How We Grade
Dry food is scored against our written rubric (version 15). Every food starts at 50 points, and these rules add or take away points:
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Biggest factorThe first ingredient — a named meat such as chicken or salmon adds 15 points, a named organ adds 12 and a named meat meal such as chicken meal adds 8. A named by-product meal takes away 3, an unnamed meat ("meat", "poultry") takes away 5, and corn, wheat, soy or a plant-protein concentrate in first place takes away 10. More named meats in positions 2–5 add 4 each (up to 8), and named organs there add 3 each (up to 6).
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PenaltiesIngredients we count against a food — corn, wheat or soy in the top three (−8), refined grains such as brewers rice in the top five (−4), BHA or BHT (−10 each), ethoxyquin (−12), carrageenan (−8), artificial colors (−5 each), artificial flavor (−3) and added sweeteners (−5).
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CreditsIngredients we count in a food's favor — egg in the top five (+3), a named omega-3 source such as fish oil (+3), whole fruits and vegetables (+2 each, up to +4), probiotics or prebiotics (+3), chelated minerals (+2) and natural preservatives such as mixed tocopherols (+2).
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FDA DCM watchlistPeas, lentils and potato protein — pea or potato protein in the top five (−5), and three or more legume ingredients in the top eight (−6).
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LimitsScores run from 0 to 98 — no food gets 100. Only the first 25 ingredients are scored; the vitamins and minerals after them are standard. Treats use a separate treat rubric, and the fresh, raw and wet foods we've tagged by format use a fresh-food rubric.
The full rubric, word for word, is on our methodology page.
A
90 – 98
ExcellentA named meat leads, with few or no penalized ingredients
B
75 – 89
GoodQuality ingredients with minor concerns
C
55 – 74
AverageSome fillers or penalized ingredients
D
35 – 54
Below AverageSignificant ingredient quality concerns
F
0 – 34
PoorMajor red flags: artificial colors, unnamed proteins, or harmful preservatives
Our Sources
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AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) — the U.S. standard-setting body for pet food ingredient definitions, labeling rules, and nutritional adequacy profiles.
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Peer-reviewed veterinary nutrition research on ingredient safety and bioavailability.
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Established ingredient watchlists for artificial preservatives, chemical additives, and dyes with documented health concerns in peer-reviewed literature.
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Our database of manufacturers' ingredient lists. A brand search uses the listed ingredients when the food is in it; a food that isn't is labeled as an AI estimate.
How We Use AI
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Claude, an AI model made by Anthropic, applies the rubric above to each ingredient list and writes the ingredient breakdown.
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Foods in our database are scored once and served from that result, so searching for the same food returns the same grade. New foods are scored live.
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An AI can misread an ingredient list. Check the breakdown, and email support@kibbleiq.com if something looks wrong.
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Every food is scored against the same written rubric. No brand can pay for a grade or a placement.
What This Isn't
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Grades score the ingredient list only. They don't measure nutrient levels, calories, digestibility or results from feeding trials.
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KibbleIQ is not a substitute for veterinary advice. Always consult your vet for diet decisions, especially for pets with health conditions, allergies, or specific life-stage needs.
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Grades reflect ingredient quality analysis based on current nutritional science — not guaranteed health outcomes for any individual pet.
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Nutritional science evolves. Our methodology will evolve with it.
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A high grade does not mean a food is right for every pet. A low grade does not mean a food will harm your pet. Grades are one tool to help you make more informed choices.
Independence
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KibbleIQ takes no money, free product or other consideration from pet food brands or manufacturers.
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Grades cannot be purchased, influenced, or negotiated.
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Some "Shop on Amazon" links are Amazon affiliate links: if you buy through one, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Commissions never change a grade. We run no ads and no sponsored content.
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This tool exists for one reason: to help pet owners see what is actually in their pet's food.
