The ingredient scoreboard.
950 formulas checked · 735 ingredient scores
Ranks ingredient naming specificity. Not nutritional quality.
Read the scoring rubricIngredient leaderboard
Change filtersHighest score first. Equal scores share a catalog rank; alphabetical order within a tie does not indicate quality. Missing or damaged labels remain unscored. Open a formula to see every point.
1 matching formulas · showing 1–1
Wellness CORE Puppy Chicken & Turkey Recipe90/100Catalog rank #106View
90/100 · ingredient specificity
Calculated from the ingredient declaration using the six naming rules below. A high score does not establish nutritional adequacy, digestibility, safety or suitability for your dog.
Label source observed: Oct 23, 2026 · Listed life stages: Unknown
- Animal protein names30/30
- No naming deduction matched this category.
- Fat & oil names20/20
- No naming deduction matched this category.
- Flavor names0/10
- Matched: Natural Flavor. The lowest naming level determines this category's points.
- Blend declarations15/15
- No naming deduction matched this category.
- Other ingredient names15/15
- No naming deduction matched this category.
- Fixed ingredient declaration10/10
- No naming deduction matched this category.
FDA reports an unresolved association between certain diets high in pulses and non-hereditary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This flag identifies label position, not the amount present or a diagnosis. Pulses are not established as inherently dangerous; discuss diet changes with your veterinarian. This research flag does not change the score.
FDA: diet and DCM questionsCalculated automatically from this record’s ingredient text. Rubric: ingredient-label-v1. Formulation: f-wellness-wellness-core-grain-free-puppy-chicken-recipe-e71656dc15392ffc. Record revision: 1. Changes to the recorded ingredients recalculate the score.
- www.wellnesspetfood.com · manufacturer · retrieved Oct 23, 2026
129 ingredient lists missing · 85 labels need review · 1 conflicts. Unscored is different from zero.
Recall coverage: partial coverage. Last source check: Oct 24, 2026. A score is not a safety clearance. Check affected products and lots.
The 100-point ingredient rubric.
Six rules measure how specifically the ingredient list names its sources. These are editorial point weights, not a scientifically validated measure of food quality. Only the recorded ingredient declaration affects points; brand, price, nutrient analysis, feeding studies and manufacturing records are not scoring inputs.
Sum the six categories. Within each category, the least specific matching term sets the points; repeated terms do not cause repeated deductions. No matching generic term means full naming credit, including when that category is absent. A food without added oil, for example, can receive 20/20 for oil naming without establishing fatty-acid adequacy.
- Full naming credit
- No deduction under the defined rules.
- Partial naming credit
- Broad fish or poultry sources earn half the protein or fat points.
- Zero category points
- A defined generic or variable declaration matches that category.
- Unscored
- Missing, damaged or conflicting ingredient text. No total or rank.
Animal protein names30 points
30 for specifically named sources such as chicken, beef or salmon; 15 for broad fish or poultry sources; 0 for generic meat or animal protein, meal or digest. Named by-products receive the same credit as other named sources.
Fat & oil names20 points
20 for named sources such as chicken fat, salmon oil or soybean oil; 10 for fish oil or poultry fat; 0 for generic animal fat or vegetable, plant or marine oil.
Flavor names10 points
10 when no generic flavor is listed; 0 for a generic flavor such as natural flavor, artificial flavor, animal flavor or liver flavor. Chicken liver flavor and other specifically named sources keep full credit.
Blend declarations15 points
15 when no unexpanded blend is listed; 0 for a blend, premix, mix or complex without named components, or a vitamins/minerals heading without components. Listing the components restores full naming credit.
Other ingredient names15 points
15 when none of the defined generic terms appears; 0 for generic cereals, grains, grain products/by-products, plant or vegetable protein/fiber, fruits, vegetables, herbs, botanicals, probiotics or fermentation products. Named corn, wheat, soy and their by-products receive no automatic deduction.
Fixed ingredient declaration10 points
10 when the declaration names a fixed list; 0 when an ingredient uses an explicit ‘or’ or ‘and/or’ alternative. This measures how precisely the listed source is identified, not whether an alternative is unsafe.
What 100 actually means
No defined naming deduction matched the readable ingredient text. It does not mean a perfect food, verified ingredient amounts or independently tested quality. These rules cover a defined vocabulary; a novel vague term may not yet be detected.
Ingredient order is preserved in the food’s full label but earns no points. Meat first, grain-free claims, fashionable plants, named by-products and chemical-sounding additives receive no automatic bonus or penalty.
Read the score in context
The same naming rules apply to adult, puppy and veterinary formulas. Their nutritional needs and intended uses differ; rank does not make those foods interchangeable. A high-scoring veterinary diet still needs an appropriate veterinary recommendation.
Official recalls and qualified ingredient research flags remain visible separately. Neither the presence nor absence of a flag establishes safety. Scores describe the recorded label at its source date, not an independently checked current bag.
Scientific basis & limits
Research supports caution about inferring nutritional quality from names. It does not validate our naming preferences, weights or leaderboard as a prediction of health.
- AAFCO: what an ingredient list tells you
Ingredients are listed by weight. Technical names for vitamins and minerals are normal label language; a familiar-sounding list is not proof of nutritional adequacy.
- WSAVA: ingredient-list myths
Names alone cannot establish nutritional quality, digestibility or nutrient availability. By-products and appropriately prepared cereals are not inherently inferior.
- FDA: diet-associated DCM questions
The evidence does not justify a universal grain-free or pulse penalty. Relevant label findings remain qualified research flags with no numerical deduction.
- WSAVA: choosing a food
Adequacy, formulation expertise, quality controls and research matter when choosing food. They are outside this ingredient-only score.