An unfamiliar ingredient can tell you what a manufacturer declared and often why it is there. It cannot, by itself, rate the whole food, prove ingredient quality or show that it is causing a reaction in your dog.
What this decoder does — and does not do
It explains UK label wording, its usual formulation role and the limits of what a label can establish. It does not score foods, rank brands, diagnose sensitivity, infer an undeclared species or replace a vet or manufacturer.
Ownership disclosure: Some Grub makes dog food and treats. That is why this is a reference to wording and evidence limits, not a rating system or a recommendation engine.
Look up an exact label term
Start with the wording on the bag
All 30 records are shown below. Search is optional.
This is a legal category label for animal-derived feed materials, not the name of one ingredient. It can be used when the maker declares the category rather than each species or material.
Also written as
animal derivatives · meat and products derived from animals · animal by-products
Evidence confidence
Regulatory definition and label-limit explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A broad category used in pet-food labelling for materials derived from animals.
Why it may be used: It can describe protein, energy, texture or flavour-contributing animal materials in a recipe.
A label can establish
It establishes that the label is using a broad animal-derived category.
A label cannot establish
It does not establish the species, exact material, proportion, grade, digestibility or suitability for an avoidance diet.
Sensitivity relevance: This wording can be relevant when a dog is avoiding a named animal protein because the species is not stated. It does not show that the term caused any signs.
Looking at a suspect ingredient?
The checker reads a full label for named sources and broad wording. It does not diagnose your dog.
Dehydrated animal protein is animal-derived protein with water removed. The wording can be specific, such as poultry, or broad, such as animal protein.
Also written as
dried animal protein · animal protein · dehydrated poultry protein
Evidence confidence
Regulatory catalogue and label wording.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A dried animal-protein material used in a feed recipe.
Why it may be used: Removing water makes a stable, concentrated ingredient that can contribute protein and flavour.
A label can establish
It can establish that a dried animal-protein material is declared and may name a group such as poultry.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish the exact species where the label is broad, the inclusion rate, quality or how the whole food performs.
Sensitivity relevance: A named source gives more information than a broad one. Broad animal wording is a reason to ask the manufacturer a better question, not a diagnosis.
Looking at a suspect ingredient?
The checker reads a full label for named sources and broad wording. It does not diagnose your dog.
Meat meal is a dried animal-derived ingredient. A named meal tells you more about its source than a broad term such as poultry meal, but the word meal alone is not a quality rating.
What it is: A dry, concentrated animal-derived feed material.
Why it may be used: It can provide protein and flavour while keeping a dry recipe workable.
A label can establish
A named meal can identify the declared animal source.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish ingredient quality, freshness, exact inclusion or a food's overall nutritional suitability.
Sensitivity relevance: For a named source, use the full label to check what is declared. Broad poultry or animal wording may not answer an avoidance question on its own.
Looking at a suspect ingredient?
The checker reads a full label for named sources and broad wording. It does not diagnose your dog.
Animal digest is an animal-derived material that has been processed into smaller components, often for flavour or palatability. A broad animal digest label does not name the source species.
Also written as
digest · animal protein digest · hydrolysed animal protein
Evidence confidence
Regulatory catalogue and label-limit explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A processed animal-derived feed material; the exact process and source should be stated only where the label does so.
Why it may be used: Manufacturers may use it for flavour or palatability.
A label can establish
It establishes that a digest is declared and may name a source if the label includes one.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish the degree of processing, source species where broad wording is used, or that it is a therapeutic hydrolysed diet.
Sensitivity relevance: A broad animal digest can be relevant to a protein-avoidance question. It cannot confirm an exposure or a reaction.
Looking at a suspect ingredient?
The checker reads a full label for named sources and broad wording. It does not diagnose your dog.
Hydrolysed protein has been broken into smaller fragments. Hydrolysis can reduce allergenicity, but it does not guarantee that every sensitised dog will tolerate a food made from that source.
Also written as
hydrolyzed protein · protein hydrolysate · hydrolysed animal protein · hydrolysed soya protein
Evidence confidence
Well-evidenced, qualified conclusion from a systematic review and a laboratory study.
Read the label limits+
What it is: Protein processed into smaller fragments; the source and extent of hydrolysis matter.
Why it may be used: It may be used for flavour, digestibility or in specialised diets.
A label can establish
It establishes that hydrolysis is declared and may name the protein source.
A label cannot establish
It does not usually state how far the protein was hydrolysed or guarantee that a dog with a known reaction will tolerate it.
Sensitivity relevance: Do not stop or replace a prescribed veterinary diet from this page. If the question is whether a suspect appears on a label, use the checker as a label-reading aid and discuss a food trial with a vet.
Looking at a suspect ingredient?
The checker reads a full label for named sources and broad wording. It does not diagnose your dog.
