese proteinate | supplement | good | - | 2.4 |
| 23 | Sodium Selenite | Sodium selenite | supplement | poor | - | 2.3 |
| 24 | Potassium Iodide | Potassium iodide | supplement | good | - | 2.3 |
| 25 | Sunflower Oil | Sunflower oil | oil | good | - | 2.2 |
| 26 | Vitamin E Supplement | Vitamin E | supplement | good | - | 2.2 |
| 27 | Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1) | Thiamine mononitrate | supplement | good | - | 2.2 |
| 28 | Niacin (Vitamin B-3) | Niacin | supplement | good | - | 2.1 |
| 29 | Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5) | Calcium pantothenate | supplement | good | - | 2.1 |
| 30 | Vitamin A Supplement | Vitamin A | supplement | good | - | 2.1 |
| 31 | Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6) | Pyridoxine hydrochloride | supplement | good | - | 2.0 |
| 32 | Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2) | Riboflavin | supplement | good | - | 2.0 |
| 33 | Biotin (Vitamin B-7) | Biotin | supplement | good | - | 1.9 |
| 34 | Vitamin B-12 Supplement | Vitamin B12 | supplement | good | - | 1.9 |
| 35 | Vitamin D-3 Supplement | Vitamin D3 supplement | supplement | good | - | 1.9 |
| 36 | Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9) | Folic acid | supplement | good | - | 1.8 |
| 37 | Yucca Schidigera Extract | Yucca Schidigera | supplement | good | - | 1.8 |
| 38 | Cinnamon | Cinnamon | veg | good | - | 1.8 |
| 39 | Flaxseed Oil | Linseed oil | oil | good | - | 1.7 |
| 40 | Choline Chloride | Choline | supplement | good | - | 1.7 |
| 41 | Xanthan Gum | Xanthan gum | additive | medium | - | 1.6 |
| 42 | Magnesium Sulfate. | Magnesium sulfate | supplement | good | - | 1.6 |
Brand
- Phone
- 1-800-664-7387
- Address
- Office of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 340, Neenah, WI 54957
- Contact page
- www.merrickpetcare.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
- www.merrickpetcare.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 | 0.6 | 9.191 | +5.55 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 1.7% | -0.115 | -0.20 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 15.8% | -0.092 | -1.45 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 7.6% | -0.005 | -0.04 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 27.6% | 0.163 | +4.49 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 33.6% | -0.012 | -0.41 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.8% | -0.375 | -0.30 |
| Recipe graded poor | 12.3% | -0.065 | -0.80 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 3 | -0.876 | -2.63 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 4.4% | 0.060 | +0.26 |
| 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 |
| Additive penalty | -22.75 | 0.222 | -5.05 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.6 | 9.191 | +5.55 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 1.7% | -0.115 | -0.20 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 15.8% | -0.092 | -1.45 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 7.6% | -0.005 | -0.04 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 27.6% | 0.163 | +4.49 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 33.6% | -0.012 | -0.41 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.8% | -0.375 | -0.30 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.027 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 12.3% | -0.065 | -0.80 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 3 | -0.876 | -2.63 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 4.4% | 0.060 | +0.26 |
| 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 | -22.75 | 0.222 | -5.05 |
| 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 | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.08
- Additives declared on label
- +2 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 54.0
- Final score
- 54/100
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 | 42.9 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 4 | 19 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 2.5 | 11.9 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 92 | 438.1 | 100 |
Fibre: Declared as a maximum; the high-fibre taper is not applied.
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.
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) | 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) | 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 — 2 checkable claims: 2 consistent, 0 contradicted.
Consistent with the label
- "grain free" — supported by the declared grain-free data.
- "made without grain, wheat, corn, or soy" — supported by the declared grain-free data.
6 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.
Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| high protein to maintain lean muscle mass (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| grain free (on page) | Free-from | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| crafted without artificial flavors or preservatives (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| inspired by the ancestral canine diet (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| gluten free (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| natural, with added vitamins and minerals (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| made without grain, wheat, corn, or soy (on page) | Free-from | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| Real deboned beef is the first ingredient (on page) | Content | 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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