Is Merrick Pet Care Real Beef, Lamb and Bison Dinner 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 overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +5.1 points, while the additives in the recipe added +4.4. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -10.6 and the additive load deducted -5.2.
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.
- Recipe52
- Nutritionallow100
- Transparency50
- 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
- 5%
- Fibre
- 1.40%
- Moisture
- 78%
Energy: 111 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Feeding guide
For dogs over 100 lbs., add 1/4 can for each additional 10 lbs. Adjust feeding level to your dog's individual needs. Shake well before opening. 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.
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, turkey, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids beef: the label lists deboned beef
- Your dog avoids lamb: the label lists deboned lamb
- 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 (15)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deboned Beef | Deboned Beef | meat | good | - | 8.7 |
| 2 | Beef Broth | Cooking broth | other | medium | - | 8.4 |
| 3 | Beef Liver | Beef Liver | meat | good | - | 8.1 |
| 4 | Deboned Lamb | Deboned Lamb | meat | good | - | 7.8 |
| 5 | Deboned Bison | Bison | meat | good | - | 7.5 |
| 6 | Natural Flavor | Flavor | additive | poor | - | 7.2 |
| 7 | Salmon Oil | Salmon Oil | oil | good | - | 7.0 |
| 8 | Salt | Salt | additive | medium | - | 6.7 |
| 9 | Tricalcium Phosphate | Tricalcium phosphate | supplement | good | - | 6.4 |
| 10 | Locust Bean Gum | Carob Flour | fibre | medium | - | 6.1 |
| 11 | Potassium Chloride | Potassium Chloride | supplement | medium | - | 5.8 |
| 12 | Guar Gum | Guar gum | additive | medium | - | 5.5 |
| 13 | Choline Chloride | Choline | supplement | good | - | 5.2 |
| 14 | Calcium Carbonate | Calcium Carbonate | supplement | medium | - | 4.9 |
| 15 | Taurine | Taurine | supplement | good | - | 4.6 |
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 | +5.15 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 10.7% | -0.092 | -0.99 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 27.3% | 0.163 | +4.44 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 38.7% | -0.012 | -0.47 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.7% | -0.375 | -0.25 |
| Recipe graded poor | 7.2% | -0.065 | -0.47 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 7.2% | 0.060 | +0.43 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| Additive penalty | -23.44 | 0.222 | -5.20 |
| 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 | 0.6 | 9.191 | +5.15 |
| 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 | 10.7% | -0.092 | -0.99 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.005 | +0.00 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 27.3% | 0.163 | +4.44 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 38.7% | -0.012 | -0.47 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.7% | -0.375 | -0.25 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.027 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 7.2% | -0.065 | -0.47 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 7.2% | 0.060 | +0.43 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | no | 2.294 | +0.00 |
| 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 | -23.44 | 0.222 | -5.20 |
| 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
- Subtotal
- 52.0
- 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 | 9 | 40.9 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 5 | 22.7 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 1.4 | 6.4 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 111 | 504.5 | 100 |
Scored over 4 declared nutrients (combined weight 60); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 78% 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) - not on file | 0/10 |
| 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) - not on file | 0/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared, Additives declared, 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.
100/100 · moderate — 2 checkable claims: 2 consistent, 0 contradicted.
Consistent with the label
- "poultry free, pea free, potato free and chicken free dog food" — supported by the declared chicken data.
- "crafted without grain, corn, wheat or soy ingredients" — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| complete and balanced meal (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 96% protein from animal sources (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives (on pack) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| real USDA-inspected deboned beef is the first ingredient (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| poultry free, pea free, potato free and chicken free dog food (on pack) | Free-from | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| crafted without grain, corn, wheat or soy ingredients (on pack) | Free-from | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| grain free recipe (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| premium and natural with added vitamins and minerals (on pack) | 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.
Other products from Merrick Pet Care
See all products from Merrick Pet Care
Alternatives to Real Beef, Lamb and Bison Dinner
Foods in our database that are similar on ingredients, protein, format or price. Scores and figures are from the same deterministic model used everywhere on the site.
Community
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share how this went down with your dog.