Ingredient glossary
Every ingredient PawScore recognizes, grouped by risk level. Tap one for the full explanation.
Danger(7)
High risk(15)
- Animal by-product mealHeavily penalized
- Animal digestHeavily penalized
- BHAHeavily penalized
- BHTHeavily penalized
- Blue 2Heavily penalized
- Corn syrupHeavily penalized
- EthoxyquinHeavily penalized
- Meat and bone mealHeavily penalized
- Meat mealHeavily penalized
- Red 3Heavily penalized
- Red 40Heavily penalized
- TBHQHeavily penalized
- Titanium dioxideHeavily penalized
- Yellow 5Heavily penalized
- Yellow 6Heavily penalized
Moderate risk(22)
- Animal fatHeavily penalized
- Artificial flavorPenalized
- Blood mealPenalized
- CarrageenanPenalized
- Corn gluten mealPenalized
- DextrosePenalized
- Fish mealPenalized
- FructosePenalized
- Garlic powderPenalized
- Menadione sodium bisulfite complexPenalized
- Peanut hullsPenalized
- Poultry by-product mealPenalized
- Propyl gallatePenalized
- Propylene glycol (dog products)Penalized
- Rice hullsPenalized
- Sodium metabisulfitePenalized
- Sodium nitritePenalized
- SugarPenalized
- Unnamed fishPenalized
- Unnamed liverPenalized
- Wheat glutenPenalized
- Wheat middlingsPenalized
Low risk(23)
- Bone mealPenalized
- Brewers ricePenalized
- Calcium propionatePenalized
- Caramel colorPenalized
- Chicken by-product mealPenalized
- Corn branPenalized
- GlycerinPenalized
- Guar gumPenalized
- HoneyPenalized
- Iron oxidePenalized
- MaltodextrinPenalized
- MolassesPenalized
- Monosodium glutamatePenalized
- Named digests and liver flavorsPenalized
- Oat fiberPenalized
- Phosphoric acidPenalized
- Potassium sorbatePenalized
- Powdered cellulosePenalized
- Sodium tripolyphosphatePenalized
- SorbitolPenalized
- Soy protein concentratePenalized
- Soybean hullsPenalized
- Xanthan gumPenalized
Informational(60)
- Alfalfa mealNeutral / informational
- Amino acid supplementsNeutral / informational
- Animal plasmaNeutral / informational
- ApplesNeutral / informational
- Ascorbic acidNeutral / informational
- AvocadoNeutral / informational
- Beef tallowEarns credit
- Beta-caroteneNeutral / informational
- Broths and stocksNeutral / informational
- Calcium carbonateNeutral / informational
- Calcium chlorideNeutral / informational
- Calcium iodateNeutral / informational
- Canola oilNeutral / informational
- ChickpeasNeutral / informational
- Choline chlorideNeutral / informational
- Citric acidNeutral / informational
- Coconut oilNeutral / informational
- Copper sulfatePenalized
- Corn flourContextual flag
- Dairy ingredientsPenalized
- Dicalcium phosphateNeutral / informational
- DL-methionineNeutral / informational
- Ferrous sulfatePenalized
- Glucosamine from shellfishNeutral / informational
- Green tea extractNeutral / informational
- Ground yellow cornNeutral / informational
- Guar gum (wet food)Penalized
- Hydrolyzed proteinsNeutral / informational
- LecithinNeutral / informational
- LentilsNeutral / informational
- Manganous oxidePenalized
- MilletNeutral / informational
- Natural flavorNeutral / informational
- Olive oilNeutral / informational
- Pea fiberContextual flag
- Pea proteinContextual flag
- Pea starchContextual flag
- PeasNeutral / informational
- Potassium chlorideNeutral / informational
- PotatoContextual flag
- Potato proteinContextual flag
- Potato starchContextual flag
- Rice branContextual flag
- Rice flourContextual flag
- Rosemary extract caution noteNeutral / informational
- RyeNeutral / informational
- Salt (high position)Contextual flag
- Sodium bicarbonateNeutral / informational
- Sodium hexametaphosphateNeutral / informational
- Sodium selenitePenalized
- Sunflower oilNeutral / informational
- TapiocaPenalized
- Tomato pomaceNeutral / informational
- Tuna (cat foods)Neutral / informational
- Vitamin A supplementNeutral / informational
- Vitamin D3 supplementNeutral / informational
- Vitamin E supplementNeutral / informational
- Vitamin pack: B vitaminsNeutral / informational
- White riceNeutral / informational
- Zinc oxidePenalized
Positive(41)
- Ascorbyl palmitateEarns credit
- BarleyEarns credit
- Beet pulpEarns credit
- BlueberriesEarns credit
- Brewers dried yeastEarns credit
- Brown riceEarns credit
- CarrotsEarns credit
- Chelated mineralsEarns credit
- Chicken fatEarns credit
- Chicken mealEarns credit
- Chicory rootEarns credit
- Chondroitin sulfateEarns credit
- Deboned chickenEarns credit
- Dried egg productEarns credit
- Dried egg whitesEarns credit
- Dried fermentation products (probiotics)Earns credit
- Dried kelpEarns credit
- FlaxseedEarns credit
- Flaxseed oilEarns credit
- Glucosamine hydrochlorideEarns credit
- L-carnitineEarns credit
- Leafy greensEarns credit
- Menhaden fish mealEarns credit
- Mixed tocopherolsEarns credit
- Named fresh meats (beef, lamb, turkey, duck, salmon, etc.)Earns credit
- Named game and alternative proteinsEarns credit
- Named meals (salmon meal, lamb meal, turkey meal, etc.)Earns credit
- Named organ meatsEarns credit
- Named whitefish and herringEarns credit
- OatmealEarns credit
- Psyllium seed huskEarns credit
- PumpkinEarns credit
- Pumpkin seedsEarns credit
- QuinoaEarns credit
- Rosemary extractEarns credit
- Salmon oilEarns credit
- Salmon oil preserved with mixed tocopherolsEarns credit
- Sweet potatoEarns credit
- TaurineEarns credit
- Taurine (dog formulas)Earns credit
- Yucca schidigera extractEarns credit