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No ads. No paid placements. Every score explained.
From label to score in one photo.
Snap the label.
Flip the bag over and fit the ingredient list in the frame. A barcode works too. If we have never seen the barcode, the photo still gets you a score.
For Biscuit
Fit the ingredients list in the frame
Get the score.
This grocery store kibble lands at 26. You see the 6 things dragging it down, in plain words, worst first.
Grocery store kibble
Dry dog food
Poor
Watch outs
- Synthetic preservativeAnimal fat (preserved with BHA)
- No meat in first placeGround yellow corn
- Plant protein boosters
Find something better.
BowlScore lines up foods of the same kind that score higher, and tells you why each one is better.
Better picks for Biscuit
Same kind of food, scored the same way.
- Fresh cookedTurkey first. No dyes, no synthetic preservatives.
- Grain free premiumSalmon first, but legumes show up four times.
How we score. BowlScore is not veterinary advice.
For Biscuit
Fit the ingredients list in the frame
Grocery store kibble
Dry dog food
Poor
Watch outs
- Synthetic preservativeAnimal fat (preserved with BHA)
- No meat in first placeGround yellow corn
- Plant protein boosters
Better picks for Biscuit
Same kind of food, scored the same way.
- Fresh cookedTurkey first. No dyes, no synthetic preservatives.
- Grain free premiumSalmon first, but legumes show up four times.
How we score. BowlScore is not veterinary advice.
Try it on three foods.
Pick a sample label. The same scoring code that runs in the app runs right here in your browser.
What the label says
Ground yellow corn, Meat and bone meal, Corn gluten meal, Animal fat (preserved with BHA), Soybean meal, Animal digest, Salt, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2.
Crude protein 21% min, crude fat 10% min, crude fiber 4.5% max, moisture 12% max.
Poor
Grocery store kibble
Scored for an adult dog
- Ingredients
- 0 of 50
- Nutrition
- 19 of 30
- Additives
- 7 of 20
On a dry matter basis, with 12% moisture removed
- Protein
- 23.9%
- Fat
- 11.4%
- Fiber
- 5.1%
- Carbs, estimated
- 51.7%
Synthetic preservative · Animal fat (preserved with BHA)
BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin are legal but controversial. Better foods preserve with vitamin E instead.
No meat in first place · Ground yellow corn
The main ingredient is Ground yellow corn, not an animal protein.
Plant protein boosters
Corn gluten meal, Soybean meal can raise the protein number on the label without adding meat.
Fillers near the top
Ground yellow corn appear in the first five ingredients.
Unnamed animal ingredients
Meat and bone meal, Animal fat (preserved with BHA), Animal digest: the label does not say which animal.
Artificial color · Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2
Dyes are there for the human buying the bag. Your pet does not care what color the food is.
Six ingredients we always call out.
BHA
AvoidA synthetic preservative the National Toxicology Program lists as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. Vitamin E does the same job.
Source: NTP Report on CarcinogensBHT
DebatedA close cousin of BHA. The FDA allows it in animal feed and the research on it points both ways.
Source: FDA, 21 CFR 582.3173Ethoxyquin
CautionA preservative that often arrives inside fish meal. The FDA caps how much a finished feed may contain.
Source: FDA, 21 CFR 573.380Artificial colors
CautionRed 40, Yellow 5 and Blue 2 are there for the person buying the bag. Your pet does not care what color dinner is.
Source: FDA on color additivesUnnamed animal fat or meat meal
CautionWhen a label says animal fat or meat meal without naming the animal, the source can change from batch to batch.
Source: AAFCO on ingredient namesPropylene glycol
AvoidKeeps soft food moist. It damages feline red blood cells, so the FDA prohibits it in cat food. For cats it caps the score at 15.
Source: FDA, 21 CFR 589.1001
Cats are not small dogs. We score them differently.
For dogs, named protein comes first.
- Named meat beats mystery meat
- Chicken or salmon meal earns points. Meat meal and animal fat, with no animal named, lose them.
- Protein floor of 18 percent
- Measured on a dry matter basis. Puppies need 22.5 percent, straight from the AAFCO nutrient profiles.
- Legume heavy recipes get a note
- The FDA has looked into a possible link between these diets and heart disease in dogs. Nothing is proven, so we inform and barely penalize.
The grocery store kibble, scored for an adult dog: 26, Poor
Brands cannot pay for a score.
BowlScore is an educational tool, not veterinary advice. Scores reflect ingredient lists, not your pet's individual health needs. Talk to your veterinarian before changing your pet's diet, especially for puppies, kittens, seniors, or pets with medical conditions.
Read the methodology- Independent
- We do not run ads and no brand can buy, sponsor or edit a score. Every food goes through the same rubric.
- Sourced
- Every rule traces back to a named source: AAFCO nutrient profiles, FDA regulations, the Merck Veterinary Manual and WSAVA guidance.
- Versioned and public
- This is Scoring model v1. When a number changes, the version changes, and the full rubric is published for anyone to check.
Bad news comes with a better bowl.
Every low score comes with higher scoring foods of the same kind, so a swap takes one tap.
Poor
Grocery store kibble
Corn first, unnamed meat, three dyes.
Excellent
Fresh cooked
Turkey and turkey liver first. Nothing artificial.
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. Commissions never change a score or the order of alternatives. Affiliate disclosure
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Fair questions.
How is the score calculated?
Every food starts from the same public rubric. Ingredients are worth 50 points, nutrition on a dry matter basis is worth 30, and additives are worth 20. A few ingredients, like onion or xylitol, cap the score no matter what else is in the recipe. The full method is on the methodology page.
Is this veterinary advice?
BowlScore is an educational tool, not veterinary advice. Scores reflect ingredient lists, not your pet's individual health needs. Talk to your veterinarian before changing your pet's diet, especially for puppies, kittens, seniors, or pets with medical conditions.
Do brands pay you?
No. Brands cannot pay to change a score, we do not run ads, and every food is scored the same way. When we suggest a better food we may earn a commission if you buy it through our link. Commissions never change a score or the order of the suggestions.
Does it work for cats?
Yes, and cats get their own rules. Cats need more protein than dogs, they need taurine on the label, and propylene glycol is prohibited in cat food by the FDA, so it caps the score at 15.
What does it cost?
BowlScore Premium is $34.99 per year with a 3 day free trial, or $5.99 per month. Both renew automatically until you cancel.
How do I cancel?
Open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, choose BowlScore and tap Cancel Subscription. Cancel at least 24 hours before the renewal date and you will not be charged again.
What happens to my photos?
A label photo is sent to our server and to Google Gemini so the text can be read. We do not store the photo. We keep only the text that was read and the score, so your scan history works.
Which foods are covered?
Any dog or cat food with a printed ingredient list: dry, wet, fresh, freeze dried, raw and treats. If a barcode is not in the Open Pet Food Facts database yet, snap the ingredient list instead and you still get a score.
