Skip to main content
snıff
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

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Pedigree Tender Bites Complete Nutrition Chicken & Steak Flavor Dry Dog Food is a dry food primarily featuring chicken by-product.

There isn't much to highlight here. The product lacks an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional adequacy is not formally guaranteed, making it difficult to point to any strong positives.

This food contains BHA, a synthetic preservative classified as a probable carcinogen. It also includes several artificial colors like red 40, yellow 6, blue 2, and yellow 5, which offer no nutritional value and are linked to various concerns.

Hard to recommend for any dog due to the presence of multiple flagged ingredients and the lack of an AAFCO statement.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Good fit for adult Labrador Retrievers navigating weight management. At 335 kcal/cup this formula runs on the lean side, with crude fiber at 4% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's 2023 survey, 59% of dogs in the United States were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinary healthcare professional, representing an estimated 55 million dogs  (APOP, 2023) .

Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

Concerning grade. 0/100 (F) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. What capped it: the score can't exceed 39 because multiple FLAG-tier ingredients are stacked in the formula. Removing the cap alone wouldn't change the band. Controversial-ingredient penalty is the deeper issue.

What lifted the score

No positive drivers crossed our reporting threshold.

What pulled it down

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
What sets this apart
  • Lowest DMB protein in Pedigree's lineup (23.9%)
  • Top quartile for caloric density in Pedigree's lineup (335 kcal/cup)
  • Lowest fat quality in Pedigree's lineup (2/16)

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.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
Pedigree Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Flavor with Bacon Flavored Bites Adult Dry Dog Food, 44-lb bag
Pedigree

Pedigree Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Flavor with Bacon Flavored Bites Adult Dry Dog Food, 44-lb bag

13

Scores 13 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
Pedigree Large Breed Adult Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Pedigree

Pedigree Large Breed Adult Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag

0

$0.65/lb vs your seed's $0.80/lb (19% less) at a comparable score.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Controversial ingredients · 5

  • 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.

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.

    Position 1 grain: primary carbohydrate base. This is a grain-inclusive formula with ground whole grain corn as the dominant carb.

  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. See why →

    Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.

  3. 3
    corn gluten meal

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

    Position 3: plant protein in the top 5. Stacked with animal protein, can inflate the crude protein number without matching the amino-acid quality of named animal sources.

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

    Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.

  5. 5
    soybean meal

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

    Position 5: plant protein in the top 5. Stacked with animal protein, can inflate the crude protein number without matching the amino-acid quality of named animal sources.

  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

    Position 7: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.

  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. See why →

    Position 9: minor grain inclusion.

  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. See why →

    Position 12: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.

  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. See why →

  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.