Ingredients Glossary


Understanding the ingredients used in pet foods is the first step to making an informed decision about which food to choose. We don’t believe that any pet food companies should hide what goes into their foods, so here’s a guide to what goes into pet foods – good and bad.


Beef is a meat protein that is not ideal for pets as it is harder to digest and utilise than other meats such as chicken and lamb, and it can also cause dietary intolerances and allergies.


Brewer's Yeast

Dried brewer's yeast is a residue left over from the brewing industry, and it is an excellent source of B-complex vitamins and amino acids.



Cellulose is a form of fibre derived from plants. It can help to stimulate the production of saliva, thus assisting the passage of hair balls.


Chicken (Fresh)

Fresh chicken is highly palatable, highly digestible and is an excellent protein source for cats and dogs. It has an extremely high biological value meaning that it is easily broken down into its constituent amino acids (the building blocks of protein) necessary for a variety of structural and metabolic functions within the body. Most fresh chicken used in pet foods is chicken viscera - so organ meat and intestines - which is highly nutritious and is exactly what dogs would eat in the wild. Using up the leftovers from chicken destined for human consumption makes this a very efficient food source for pets.


Chicken (Meal)

Like fresh chicken, chicken meal is an excellent protein source. It comprises the clean parts of the carcass ground up into a calcium-rich flour. Good quality chicken meal does not include heads, feet or feathers.


Chicken Fat / Oil

Chicken oil has a high and consistent level of the essential fatty acids that are necessary for a healthy skin and coat, and is considered to be one of the highest quality fat sources available.






Corn (or maize as it is also known) is a starch carbohydrate. Ground corn is used as an energy source.


Cranberry Extract



Derivatives of vegetable origin

Is a vague term used to describe by-products of vegetable origin. This can include anything that has been derived from a vegetable, from charcoal to compost! Seeing this ingredient in a pet food should set alarm bells ringing as it can be used to hide all manner of unspecified ingredients.


EC permitted additives

This term covers over 4000 chemical additives that can be added to pet food without individually naming them. The list includes colours such as tartrazine and sunset yellow which have been proven to cause hyperactivity in children, and preservatives such as BHA which have been shown to have the potential to cause cancer in animals. Avoid like the plague!





Fish (Fresh)

Fresh fish such as salmon is a highly nutritious and palatable protein source for cats and dogs. It usually consists of the leftovers from human-grade fish, such as viscera, which is minced into a fine paste before being added into pet food. It contains fish oils, which is high in the health promoting omega-3 very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA, often simply referred to as 'omega-3s'.


Fish (Meal)

Fish meal is the dried fish ingredient used in many pet foods, and is a natural balanced feed ingredient that is high in protein, energy and minerals, vitamins and micro nutrients. It contains 6 - 10% fish oil, which is high in the health promoting omega-3 very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA, often simply referred to as 'omega-3s'.


Fish Oil

Fish oil is included in recipes for energy, as a source of essential fatty acids and for the transport of the fat-soluble vitamins. Fish oil is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. In the human health context, omega-3 prevents or reduces the chances of developing coronary heart disease. It also reduces high blood pressure, kidney disorders, inflammatory bowel disorders and autoimmune disease. The fish oil fatty acids are essential to the growth and development of unborn and newly born babies and toddlers. Pregnant women, nursing mothers and babies should include oily fish or fish oil in their diets. These health benefits are now becoming recognised in the nutrition of our canine and feline companions.


Glucosamine Sulphate



Grape Seed Extract

Grape seed extract is derived from red wine grapes. It is a source of oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs), which are a category of bioflavenoids. These are water soluble plant pigments that may support health by strengthening the blood capillaries and other connective tissue. Grape seed extract is an extremely powerful antioxidant, and is possibly the only antioxidant with the capacity to cross into the brain, thus improving mental alertness. (Whilst grapes in a large volume may be toxic to dogs, grape seed extract is included in pet foods at a safe level and will not have any harmful side effects.)


Green Tea Extract



Lamb Meal







Linseed is also known as flax. This plant is a good source of dietary fibre, Omega-3 fatty acids and lignans (which have antioxidant properties). Linseed oil contains linoleic acid and alpha linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid used in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins and cell membranes.



See corn.


Meat and animal derivatives

This loose term covers any meat or animal by-product, without specifying what it is - or even what species it comes from. This term can be used to hide unhealthy or undesirable ingredients, and to enable the manufacturer to change the protein source with every batch without changing the label. In short, if you see this term, steer well clear as you have no idea what you are getting!












Potato is a healthy carbohydrate source.



Rice is a very digestible energy source and is often used as the main source of carbohydrate in pet foods.


Rosemary Extract

Natural pet foods are often stabilised naturally using mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E) and rosemary. Rosemary is a natural antioxidant and is used to prevent the oxidisation of the fat components of the diets.



Seaweed, or kelp, is a useful source of natural particularly minerals including sodium, potassium, calcium and iodine.



Soya protein is hard to digest and utilise and not a good quality ingredient for pet foods. It has also been associated with dietary intolerances and allergies.


Sugar Beet Pulp




Taurine is an essential nutrient for cats, and is often added to good quality cat foods.



Natural pet foods are often preserved naturally using tocopherols (Vitamin E). All dry pet foods require an antioxidant in order to prevent the fat components in the diet from becoming rancid on exposure to air.



This is a good source of carbohydrate and protein, but it is one of the main ingredients known to cause dietary intolerances and allergies, so should be avoided when feeding pets with these problems.


Yucca Extract
