Our verdict
Is Zealandia Pets Venison Pâté Wet Dog Food a good dog food?
We score it 59/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list chicken, beef, turkey, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids lamb: the label lists lambs liver
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists mussels
- Your dog avoids venison: the label lists venison
- 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 (34)100% of the recipe is estimated
Estimated composition
- supplement 49.3%
- meat 29.1%
- mineral 8.2%
- additive 6.5%
- other 3.8%
- oil 3.2%
| # | As declared | Matched | Label reading | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venison | Venison | meat · good | - | 3.9 |
| 2 | Water Sufficient for Processing | Water | other | - | 3.8 |
| 3 | Lamb Liver | Lambs Liver | meat · good | - | 3.8 |
| 4 | Lamb Lung | Lamb Lung | meat · medium | - | 3.7 |
| 5 | Lamb Green Tripe | Tripe | meat · medium | - | 3.7 |
| 6 | Lamb Heart | Lamb Heart | meat · good | - | 3.6 |
| 7 | Lamb Kidney | Lamb Kidney | meat · good | - | 3.5 |
| 8 | New Zealand Green Mussels | Mussels | meat · good | - | 3.5 |
| 9 | Lamb Plasma | Lamb | meat · medium | - | 3.4 |
| 10 | Dried Yeast | Yeast | supplement · good | - | 3.4 |
| 11 | Agar-Agar | Agar-agar | additive · medium | - | 3.3 |
| 12 | Calcium Carbonate | Calcium Carbonate | supplement · medium | - | 3.3 |
| 13 | Salmon Oil | Salmon Oil | oil · good | - | 3.2 |
| 14 | Guar Gum | Guar gum | additive · medium | - | 3.1 |
| 15 | Potassium Chloride | Potassium Chloride | supplement · medium | - | 3.1 |
| 16 | Taurine | Taurine | supplement · good | - | 3.0 |
| 17 | Choline Chloride | Choline | supplement · good | - | 3.0 |
| 18 | Iron Proteinate | Iron Proteinate | mineral · good | - | 2.9 |
| 19 | Zinc Glycine Complex | Zinc Oxide | supplement · good | - | 2.9 |
| 20 | Niacin Supplement | Niacin | supplement · good | - | 2.8 |
| 21 | Alpha-Tocopherol Acetate | Vitamin E | supplement · good | - | 2.7 |
| 22 | Selenium Yeast | Selenium | mineral · good | - | 2.7 |
| 23 | Manganese Proteinate | Manganese proteinate | supplement · good | - | 2.6 |
| 24 | Copper Glycine Complex | Copper | mineral · good | - | 2.6 |
| 25 | Thiamine Mononitrate | Thiamine mononitrate | supplement · good | - | 2.5 |
| 26 | Calcium Pantothenate | Calcium pantothenate | supplement · good | - | 2.5 |
| 27 | Riboflavin | Riboflavin | supplement · good | - | 2.4 |
| 28 | Pyridoxine Hydrochloride | Pyridoxine hydrochloride | supplement · good | - | 2.3 |
| 29 | Vitamin A Acetate | Vitamin A | supplement · good | - | 2.3 |
| 30 | Biotin | Biotin | supplement · good | - | 2.2 |
| 31 | Vitamin B12 Supplement | Vitamin B12 | supplement · good | - | 2.2 |
| 32 | Calcium Iodate | Calcium iodate | supplement · medium | - | 2.1 |
| 33 | Folic Acid | Folic acid | supplement · good | - | 2.1 |
| 34 | Cholecalciferol. | Vitamin D3 supplement | supplement · good | - | 2.0 |
- 1. Venison3.9% estimated
- 2. Water Sufficient for Processing3.8% estimated
- 3. Lamb Liver3.8% estimated
- 4. Lamb Lung3.7% estimated
- 5. Lamb Green Tripe3.7% estimated
- 6. Lamb Heart3.6% estimated
- 7. Lamb Kidney3.5% estimated
- 8. New Zealand Green Mussels3.5% estimated
- 9. Lamb Plasma3.4% estimated
- 10. Dried Yeast3.4% estimated
- 11. Agar-Agar3.3% estimated
- 12. Calcium Carbonate3.3% estimated
- 13. Salmon Oil3.2% estimated
- 14. Guar Gum3.1% estimated
- 15. Potassium Chloride3.1% estimated
- 16. Taurine3.0% estimated
- 17. Choline Chloride3.0% estimated
- 18. Iron Proteinate2.9% estimated
- 19. Zinc Glycine Complex2.9% estimated
- 20. Niacin Supplement2.8% estimated
- 21. Alpha-Tocopherol Acetate2.7% estimated
- 22. Selenium Yeast2.7% estimated
- 23. Manganese Proteinate2.6% estimated
- 24. Copper Glycine Complex2.6% estimated
- 25. Thiamine Mononitrate2.5% estimated
- 26. Calcium Pantothenate2.5% estimated
- 27. Riboflavin2.4% estimated
- 28. Pyridoxine Hydrochloride2.3% estimated
- 29. Vitamin A Acetate2.3% estimated
- 30. Biotin2.2% estimated
- 31. Vitamin B12 Supplement2.2% estimated
- 32. Calcium Iodate2.1% estimated
- 33. Folic Acid2.1% estimated
- 34. Cholecalciferol.2.0% estimated
Nutrition and feeding
Declared analysis (as fed)
No analysis recorded yet.
