Chopped Burger Dry Dog Food, 6-oz pouch, case of 36
Graded by The Sniff System
Moist & Meaty Chopped Burger Dry Dog Food is a soft-moist dry food, primarily featuring beef, though the life stage isn't specified.
There isn't much to highlight here. The product does not have an AAFCO statement, which means we can't confirm it meets established nutrient profiles for any life stage.
This food contains high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup, which are added sugars with no nutritional purpose for dogs. It also includes ethoxyquin, a synthetic antioxidant that was originally a rubber stabilizer.
Hard to recommend for any dog due to the multiple flagged ingredients and lack of an AAFCO statement.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Beef by-product anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15. In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) .
Looking at this for adult Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 6/100, landing in F-tier (avoid). A hard cap of 39 also applied because multiple FLAG-tier ingredients are stacked in the formula. Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address controversial-ingredient penalty as well.
No positive drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom 4% for fat quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (4/16)
- Bottom 2% for carb quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (9/16)
- Bottom 3% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (6/100)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
Nutro Natural Choice Adult Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 36-lb bag
Scores 59 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Big Red Complete Adult Meat Dry Dog Food, 50-lb bag
$0.56/lb vs your seed's $1.44/lb (61% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 3
- high fructose corn syrupAdded sugar. No nutritional purpose in dog food; commonly added to semi-moist treats for palatability.
- corn syrupAdded sugar. No nutritional purpose in dog food; commonly added to semi-moist treats for palatability.
- ethoxyquinSynthetic antioxidant originally developed as a rubber stabilizer. The FDA asked manufacturers to voluntarily reduce levels in 1997. Often present in fish meal without being declared on the label.
Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →
Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 27%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1beef by-product
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2soy flour
Refined soy. Cheap plant protein, common in budget formulas. Pads the protein percent without matching meat amino acids.
- 3soy grits
- 4high fructose corn syrup Flagged
- 5water
Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.
- 6wheat flour
Refined wheat, usually used as a binder. Cheap, not harmful, not a nutrition contributor.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7othercorn syrup Flagged
Added sugar, usually for palatability or moisture. Dogs don't need added sugar. Common in semi-moist treats. See why →
- 8protein animalbeef
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9phosphoric acid
- 10mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 11beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols
Real animal fat from a named species, with natural vitamin E doing the preservation. The clean version.
Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13soybean oil
Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.
Position 13: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 14sorbic acid
- 15calcium propionate
- 16mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 17mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 18mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 19mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 20mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 21mineralsodium selenite Flagged
Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →
- 22supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 23supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 24preservative syntheticethoxyquin Flagged
Synthetic preservative originally developed as a herbicide. Common in fish meal, sometimes not on the label because suppliers add it before delivery. Banned in human food. See why →
- 25red 40. c410319
18 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.