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Merrick Lil' Plates Grain-Free Chicken-Free Real Beef, Sweet Potato + Peas with Raw Bites Recipe Small Breed Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag
Merrick

Lil' Plates Grain-Free Chicken-Free Real Beef, Sweet Potato + Peas with Raw Bites Recipe Small Breed Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
raw $5.60/lb

Merrick Lil' Plates Grain-Free Chicken-Free Real Beef, Sweet Potato + Peas with Raw Bites Recipe Small Breed Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 74/100 (B) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Strong protein profile with beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Strong protein profile with beef 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

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • 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.

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

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 36% ⓘ
Protein
32%
min (as fed)
Fat
15%
min (as fed)
Fiber
3.5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
11%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

34 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    beef

    Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.

  2. 2
    pork and bone meal
  3. 3
    salmon meal

    Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient.

  4. 4
    sweet potato

    Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.

  5. 5
    potato

    Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.

  6. 6
    peas

    Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

  7. 7
    pea protein

    Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.

  8. 8
    pork fat preserved with mixed tocopherols
  9. 9
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  10. 10
    potato protein

    Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.

  11. 11
    beef hearts
  12. 12
    beef liver

    Organ meat. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients available, rich in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A.

  13. 13
    sunflower oil

    Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.

  14. 14
    miscanthus grass

    Perennial grass used as a fiber source. Replaces cellulose in some recipes. Functional but unremarkable.

  15. 15
    dried yeast

    Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.

  16. 16
    flaxseed

    Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.

  17. 17
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  18. 18
    tapioca

    Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.

  19. 19
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  20. 20
    apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

  21. 21
    salmon oil

    Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.

  22. 22
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

  23. 23
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  24. 24
    zinc amino acid complex

    Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.

  25. 25
    iron amino acid complex

    Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

Showing first 25 of 34. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.