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Merrick Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Real Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe, 4-lb bag
Merrick

Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Real Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe, 4-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry $6.75/lb

Merrick Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Real Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe, 4-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 59/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 1 controversial ingredient flagged. Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Strong protein profile with lamb as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF

Contains menadione. Banned for human OTC use but tolerated at AAFCO-permitted levels in pet food. The only AAFCO-permitted vitamin K source..

CIP

Controversial ingredients · 2

  • sodium selenite
    Synthetic selenium source. Selenium is essential, but sodium selenite has a narrower safety margin than organic alternatives like selenium yeast. Better-formulated foods use the organic form.
  • menadione
    Synthetic vitamin K3. Banned in human supplements due to toxicity concerns at high doses. Permitted in pet food but premium brands use natural vitamin K alternatives.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Protein
30%
min
Fat
17%
min
Fiber
4.5%
max
Moisture
11%
max
Ingredients
38 total
  1. 1 lamb
  2. 2 chicken meal
  3. 3 turkey meal
  4. 4 sweet potato
  5. 5 potato
  6. 6 peas
  7. 7 chicken fat
  8. 8 natural flavor
  9. 9 whitefish meal
  10. 10 flaxseed
  11. 11 dried yeast
  12. 12 potassium chloride
  13. 13 salt
  14. 14 choline chloride
  15. 15 apples
  16. 16 blueberries
  17. 17 salmon oil
  18. 18 zinc amino acid complex
  19. 19 iron amino acid complex
  20. 20 sodium selenite ⚠ Synthetic selenium source. Selenium is essential, but sodium selenite has a narrower safety margin than organic alternatives like selenium yeast. Better-formulated foods use the organic form.
  21. 21 manganese amino acid complex
  22. 22 copper amino acid complex
  23. 23 calcium iodate
  24. 24 dl-methionine
  25. 25 taurine

Showing first 25 of 38. Position 1-5 has the largest weight.