Fish meal is dried, concentrated fish-derived material. If the label does not name a species, it cannot tell you which fish was used or how much omega-3 it provides.
Also written as
fish protein · dried fish · marine fish meal
Evidence confidence
Regulatory catalogue and label-limit explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A dried fish-derived feed material.
Why it may be used: It can contribute protein and flavour to a recipe.
A label can establish
It establishes that fish-derived material is declared, and may name a species when written on the label.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish the species, EPA/DHA amount, inclusion rate or suitability for an individual dog.
Sensitivity relevance: Fish is a named protein source. A label can show whether it is named, but cannot diagnose a reaction.
Insect protein is protein from an identified insect source when the label says so. The species and processing method should be read from the specific label rather than inferred from the word insect.
Also written as
fresh insect · dried insect · black soldier fly larvae · Hermetia illucens · insect meal · dried insect protein
Evidence confidence
Descriptive label explanation; no universal health or sustainability conclusion.
Read the label limits+
What it is: An insect-derived feed material, sometimes named by species such as black soldier fly larvae.
Why it may be used: It can provide a declared protein source in a dog-food recipe.
A label can establish
It can establish that insect is declared and may identify a species or form such as fresh or dried.
A label cannot establish
It cannot prove allergy tolerance, universal digestibility, environmental superiority or suitability for every dog.
Sensitivity relevance: It is a named protein source, not a diagnosis. Use the full label and professional advice for a genuine avoidance question.
Disclosure: Some Grub makes insect-protein dog food and treats. That commercial interest is why this record describes label wording and limits rather than rating the ingredient.
Looking at a suspect ingredient?
The checker reads a full label for named sources and broad wording. It does not diagnose your dog.
Collagen and gelatine are animal-derived structural proteins. In food, they can help with texture or binding; their presence alone does not establish a joint, skin or coat outcome.
Derivatives of vegetable origin is a broad label category for plant-derived materials. It does not name the plant or show the amount of each material.
Also written as
vegetable derivatives · products of vegetable origin · plant derivatives
Evidence confidence
Regulatory definition and label-limit explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A category declaration for materials derived from plants.
Why it may be used: Different plant-derived materials can contribute texture, fibre, energy or processing functions.
A label can establish
It establishes that a plant-derived category is declared.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish the plant source, processing detail, inclusion rate, quality or a health outcome.
Sensitivity relevance: This broad wording is not, by itself, an allergen-identification term. Ask the manufacturer if a specific plant source matters for a vet-led avoidance plan.
Cellulose is an insoluble structural plant fibre. It may be used to adjust a recipe's fibre and texture, but the word cellulose does not by itself rate a food or predict an outcome for one dog.
Beet pulp is the fibrous material left after sugar extraction from sugar beet. In a six-dog crossover study, a diet with 7.5% beet pulp changed measured faecal microbial community structure; it did not measure a clinical health outcome.
Regulatory description plus limited dog-specific intervention evidence: six healthy adult dogs, 7.5% inclusion, microbiome structure rather than clinical outcome.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A fibrous sugar-beet by-product used as a feed material.
Why it may be used: It can contribute fibre and affect recipe texture.
A label can establish
It establishes that beet pulp is declared.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish the inclusion rate, that more fibre is better, that beet pulp is superior to other fibres, or a health outcome for a dog.
Sensitivity relevance: Beet pulp is not normally a named animal-protein avoidance term. It cannot show what is causing a dog's signs.
Inulin is a fermentable fibre, often obtained from chicory. In dog studies pooled in a meta-analysis, prebiotic supplements including inulin-type ingredients increased measured bifidobacteria and lactobacilli; that is not an immune or individual health promise.
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are short-chain fermentable fibres. They are used as prebiotic-type ingredients, but a label cannot tell you the dose or promise a stool, immune or health result.
Also written as
FOS · fructo-oligosaccharides · oligofructose
Evidence confidence
Well-evidenced for measured microbiota changes within pooled study ranges; outcome claims remain limited.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A group of fermentable carbohydrate fibres.
Why it may be used: They may be included as a prebiotic-type fibre.
A label can establish
It establishes that FOS is declared.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish dose, an individual response, immune support or a clinical outcome.
Sensitivity relevance: FOS is not normally a named animal-protein avoidance term and does not diagnose a sensitivity.
Mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) are carbohydrate fibres often associated with yeast cell walls. They may be used as a prebiotic-type ingredient, without making the food an immune or digestive treatment.
Also written as
MOS · mannan-oligosaccharides · yeast MOS
Evidence confidence
Evidence for prebiotic-type measures is pooled and does not prove an individual health outcome.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A carbohydrate fibre commonly derived from yeast cell-wall material.
Why it may be used: It may be included for formulation or prebiotic-type fibre purposes.
A label can establish
It establishes that MOS is declared.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish the dose, a clinical benefit, immune support or suitability for one dog.
