Pet food unmasked: what the label does not tell you

The words on the front

Naming rules are stricter than most people think, and they are easy to misread. In the EU, "with chicken" only requires 4% chicken. "Chicken flavour" requires even less. A product called simply "Chicken" has to contain a much larger share.

Water hides the real numbers

Wet food can be around 80% water, dry food around 10%. So 8% protein on a tin and 25% on a bag of kibble tell you nothing until you compare them without the water. That is why PurePaw shows moisture next to meat and fillers.

Order of ingredients

Ingredients are listed by weight before cooking. Fresh meat is heavy with water, so "chicken" can appear first while cereals, listed separately as wheat, maize and rice, make up more of the food together.

Additives worth a second look

Most additives are harmless and many are necessary: foods lose vitamins during heat processing, so vitamins and minerals are added back. That is normal. A few are worth a closer look:

• BHA, a synthetic preservative that the IARC classifies as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2B). It is permitted within set limits in many countries.
• Artificial colours, which are there for the owner. Your pet does not care what colour the food is.
• Added sugars, such as caramel or sucrose, in some treats and wet foods.

This does not mean all commercial food is bad

Plenty of commercial foods are well formulated and properly tested. The point is not to fear the bag, but to read it: a named protein, a clear "complete" statement, honest moisture and as few unnecessary additives as possible.