Dog food glossary.

AAFCO is the U.S. body that sets the model regulations U.S. states use to regulate pet food, including nutrient profile minimums and the standardized adequacy statements that appear on every bag.

The line on a dog food bag that says something like “X is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for [life stage].” PetScored credits feeding-trial-substantiated adequacy more than formulated-only adequacy.

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An adult-maintenance bag is not adequate for puppies, growing dogs, or pregnant or nursing dogs. Look for “all life stages” adequacy if you have a multi-life-stage household.

A recipe labelled adequate for all life stages meets nutrient profiles for both growth and maintenance. Some recipes exclude large-breed-puppy growth specifically; check the bag.

Captures WSAVA-style signals: named qualified nutritionist on staff, manufacturing control, feeding-trial evidence, peer-reviewed research, country-of-origin sourcing disclosure, ownership tenure, recall history, and current FDA warning-letter status.

Byproducts include organs (liver, heart, kidney), bones, and other carcass parts not commonly used in human food. PetScored does not penalize named byproducts (e.g. “chicken byproduct meal”) by default. We do not credit them either.

Weighted sum of the five sub-scores: Nutrition Fit (30%), Brand Trust (25%), Ingredient Clarity (15%), Sensitivity Risk (15%), Value (15%).

DCM is a known mostly-genetic condition in specific breeds. The FDA investigated a possible link to grain-free diets starting in 2018; the investigation never confirmed causation and was effectively wound down in 2022. PetScored does not score DCM risk.

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Guaranteed-analysis percentages on a bag are as-fed, which includes moisture. To compare across kibble and wet, convert to dry-matter: divide the as-fed value by (100 − moisture), then multiply by 100. PetScored does the DMB conversion on every scorecard.

Tier A: regulatory or peer-reviewed. Tier B: manufacturer-published with source confidence. Tier C: retailer-mediated or proxy. Seed: provisional value used until source-backed evidence exists. Each rule event displays its tier.

“Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that X provides complete and balanced nutrition.” More expensive than formulation-based adequacy, stronger evidence. PetScored credits this in Nutrition Fit.

Grain-free recipes exclude wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley, and similar grains, usually replacing them with peas, lentils, legumes, or potato. PetScored does not credit grain-free, and does not penalize the presence of grains.

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Crude protein (minimum), crude fat (minimum), crude fiber (maximum), moisture (maximum), all as as-fed percentages. The starting point for PetScored’s Nutrition Fit calculations.

Credits named animal sources, named grains, specific ingredients, country-of-origin disclosure, and label transparency. Generic terms like “animal byproduct” or “grain products” do not earn clarity points.

Required on every U.S. bag since 2017. Stated per kilogram of food and (usually) per cup. PetScored uses kcal/kg to benchmark Value as cost per 1,000 kcal — the honest way to compare price across kibble densities.

“Limited ingredient” is not a regulated term. PetScored credits recipes that are actually short, that name the protein, and whose brand can prove what is in the bag. We do not credit the phrase alone.

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An ingredient term, not a quality term. Meals are dehydrated, which means they are denser in protein than the equivalent fresh ingredient. PetScored credits named meals (“chicken meal”) the same as named fresh sources (“chicken”).

AAFCO adequacy match for life stage, feeding-trial evidence, dry-matter protein and fat band fit, and calorie-content statement quality. The largest single component of the composite score.

FDA tracks pet food recalls and publishes them. PetScored’s recall index maps brand and product matches against the FDA export. Brand Trust penalties only apply on verified brand/manufacturer/product matches.

Population-level common allergen exposure derived from the adverse-food-reaction literature in dogs. Counts common-trigger ingredients (chicken, turkey, egg, fish, legumes, soy, wheat, corn) high on the panel. Higher score means lower population-level risk.

Each fact on a PetScored scorecard is labelled with a source confidence: verified (primary manufacturer source captured), partial (retailer-mediated or single source), or pending (no source yet). Lower confidence does not lower a score — it just labels the gap.

Prescription diets such as Hill’s Prescription Diet, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets. PetScored does not score therapeutic diets — they require veterinary oversight.

Cost per 1,000 kcal benchmarked to the category median (mass premium, premium, boutique premium, etc.). Cheap kibble with strong nutrition scores well on Value by design.

“Vet-recommended” usually traces to a paid market-research survey. “Vet-formulated” means at least one veterinarian (not necessarily a board-certified nutritionist) was involved. Neither phrase is a regulatory or clinical endorsement.

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Publishes Global Nutrition Guidelines. PetScored’s Brand Trust sub-score uses WSAVA-style signals (named qualified nutritionist, manufacturing control, feeding-trial evidence, peer-reviewed research, ownership clarity) as evidence inputs. PetScored does not claim WSAVA approval.