Sensitivity relevance: MOS is not normally a named animal-protein avoidance term and cannot diagnose a sensitivity.
Pea protein is a concentrated plant-protein ingredient. It is different from whole peas, pea starch and pea fibre, which have different compositions and formulation roles.
Also written as
pea protein isolate · pea protein concentrate · dried pea protein
Evidence confidence
Descriptive label and formulation explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A plant-protein ingredient concentrated from peas.
Why it may be used: It can contribute protein and help formulate a recipe.
A label can establish
It establishes that pea protein is declared.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish the quality of all protein in the food, amino-acid balance, inclusion rate or a health outcome.
Sensitivity relevance: It is a named plant ingredient, not proof that it is causing signs. A specific avoidance question belongs with the full label and a vet where needed.
Pea starch is the carbohydrate-rich fraction of peas. Pea flour and pea fibre are not interchangeable names: each describes a different part or form of the pea.
Also written as
pea starch · pea flour · pea fibre · pea starch concentrate
Evidence confidence
Descriptive label and formulation explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A starch-rich ingredient from peas.
Why it may be used: It can contribute energy, texture or binding in a recipe.
A label can establish
It establishes the specific pea form only when the label names it.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish the amount of protein or fibre in the full food, food quality or a health outcome.
Sensitivity relevance: A named pea ingredient is not a diagnosis. The wording should be read as written rather than collapsed into a generic claim about peas.
Brewer's yeast is a yeast-derived ingredient, commonly from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It may be used for flavour or as a source of nutrients, but its name does not prove a skin, coat, immune or flea-related effect.
Animal fat is a broad animal-derived fat declaration. It can provide energy and improve palatability, but broad wording does not identify the species or fatty-acid profile.
Also written as
animal fats · rendered animal fat · tallow
Evidence confidence
Regulatory definition and label-limit explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: An animal-derived fat feed material; the source may be broad or named on the label.
Why it may be used: It can supply energy, flavour and texture.
A label can establish
It establishes that an animal-derived fat is declared.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish source species, residual protein, fatty-acid profile, quality or suitability for an avoidance diet.
Sensitivity relevance: Fat is not the same as a named protein source. A broad animal-fat label cannot settle a protein-avoidance question or diagnose signs.
Looking at a suspect ingredient?
The checker reads a full label for named sources and broad wording. It does not diagnose your dog.
Poultry fat is fat from poultry; chicken fat is more specific than poultry fat. The wording is about a fat, not a guarantee about residual protein or suitability for a food trial.
Also written as
chicken fat · poultry oil · chicken oil
Evidence confidence
Regulatory catalogue and label-limit explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A poultry-derived fat feed material, sometimes named more specifically as chicken fat.
Why it may be used: It can provide energy and palatability.
A label can establish
A named chicken fat declaration identifies the stated source more precisely than broad poultry fat.
A label cannot establish
It cannot guarantee zero residual protein, identify every poultry species in broad wording or establish suitability for an individual dog.
Sensitivity relevance: If chicken or poultry is a concern, read the whole label and use the checker to see what is named. It cannot tell you what caused signs.
Fish oil is an oil from fish. It can contribute fat and palatability, but its name does not establish the EPA/DHA amount, purity or a clinical benefit unless those details are separately declared and sourced.
Also written as
salmon oil · marine oil · fish body oil
Evidence confidence
Regulatory catalogue and label-limit explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A fish-derived oil feed material.
Why it may be used: It can contribute energy, fatty acids and palatability.
A label can establish
It establishes that fish oil or a named fish oil is declared.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish species when broad, EPA/DHA quantity, purity, dose or a health outcome.
Sensitivity relevance: Fish oil is not the same as fish protein. It cannot guarantee zero protein residue or diagnose a reaction.
Vegetable oils and fats is a broad category declaration for plant-derived oils or fats. The term does not name the plant source or show the fatty-acid balance.
Also written as
vegetable oil · plant oils · oils and fats
Evidence confidence
Regulatory definition and label-limit explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A category declaration for plant-derived oils and fats.
Why it may be used: They can provide energy, texture and palatability.
A label can establish
It establishes that broad plant-derived oil or fat wording is used.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish the plant source, fatty-acid profile, quality or a health outcome.
Sensitivity relevance: This broad term is not normally a named animal-protein avoidance term. Ask the manufacturer if a specific source matters to a vet-led plan.
Linseed oil, also called flaxseed oil, is a plant oil. It may contribute energy and fatty acids, but it is not interchangeable with preformed EPA or DHA and its presence does not promise a skin or coat outcome.
Also written as
flaxseed oil · flax oil · linseed
Evidence confidence
Descriptive label and formulation explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: An oil from linseed (flaxseed).
Why it may be used: It can contribute fat and help formulate a recipe.
