Dog Food Ingredients to Avoid: A Straightforward Guide

At a glance

• Vague terms like "meat and animal derivatives" can legally include low-quality offcuts, beaks, feet, and connective tissue with minimal nutritional value.
• Artificial preservatives BHA and BHT are permitted in UK pet food but have been restricted in human food in several countries due to potential health concerns.
• Propylene glycol, an antifreeze-related humectant, is banned from cat food in the US but still allowed in some dog foods.
• Artificial colours such as Red 40, Yellow 5, and Titanium Dioxide serve no nutritional purpose and exist purely for visual appeal to humans.
• Added sugar, salt, and cheap fillers like excessive maize gluten can contribute to obesity, dental issues, and digestive upset over time.

What ingredients should you actually avoid in dog food?

The ingredients worth avoiding in dog food are vague meat derivatives, artificial preservatives (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin), propylene glycol, artificial colours, and excessive fillers used to bulk out cheap recipes. None of these are illegal in the UK, but none of them earn their place in a bowl either. They're either nutritionally empty, poorly regulated for long-term safety, or added purely to make food look and smell more appealing on a shelf.

Vague ingredient labelling is one of the biggest red flags. UK and EU regulations allow manufacturers to list "meat and animal derivatives" without specifying the source or quality. This single term can legally cover anything from muscle meat to beaks, feet, and connective tissue, and the exact ratio can change between batches. Marleybones names its meat sources directly, such as beef, chicken, lamb, or salmon, so owners know exactly what's going into each pack.

Understanding what's on a label is the first defence against poor-quality food. A complete guide to dog food ingredients and nutrition labels breaks down exactly how to decode an ingredients panel, including the order rule (ingredients are listed by weight, heaviest first) and how to spot marketing language designed to obscure quality.

Why are BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin used, and are they safe?

BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are synthetic preservatives added to extend shelf life by slowing down fat oxidation, which is what causes food to go rancid. They're approved for use in UK pet food, but BHA and BHT are classified as possible human carcinogens by some international bodies, and ethoxyquin has been restricted in several countries for use in human food due to safety concerns.

The counterargument is that natural alternatives like vitamin E (tocopherols) and vitamin C achieve a similar preserving effect without the same regulatory scrutiny. Many premium and fresh food brands have already made this switch. Marleybones meals are sealed and slow-cooked in-pack without any added preservatives, relying on the sealing process itself rather than synthetic chemicals to keep the food shelf-stable.

Do artificial colours and flavours cause problems in dogs?

Artificial colours and flavours serve no nutritional purpose in dog food. Dogs don't choose food based on colour, and added dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Titanium Dioxide exist purely to make food look more appetising to the human buying it. Some of these dyes have been linked to hyperactivity and allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, in both human and animal studies.

Artificial flavour enhancers work similarly. They mask the smell and taste of low-quality meat derivatives, making a poor recipe seem more palatable without improving what's actually in the bowl. If a dog food needs added flavouring to be appealing, that's usually a sign the base ingredients aren't doing the job on their own.

What about sugar, salt, and fillers?

Added sugar, excess salt, and cheap bulk fillers reduce the nutritional quality of dog food without providing any real benefit. Sugar has no place in a dog's diet and contributes directly to obesity and dental decay. Excess salt can strain kidney function over time, particularly in older dogs or those with existing health conditions.

Fillers are trickier to spot because some, like oats or brown rice, are genuinely useful sources of fibre and energy. The issue is when cheap starches such as maize gluten or wheat feed make up a huge proportion of the recipe purely to cut costs, leaving little room for actual meat or named nutrients. This is different from thoughtfully included ingredients like quinoa, chia seeds, or linseeds, which contribute fibre, omega-3s, and micronutrients rather than just bulk.

If a dog shows persistent digestive upset, skin irritation, or unexplained weight changes after eating a particular food, it's worth speaking to a vet rather than guessing which ingredient is to blame. Chronic or worsening symptoms deserve proper investigation, not trial and error.

How can you check if a dog food is actually free from these ingredients?

The only reliable way to check is to read the full ingredients list, not just the front-of-pack claims. Terms like "natural" or "no nasties" aren't legally regulated in the same way "no artificial preservatives" is, so the small print matters more than the marketing. Look for named meat sources, recognisable whole-food ingredients, and preservatives listed as vitamin E or citric acid rather than E-numbers.

Chicory root is a good example of an ingredient that sounds unfamiliar but is genuinely beneficial. It's one of the most well-researched prebiotics in dog nutrition, feeding the beneficial bacteria that keep digestion stable, and its presence on a label is a positive sign rather than something to avoid.

Every dog is different. Build your personalised Marleybones feeding and health plan tailored to your dog's age, size, and health requirements if you're unsure what suits your dog best.

Fresh food formats sidestep many of these issues by design, since they rely on minimal processing rather than long shelf lives achieved through synthetic additives. Marleybones' Boss Beef recipe, for example, uses named beef alongside superfoods like hemp seeds and linseeds, with no fillers or artificial preservatives on the label.

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FAQs

Is meat meal a bad ingredient in dog food?

Meat meal itself isn't inherently bad. Named meat meals, such as "chicken meal," are concentrated protein sources and can be high quality. The concern is unnamed "meat and animal derivatives," which don't specify species or quality and can vary batch to batch.

Are grains bad for dogs?

No, grains aren't inherently harmful for most dogs. Whole grains like oats and brown rice provide fibre and energy. The FDA's investigation into grain-free diets and heart disease found a possible link with legume-heavy recipes, not grains themselves, so grain-free isn't automatically healthier.

What does "animal by-products" mean on a dog food label?

Animal by-products refers to parts of the animal not typically eaten by humans, such as organs, feet, and beaks. Some by-products, like liver and kidney, are nutrient-dense and beneficial. The issue arises when the term is used vaguely without specifying which by-products are included.

Can artificial preservatives cause allergies in dogs?

Some dogs show sensitivity reactions to artificial preservatives, including skin irritation and digestive upset, though confirmed allergic reactions are less common than food intolerances to specific proteins. Switching to naturally preserved food resolves symptoms in many reported cases.

Is it worth paying more for dog food without these ingredients?

Generally yes, because higher-quality ingredients typically mean better digestibility and fewer fillers diluting the nutritional value. This often means dogs need smaller portions to meet their needs, partially offsetting the higher price per pack.

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