with MarroBites Steak & Vegetable Flavor Pieces Adult Dry Dog Food, 36-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Pedigree with MarroBites Steak & Vegetable Flavor Pieces is a dry dog food for adult dogs, primarily made from corn and meat and bone meal.
There isn't much to highlight here. The formula is inferred to meet AAFCO standards for adult maintenance, which is the basic requirement for any commercial dog food.
This formula contains BHA, an artificial preservative flagged as a probable carcinogen, and several artificial colors. The ingredient list is also dominated by plant proteins, with ground whole grain corn as the first ingredient.
Hard to recommend for any dog. The flagged ingredients and plant-heavy formula are significant concerns.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Labrador Retrievers navigating weight management. At 318 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
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 0/100, landing in F-tier (avoid). The biggest contributor was AAFCO compliance (+4 points): AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer. 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 protein quality as well.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
Plant-protein-dominated formula. ground whole grain corn as the #1 ingredient.
Contains bha. IARC Group 2B probable carcinogen; CA Prop 65 listed; FDA reassessment announced 2025. Natural alternatives (mixed tocopherols) widely available..
- Lowest DMB protein in Pedigree's lineup (23.9%)
- Lowest protein quality in Pedigree's lineup (1.4/27)
- 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 13 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 $0.89/lb (27% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 4
- yellow 6Artificial color with no nutritional value.
- yellow 5Artificial color with no nutritional value. Some dogs show allergic-type reactions.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- 2meat and bone meal
Unnamed animal protein with bone included. Cheap, vague, and not traceable to a specific species.
- 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.
- 4protein plantsoybean meal
Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.
Position 4: 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.
- 5animal fat [preserved with bha & citric acid]
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 7dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 8mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 9cooked bone marrow
- 10mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 11supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 12mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 13dried 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 →
Position 13. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 14supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 15natural grilled steak flavor
- 16otheryellow 6 Flagged
Artificial coloring. No functional purpose. Banned or restricted in several countries. See why →
- 17mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 18vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 19otheryellow 5 Flagged
Artificial coloring. Strictly cosmetic. Banned or restricted in several countries. See why →
- 20otherred 40 Flagged
Artificial coloring. Dogs don't care about color. Banned in several countries over hyperactivity and allergic-reaction concerns. See why →
- 21supplementl-tryptophan
Essential amino acid. Sometimes added in calming or weight-management formulas.
- 22vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 23otherblue 2 Flagged
Artificial coloring. No nutritional or functional purpose. Banned or restricted in several countries. See why →
- 24niacin [vitamin b3]
- 25d-calcium pantothenate [source of vitamin b5]
Showing first 25 of 35. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
20 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.