Additives & feeding info
Feeding and storage
Feeding guide
Transition over 7 days. Toy (2.5/5kg): 1 x 185g can per day; 0.5/1 x 385g can per day. Small (10kg): 2 x 185g per day; 0.5 x 385g per day. Medium (25kg): 3 x 385g per day. Large (50kg): 5 x 385g per day.
Additives declared on the label
Nutritional additives
Iron Proteinate; Zinc Glycine Complex; Niacin Supplement; Alpha-Tocopherol Acetate; Selenium Yeast; Manganese Proteinate; Copper Glycine Complex; Thiamine Mononitrate; Calcium Pantothenate; Riboflavin; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride; Vitamin A Acetate; Biotin; Vitamin B12 Supplement; Calcium Iodate; Folic Acid; Cholecalciferol; Taurine; Choline Chloride
Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-14
Brand and contact: Zealandia Pets
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-14
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.zealandiapets.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.
Score details and methodologyCalculations, history and evidence
Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated
Why this score?
The food scored 59 out of 100. Ingredients without printed percentages pulled the score down by -10.6, while the overall quality of the ingredient list lifted it by +7.3. Being labelled nutritionally complete added a further +2.3 points, and the additive load took off -1.7.
Scored with model v3 on 2026-10-25. 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 | 0.8 | 9.191 | +7.29 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 4.5% | -0.092 | -0.41 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 8.3% | 0.163 | +1.35 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 64.6% | -0.012 | -0.79 |
| 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 | -7.74 | 0.222 | -1.72 |
| 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 | 0.8 | 9.191 | +7.29 |
| 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 | 4.5% | -0.092 | -0.41 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.005 | +0.00 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 8.3% | 0.163 | +1.35 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 64.6% | -0.012 | -0.79 |
| 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 | -7.74 | 0.222 | -1.72 |
| 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
- Additives declared on label
- +1 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 59.2
- Final score
- 59/100
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
Analytical constituents not declared
Declared fortification: 19 nutritional additives on the label
- Iron Proteinate
- Zinc Glycine Complex
- Niacin Supplement
- Alpha-Tocopherol Acetate
- Selenium Yeast
- Manganese Proteinate
- Copper Glycine Complex
- Thiamine Mononitrate
- Calcium Pantothenate
- Riboflavin
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
- Vitamin A Acetate
- Biotin
- Vitamin B12 Supplement
- Calcium Iodate
- Folic Acid
- Cholecalciferol
- Taurine
- Choline Chloride
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) | 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 (Analytical constituents 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 — 1 checkable claim: 1 consistent, 0 contradicted.
Consistent with the label
- "Complete & Balanced Nutrition, Optimised for Adult Dogs" — supported by the declared complete and balanced data.
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Venison is hypoallergenic, free from any growth hormones, and antibiotics (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Cruelty-Free, High Animal Welfare Standards (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Digestion Support: Precise Base of Enzyme-Rich Green Lamb Tripe (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Hip & Joint Support: NZ Green-Lipped Mussels (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Skin & Coat Care: Salmon Oil rich in Omega 3 & Astaxanthin (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Deboned Meat as No.1 Ingredient (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Natural Source of CoQ10: Lamb Hearts (on page) | Nutrient | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Grain-Free: 95% Meat, Lamb Organs & NZ Green Mussels (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Complete & Balanced Nutrition, Optimised for Adult Dogs (on page) | Content | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| Free From: Added Flavourings, Preservatives, Carrageenan, & BPA (on page) | Free-from | 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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