Tender Bites Complete Nutrition Chicken & Steak Flavor Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, 14-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Pedigree Tender Bites Complete Nutrition Chicken & Steak Flavor is a dry dog food for adult small breeds, featuring chicken by-product meal as a primary protein.
The formula is inferred to be AAFCO complete for adult maintenance. It does contain chicken by-product meal and chicken meal within the top 12 ingredients, offering some animal protein.
This food contains five flagged ingredients: bha, red 40, yellow 6, blue 2, and yellow 5. The formula is also plant-protein dominated, with ground whole grain corn as the number one ingredient.
Hard to recommend for any dog. The flagged ingredients are the main story here.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
For French Bulldogs with suspected food allergies, a strict elimination diet for a minimum of 8 weeks is the diagnostic gold standard, as serological tests have low reliability per a 2018 review. Good fit for adult French Bulldogs navigating skin allergies. The protein deck is built around a single species (chicken), but artificial colors (red 40, yellow 6, blue 2, yellow 5) appear in the deck. What to watch: contains artificial colors (correlates with skin-reactive ingredients). Zinc is essential for skin immunity and healing; the NRC (2006) established a recommended allowance of 20 mg of zinc per 1000 kcal ME for adult dogs at maintenance (NRC, 2006) .
Looking at this for adult French Bulldogs or French Bulldogs with skin allergies ? 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.
At 1/100, this formula sits in territory where we recommend switching. The lift comes from AAFCO compliance, worth 4 points to the final number: AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer. The ceiling on this score is 39, set because multiple FLAG-tier ingredients are stacked in the formula. The cap isn't the binding constraint here. Controversial-ingredient penalty would also need to improve to reach the next band.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
Contains bha. IARC Group 2B probable carcinogen; CA Prop 65 listed; FDA reassessment announced 2025. Natural alternatives (mixed tocopherols) widely available..
Plant-protein-dominated formula. ground whole grain corn as the #1 ingredient.
- 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.
Pedigree Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Flavor with Bacon Flavored Bites Adult Dry Dog Food, 44-lb bag
Scores 12 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Pedigree Large Breed Adult Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$0.65/lb vs your seed's $1.50/lb (57% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 5
- bhaSynthetic preservative classified by the U.S. National Toxicology Program as 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.' Many premium brands have removed it.
- red 40Artificial color with no nutritional value. Linked to behavioral effects in children; relevance to dogs is unclear but the ingredient serves only marketing purposes.
- yellow 6Artificial color with no nutritional value.
- blue 2Artificial color. A 1990s industry-funded study reported brain tumors in male rats; subsequent reviews disputed methodology, but the additive provides no nutritional benefit.
- yellow 5Artificial 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 →
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1ground 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.
- 2protein animalchicken 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.
- 3protein plantcorn 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.
- 4animal fat [preserved with bha/citric acid]
Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 5protein plantsoybean 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.
- 6meat and bone meal
Unnamed animal protein with bone included. Cheap, vague, and not traceable to a specific species.
- 7ground whole grain wheat
Position 7: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 8othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 9brewers 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.
- 10water
Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.
- 11glycerin
Humectant used in soft-moist foods to keep them chewy. Safe in moderation but a signal of a processed semi-moist product.
- 12protein animalchicken 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.
- 13mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 14sugar
Added sugar. No nutritional purpose for dogs. Most often found in budget semi-moist foods. See why →
- 15mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 16monocalcium phosphate
Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard mineral inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 17mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 18supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 19phosphoric acid
- 20dried 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 →
- 21potassium sorbate
- 22supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 23natural grilled steak flavor
- 24vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 25mineralzinc 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.