How we score a food
Figures measured as of October 5, 2026
Petiqueta analyzes a food's label and gives it a score from 0 to 100. The idea is simple: to turn an ingredient list that is hard to interpret into something you can understand at a glance, with full transparency about the reasons.
It’s not your fault. It’s the label.
If you’ve picked up the bag, read the composition and come away none the wiser, it’s not that you can’t read it. It’s that European law allows them not to tell you.
Those four names aren’t ours: they’re official categories from the annex to Directive 82/475/EEC, and Article 17(2)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 allows them to be used instead of the name of the ingredient. Only in pet food.
How much this is actually used
This isn’t just our impression. On 5 October 2026 we measured the 63,210 products in our catalogue that list a composition:
What the law DOES require of them (and you can check today)
Article 17(2)(a) of the same regulation says that if the packaging highlights an ingredient — in words, with a photo or with a drawing — it is mandatory to state the percentage of that ingredient. In other words: if the bag says «with salmon» or shows a salmon, it has to say how much salmon it contains. If it doesn’t, it isn’t complying.
That’s why Petiqueta doesn’t score what the packaging promises, but what it declares. And when it doesn’t declare something, we say we don’t know instead of making it up.
The scale
What we assess (and how much it weighs)
The score is the sum of six criteria. These are they, and what each one contributes out of 100:
With one exception: the sixth criterion does not apply to snacks, treats and chews. They are complementary foods, which by definition do not cover a complete daily ration, so they are scored on the other five and the result is scaled to a base of 100.
The first ingredient should be a named meat or fish (chicken, salmon…), not «by-products» or plant protein. Rewards several animal sources at the top; penalises cereals or plant protein dominating the first places.
Protein and fat suited to the species (cats need more than dogs), calculated on a dry matter basis so wet and dry food are compared fairly.
Where the cereals sit in the list + estimated carbohydrate percentage. Spots a cereal «split» into several entries to hide it.
Penalises BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, and artificial colourings. Top marks go only to food that declares natural preservatives (tocopherols, rosemary): «nothing bad in it» isn't enough.
Rewards specific ingredients and declared percentages; penalises vague terms («oils and fats», «derivatives»).
Whether the label says it's «complete and balanced» under FEDIAF/AAFCO. If it doesn't say so, we don't assume it is. It doesn't apply to snacks, treats and chews: they're complementary foods, which by definition don't cover a full daily ration, so they're scored on the other five criteria and the result is scaled to 100.
It is deterministic and auditable
The score is not decided by an artificial intelligence. AI is only used to read the label (recognizing the text in a photo). The score is computed by a fixed-rule algorithm: the same food, with the same data, always gets the same score. And inside the app you can expand the breakdown and see exactly how many points each criterion adds or subtracts, with its explanation.
What we use from FEDIAF and AAFCO
Our criteria and their weights are our own, drawing on methods from FEDIAF (the European pet food federation) and AAFCO (its US equivalent) and on European legislation. From FEDIAF and AAFCO we take calculation formulas: for the score, dry matter and carbohydrates by difference; for the portion, calories. From European law, what counts as a “complete” food. Important: FEDIAF/AAFCO are standards of adequacy (whether a food covers the needs), not a quality score. The 0 to 100 score is ours.
Where the data comes from
Product information comes largely from Open Pet Food Facts, an open, collaborative database (ODbL license), plus the products the community itself adds by scanning.
Sources and standards
The sources we consult (the criteria and the score are our own):
- NRC — Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats (National Research Council — the scientific basis)
- FEDIAF — Nutritional Guidelines (2025)
- AAFCO — Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles
- EFSA — safety of additives in animal food
- Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 — what counts as a “complete” food
- Open Pet Food Facts — product data (ODbL license)
An honest note
Recommendations of alternatives carry affiliate links (if you buy, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you). This does not influence the score: the score is calculated the same way for all products, whether or not they have a purchase link. The score is indicative and does not replace your veterinarian's advice, who knows your pet better than any label.