A label can establish
It establishes that linseed or flax oil is declared.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish EPA/DHA content, dose, fatty-acid balance in the full food or a health outcome.
Sensitivity relevance: It is a named plant oil, not evidence that it is causing signs.
Mixed tocopherols are vitamin-E compounds used as antioxidants in food. Their presence usually describes a preservation function, not a health promise for the dog eating the food.
Also written as
tocopherol extracts · vitamin E · natural antioxidants · E306
Evidence confidence
Regulatory additive-function explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A group of tocopherol compounds used as an antioxidant additive.
Why it may be used: They can help protect fats from oxidation during storage.
A label can establish
It establishes that tocopherols are declared, and may show an additive number such as E306.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish the food's vitamin-E nutrition, shelf life, quality or a clinical benefit.
Sensitivity relevance: This is not normally a named animal-protein avoidance term and cannot diagnose a sensitivity.
Glycerol, often written as glycerine or glycerin, is a humectant: it helps keep some foods soft or moist. Its name alone does not establish a benefit or harm.
Also written as
glycerine · glycerin · vegetable glycerine · E422
Evidence confidence
Regulatory additive-function explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A humectant ingredient, also listed as additive E422.
Why it may be used: It can help retain moisture and support texture in soft foods or treats.
A label can establish
It establishes that glycerol or glycerine is declared.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish source, amount, food quality or a health outcome.
Sensitivity relevance: Glycerol is not normally a named animal-protein avoidance term and cannot diagnose a sensitivity.
Guar gum is a plant-derived thickening and stabilising ingredient. A label naming it explains a texture function, not a digestive benefit or harm for an individual dog.
Also written as
guar · E412 · guar flour
Evidence confidence
Regulatory additive-function explanation; dog-specific outcome evidence is not asserted.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A gum from guar beans used as a thickener or stabiliser.
Why it may be used: It can help control texture and consistency.
A label can establish
It establishes that guar gum is declared, sometimes as E412.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish dose, digestive outcome or the quality of the whole food.
Sensitivity relevance: Guar gum is not normally a named animal-protein avoidance term and cannot diagnose a sensitivity.
Carrageenan is a seaweed-derived gelling or thickening ingredient. A food label tells you that the material is declared; it does not turn unrelated experimental forms into a verdict on the food-grade material in that recipe.
Also written as
E407 · processed eucheuma seaweed · carrageen
Evidence confidence
Regulatory additive-function explanation; no broad safety or health conclusion is made.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A seaweed-derived hydrocolloid used for gelling, thickening or stabilising.
Why it may be used: It can help create and maintain texture, particularly in moist foods.
A label can establish
It establishes that carrageenan is declared, sometimes as E407.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish the amount, a whole-food safety verdict or a health effect for one dog.
Sensitivity relevance: Carrageenan is not normally a named animal-protein avoidance term and cannot diagnose a sensitivity.
Yucca schidigera is a plant extract that may appear in pet-food formulations. The label can show that it is present, but it does not establish a stool, gut or odour outcome without a separately applicable dog study.
Also written as
yucca extract · Yucca schidigera extract · yucca
Evidence confidence
Descriptive label explanation; dog-specific outcome evidence is not asserted.
Read the label limits+
What it is: A plant-derived extract from Yucca schidigera.
Why it may be used: A manufacturer may include it for stated technological or sensory formulation reasons.
A label can establish
It establishes that the extract is declared.
A label cannot establish
It cannot establish dose, a clinical effect or a benefit for one dog.
Sensitivity relevance: Yucca wording is not normally a named animal-protein avoidance term and cannot diagnose a sensitivity.
'Minerals' in an ingredient list and 'crude ash' in analytical constituents are not interchangeable ingredient names. Crude ash is a laboratory measure of the inorganic residue left after a sample is heated.
Also written as
minerals · ash · crude ash · inorganic matter
Evidence confidence
Regulatory label-structure explanation.
Read the label limits+
What it is: Minerals may be declared ingredients; crude ash is an analytical-constituent measurement.
Why it may be used: Declared mineral ingredients can contribute essential nutrients; crude ash is reported to describe the analysed food.
A label can establish
It can distinguish a composition-list term from an analytical figure when the label shows both.
A label cannot establish
A crude-ash number cannot by itself establish ingredient quality, mineral balance, digestibility or suitability for a dog.
Sensitivity relevance: Neither term is normally a named animal-protein avoidance term and neither diagnoses a sensitivity.
Natural flavouring describes a sensory function or flavouring category. If the label does not name the source, the term cannot tell you what it is made from or whether it fits an avoidance diet.
Definitions and label limits are linked to UK/EU regulatory and recognised pet-food labelling sources beside each record. Physiological statements appear only where the adjacent DOI supports the narrow wording. If a label term is missing or a source needs correcting, please contact us through the contact page with the exact wording and source.