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Pedigree Tender Bites Complete Nutrition Chicken & Steak Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Pedigree

Tender Bites Complete Nutrition Chicken & Steak Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry $0.80/lb

Pedigree Tender Bites Complete Nutrition Chicken & Steak Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 0/100 (F) with Fair evidence. 5 controversial ingredients flagged. Score capped at 39 due to 5 FLAG ingredients.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Score capped at 39 due to 5 FLAG ingredients.

CAP why?

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

Contains bha. IARC Group 2B probable carcinogen; CA Prop 65 listed; FDA reassessment announced 2025. Natural alternatives (mixed tocopherols) widely available..

CIP

Controversial ingredients · 6

  • bha
    Synthetic preservative classified by the U.S. National Toxicology Program as 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.' Many premium brands have removed it.
  • red 40
    Artificial color with no nutritional value. Linked to behavioral effects in children; relevance to dogs is unclear but the ingredient serves only marketing purposes.
  • yellow 6
    Artificial color with no nutritional value.
  • blue 2
    Artificial color. A 1990s industry-funded study reported brain tumors in male rats; subsequent reviews disputed methodology, but the additive provides no nutritional benefit.
  • yellow 5
    Artificial color with no nutritional value. Some dogs show allergic-type reactions.
  • 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: 24% ⓘ
Protein
21%
min (as fed)
Fat
10%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4%
max (as fed)
Moisture
12%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

45 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    ground whole grain corn

    Whole corn with the kernel intact. Decent fiber and B vitamins, though it can crowd out meat in cheaper recipes.

  2. 2
    chicken by-product meal

    Ground organs, bone, and tissue. Nutritionally dense, especially the liver and gizzard fractions. Named species ('chicken') is what matters. Generic 'poultry by-product meal' is the one to worry about.

  3. 3
    corn gluten meal

    Concentrated corn protein. Inflates the protein percent on the label without matching meat-quality amino acids.

  4. 4
    animal fat [preserved with bha/citric acid]
  5. 5
    soybean meal

    Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.

  6. 6
    meat and bone meal

    Unnamed animal protein with bone included. Cheap, vague, and not traceable to a specific species.

  7. 7
    ground whole grain wheat
  8. 8
    natural flavor

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

  9. 9
    brewers rice

    Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version.

  10. 10
    water

    Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.

  11. 11
    glycerin

    Humectant used in soft-moist foods to keep them chewy. Safe in moderation but a signal of a processed semi-moist product.

  12. 12
    chicken meal

    Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken.

  13. 13
    salt

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

  14. 14
    sugar

    Added sugar. No nutritional purpose for dogs. Most often found in budget semi-moist foods.

  15. 15
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  16. 16
    monocalcium phosphate

    Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard mineral inclusion in complete dog foods.

  17. 17
    potassium chloride

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

  18. 18
    choline chloride

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

  19. 19
    phosphoric acid
  20. 20
    dried 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 →

  21. 21
    potassium sorbate
  22. 22
    dl-methionine

    Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.

  23. 23
    natural grilled steak flavor
  24. 24
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  25. 25
    zinc sulfate

    Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.

Showing first 25 of 45. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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